WHAT THE HAL? The A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland is inviting the public to name its new “desktop supercomputer.” The computer uses what’s known as parallel computing to operate at speeds 100 times faster than today’s models. The winner will receive a $500 prize—not to mention the distinction of having named this technological advance. The contest is open to all U.S. residents (anyone under 18 needs the consent of a guardian to enter). Submissions will be accepted until Sept. 15. To enter, or for more information, visit www.ece.umd.edu/supercomputer/.

SCIENCE FELLOWS Up to 200 science teachers nationwide will engage in a yearlong science immersion program through new fellowships offered by the National Science Teachers Association in cooperation with the Amgen Corp. The fellowships include both Web-based and site-based activities such as attendance at NSTA’s national conference. The fellowships are also open to teachers in the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and other U.S. jurisdictions as well as U.S. Department of Defense Schools. Fellowship applications will be accepted up to Sept. 30 on a space-available basis. For details, visit www.nsta.org and click on the NSTA New Science Teacher Academy under “Quicklinks.”

SERVICE GRANTS Special Olympics and Youth Service America are teaming up to offer $1,000 grants to student councils that design a service project integrating council members and Special Olympics athletes. Grants are open to councils that attended the 2007 National Association of Student Councils conference in Overland, Kan. The deadline for grant applications is Oct. 5; details and applications are available at www.ysa.org/awards.

CAN WE CAULK? It’s not too late to enter EXPO’s classroom makeover contest. The grand prize winner will receive a $25,000 classroom makeover, under the auspices of “celebrity carpenter” and “Home Edition” star Paige Hemmis. Four first-prize winners each will receive $5,000. Applicants must submit photographs of their classrooms along with an essay of no more than 1,000 words on why their rooms are in desperate need of attention. The deadline for entries is Oct. 15. For details, or to enter, visit, http://www.expoclassroommakeover.com/.

JUST SAY “O RLY?” The 2 SMRT 4U Family/Educator Toolbox encourages adults to take an active role helping teens navigate the world of online social networking. The tool box covers such basics as how to start a conversation online, posting photos and what personal information teens should think twice about before sharing with others online. A collaboration between the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the 2SMRT4U.com Web site was created to carry a “Type smart. Post wisely” message to children and young adults across America.

SCIENCE, OF COURSE PBS TeacherLine and WBGH/Teachers’ Domain will be teaming up in 2007-08 to offer up to 34 courses in earth, life and physical sciences for teachers in grades K-12. Targeted to the new rollout of science testing requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act, the special collection of science courses is offered in two formats, including a 30-hour/ six-week course that is designed for quick immersion into teaching a particular topic. For details, or to enroll, visit www.pbs.org/teacherline.

PEDAL PUSHERS Teachers can put learning on the move with “Pedal Pioneers: A Guide to Bicycle Travel with Kids,” an affordable, comprehensive tool for educators and youth leaders to organize their own youth bicycle adventures. The step-by-step guide takes leaders through each stage of organizing a bicycle trip for kids. The guide covers details such as equipment, how to pack, route planning, food, and camping/lodging options. Developed by the Adventure Cycling Association, the guide costs $10.05 for Adventure Cycling members and $15.05 for nonmembers. See www.adventurecycling.org/pedalpioneers for details about the guide and other information, including a Youth Bicycle Travel Forum, as well as links to other national groups with bicycling resources.

SCHOOLS THAT CONNECT The AARP “Legacy Awards” will donate $1 million to public high schools in cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Schools in these cities will be eligible to compete for $100,000 prizes recognizing schools and programs that have helped connect generations and fostered civic engagement in students. If you don’t teach in one of these cities, there’s a broader competition that allows public high schools in all 50 states to compete for $10,000 awards. Deadline for entries is Oct. 1. Applications are available at www.aarp.org/legacy award.

CHEW THE FAT Have your students circle Sept. 24 on their calendars. That’s the day designated as “Family Day—A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children.” The event, launched six years ago by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, draws on research showing that the more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs. For more information on Family Day 2007, visit www.casafamily day.org.

SAFE STARTS For some last-minute online help in observing National Childhood Injury Prevention Week, Sept 1-7, be sure to visit www.assafeaspossible.org. The site offers downloads of free and low-cost educational materials (many are geared to a preK-3 audience), safety checklists, activity guides and much more. Electrical, fire, water and chemical hazards around the home are discussed, with tips on how to alert adults and avoid these dangers.

