Published by the

Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education

This Week's Topics:

1. U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION MARGARET SPELLINGS JOINS FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH TO TEACH FIRST GRADE SCIENCE CLASS
2. ASSOCIATIONS PARTNER TO PROVIDE STUDENTS ACCESS TO E-MENTORING
3. 2008 DISCOVERY EDUCATION 3M YOUNG SCIENTIST CHALLENGE
4. BAYER USA FOUNDATION AWARDS GRANT TO REGIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION PROGRAM
5. HOUSE ED COMMITTEE APPROVES BILL TO ENSURE CONTINUED ACCESS TO STUDENT LOANS
6. ROBOTS RULE IN CELEBRATION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
7. TEACHERS: APPLY NOW FOR A PSEG ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION GRANT  
8. PREVIOUS ISSUES

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On April 14, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings joined First Lady Laura Bush to teach a first grade science class on the characteristics of ocean animals at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Washington, D.C. Mrs. Bush and Secretary Spellings taught the class together to honor the "Teach For America" Program. After the lesson, the students participated in a learning activity supervised by Mrs. Bush and Secretary Spellings and engaged in a question and answer session. The students' regular teacher, Ms. Laura Gilbertson, is a "Teach For America" corps member.

"Teach For America" is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates and professionals of all academic majors and career interests who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools. Each year, "Teach For America Week" brings together leaders from a variety of sectors to serve as guest teachers and inspire students across the nation. More than 150 distinguished guest teachers help to raise awareness about the challenges facing students in low-income communities and demonstrate that when students are given the educational opportunities they deserve, they reach their highest potential. "Teach For America is on the leading edge of a movement that's transforming our country's schools by rejecting ineffective habits and embracing creativity," said Secretary Spellings. "With every new success, innovative organizations such as Teach For America demonstrate to the public, and most importantly, to students, that if we raise the bar, our children will rise to the challenge." More details about Teach For America are available online.  

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Discovery Communications has announced that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Governors Association, and Science Olympiad are partners for the 2008 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. All three organizations will join Discovery Education and Triangle Coalition member, 3M, with the common goal of engaging and inspiring middle school students in America to explore science and communicate their findings by entering the 2008 Young Scientist Challenge. In its 10th year, the Young Scientist Challenge is introducing a new entry mechanism for students, which will highlight their ability to innovatively use everyday technology to communicate basic scientific knowledge to their peers. This year, students are creating short videos to demonstrate their understanding of a scientific concept, modeling the same techniques creative educators across the country use when they employ digital media to convey critical or complex concepts to students. All fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth graders are eligible to enter. The 51 semifinalists -- one from each state and Washington, D.C. -- will be announced in July. Ten finalists then will be selected to travel to Washington, D.C., October 4th through 7th, to compete for the title of "America's Top Young Scientist."

Triangle Coalition member, Science Olympiad, will support the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge by identifying the nation's great middle school science communicators and nominating them for consideration to compete for the title of "America's Top Young Scientist." 3M and the 3M Foundation are committed to supporting innovative and practical initiatives which enhance the quality of life in 3M communities around the world. With the goal of helping to develop productive, educated and involved citizens, 3M targets programs that address related education, family, and community issues. Science and math education and youth development are top priorities. Click here for more information or to enter the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge.

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On April 9, the House Education and Labor Committee approved bipartisan legislation to ensure that the turmoil in the U.S. credit markets does not prevent any students or parents from accessing the financial aid they need to pay for college. The Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008 (H.R. 5715) would provide new protections, in addition to those already under current law, to ensure that families continue to have timely, uninterrupted access to federal college loans in the event that stress in the credit markets leads a significant number of lenders in the federally guaranteed student loan programs to substantially reduce their lending activity. Specifically, H.R. 5715 would:

* Reduce borrowers' reliance on costlier private college loans by increasing the annual loan limits on federal college loans by $2,000 for all students, and by increasing the aggregate (the total loan limit over the course of a student's education) loan limits to $31,000 for dependent undergraduates and $57,500 for independent undergraduates;

* Give parent borrowers more time to begin paying off their federal PLUS loans by providing them with the option to defer repayment until up to six months after their children leave school.  

* Help struggling homeowners pay for college by making sure that short-term delinquencies in mortgage payments don't prohibit otherwise eligible parents from being able to borrow parent PLUS loans.

The House Education and Labor Committee has been closely monitoring the impact of the credit markets on the student loan industry. At a committee hearing last month, lawmakers urged U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings to put plans in place to ensure borrowers' timely access to federal college loans in the event that a large number of lenders sharply curtailed their lending activities. A fact sheet on the legislation is available online. 

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