CARD SMART September marks National Library Card Sign-Up Month, the American Library Association’s bid to remind students and adults that a library card “is the most important school supply of all.” 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of the sign-up month, and ALA has posted a full roster of tips, tools, resources, promotional art, and more to help schools and libraries participate. Many of these materials are available in both English and Spanish at www.ala.org/librarycard signup.

CARS THAT SMELL GREAT—IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE Finding the union label can be a tricky enterprise when it comes to buying a car or truck in today’s outsourced economy. Take the popular Toyota Corolla. In the United States, the Corolla is made by members of the United Auto Workers—sometimes. But there is also a Canadian Corolla model, made in a nonunion plant, while still others are imported from a third country.

Thankfully, a pocket guide distributed by the UAW can help take a lot of the guesswork out of car buying. The 2007 edition lists dozens of autos, pickups, vans and SUVs made by the United Auto Workers, the Canadian Auto Workers or the International Union of Electrical Workers-Communications Workers of America (IUE). The guide also explains how to check a car’s vehicle identification number, or VIN, to determine which country the vehicle was made in.

You can get a free electronic version of the guide by visiting www.uaw.org/uawmade/auto/2007.index.cfm. The site also offers guides from 2000 forward and updates information as new model years roll out. In today’s complicated car market, the six-panel brochure can ensure that your new car drives home an old but still important message: Buy union!

THE FINANCIAL INCENTIVE OF FORGIVENESS Becoming a teacher takes years of higher education, hard work—and money. The good news is that there are more opportunities than ever for new and prospective teachers to reduce their financial burdens through state and federal loan forgiveness programs. The AFT Web site (www.aft.org/teachers/jft/loanforgiveness.htm) includes a section on loan forgiveness.

The section includes information on two of the main federal programs: the Stafford Loan Forgiveness Program for Teachers and the Federal Perkins Loan Teacher Cancellation Program. To be eligible for the Stafford program, applicants first have to receive a Stafford loan. In addition, applicants have to be employed at least five consecutive years as a full-time teacher in an elementary and secondary school designated as low-income.

The Perkins program is open to teachers who have received a federal Perkins loan and meet other requirements, including serving low-income students, working as a teacher of special needs students or teaching in a shortage area such as math, science, foreign languages or bilingual education. As with the Stafford program, the AFT Web site provides more specifics on eligibility and application procedures, and it also includes details on state programs.

LEADING TO READING Helping parents and caregivers become even more effective partners in the battle against illiteracy is the aim of a new multiyear campaign launched recently by the nonprofit group Reading Is Fundamental Inc. (RIF).

Visit RIF online, www.rif.org, for access to the organization's new Leading to Reading Web site, filled with resources in both english and Spanish to develop the language skills of infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Featured on the site are reproducible stories and nursery rhymes, along with many interactive learning activities for young children and adults to share. The site also offers information about other aspects of the Leading to Reading campaign, including literacy workshops and an online video of suggested activities.

Of particular interest are the campaign's new multicultural book collections. RIF and Macy's have teamed up to donate more than 250 multicultural children's book collections to kindergarten classrooms in low-income communities throughout the United States. Each collection includes 50 hardbound books with themes related to African-American, Asian, Hispanic and American Indian cultures. Details about the library giveaway and other campaign resources are available online.

NEXT STOP: DECISION 2008 Middle and high school teachers and their students can get a unique view of the upcoming political season by hopping aboard C-SPAN's Campaign 2008 Road to the White House tour bus.

This state-of-the-art TV production facility gives students and teachers in grades 6-12 a firsthand look at how political programming is produced for the 2008 elections. The bus also reaches out to first-time voters and university students nationwide as part of C-SPAN's ongoing efforts to boost interest and involvement in the political process. Additionally, the rolling studio serves as a mobile classroom for educator seminars at schools and at social studies conferences. Visit www.Campaign2008Bus.org to request a visit or to check out the bus schedule.

Other C-SPAN resources also are just a click away.

Visit www.C-SpanClassroom.org for an expanded lineup of discussion questions, downloadable video clips and other materials to help make civics lessons sparkle during the 2008 presidential campaign. Materials are updated each week with new downloadable video clips of candidate speeches, political rallies and other events.