First Lady Michelle Obama Kicks-Off National Campaign to Fight Childhood Obesity

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama kicked off a campaign to confront the problem of childhood obesity at a YMCA in Alexandria, VA. She was joined by Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Dr. Judith Palfrey, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

click arrow below to play video here

Transcript of Event

What are you doing to fight childhood obesity at your school or community site? In your community?

HCZ's Canada Featured in 2010 Sundance Documentary "Waiting for Superman"

Geoffrey Canada, founder of the Harlem Children's Zone in NYC, is featured in filmmaker Davis Guggenheim's latest documentary "Waiting for Superman." Here's a clip featuring Canada.

click below to watch video clip here

Exclusive Interview with Geoffrey Canada from TakePart on Vimeo.

Obama: The Best Anti-Poverty Program is a World-Class Education

"We need to invest in the skills and education of our people.

"Now, this year, we've broken through the stalemate between left and right by launching a national competition to improve our schools. And the idea here is simple: Instead of rewarding failure, we only reward success. Instead of funding the status quo, we only invest in reform -- reform that raises student achievement; inspires students to excel in math and science; and turns around failing schools that steal the future of too many young Americans, from rural communities to the inner city.

"In the 21st century, the best anti-poverty program around is a world-class education. And in this country, the success of our children cannot depend more on where they live than on their potential. "

President Barack Obama
2010 State of the Union Address

Latest Clip from the Documentary "Waiting for Superman"

"Leap of Faith" is the latest clip released from the "Waiting for Superman," the documentary by filmmaker Davis Guggenheim (An Incoveniet Truth) that premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

See: Sundance Video Trailer

FB Fan Pages: Waiting for Superman; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; AfterSchool Alliance; THINK Together

On Twitter: @BillGates, @Afterschool4All, @THINK_Together

"Waiting for Superman" Premiers at 2010 Sundance Film Festival

Last week, Microsoft mogul & global philanthropist Bill Gates flew to the 2010 Sundance Film Festival for one reason: to bring attention to the world premier of "Waiting for Superman," the latest by filmmaker David Guggenheim (he also directed Al Gore in An Inconvenient Truth).

Waiting for Superman examines the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories—from a handful of students and their families whose futures hang in the balance, to the educators and reformers trying to find real and lasting solutions within a dysfunctional system. The Social Action campaign for Waiting for Superman will work with advocacy organizations, foundations and policy-leaders to offer initiatives for people to explore and be a part of long-term strategies that offer systemic changes. It will also engage audiences in immediate, tangible actions to help students in under-performing schools achieve better educational outcomes.

See: Sundance Video Trailer

FB Fan Pages: Waiting for Superman; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; AfterSchool Alliance; THINK Together

On Twitter: @BillGates, @Afterschool4All, @THINK_Together

Van Houwe Promoted to Substitute Coordinator in OC Region

SPOTLIGHT
Promotion

Renee Van Houwe has been promoted from Roving Site Assistant to Substitute Coordinator for THINK Together's Orange County Region. Renee started out at THINK Together as a Site Assistant at Washington Elementary (Santa Ana Unified School District/SAUSD) during Summer 2009. She was quicly promoted to Roving Site Assistant in September 2009 working with THINK Together's Santa Ana teams at Taft Elementary, Roosevelt Elementary, and Romero-Cruz Elementary. Renee is a 2008 graduated of Alliant International University in San Diego.

Notre Dame Grad Hired as Community Outreach Coordinator

SPOTLIGHT
New Hire

Melody Gonzalez has been hired as Community Outreach Coordinator for Walker Elementary (Santa Ana Unified School District/SAUSD). Melody was born and raised in Santa Ana, California; and was ASB President at Valley High. She went on to graduate from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelors in Political Science. Melody has four years experience as a Community and Youth Organizer working in Immokalee, Florida. Melody is excited to be back in her hometown working with children and parents. She eventually plans to pursue a Masters in Education.

CA Earns "C+" on Pew Center Funded Report Card

The 14th edition of Education Week’s Quality Counts Report Card, supported by the Pew Center on the States, has been released and California scored a “C+” as compared to the national average which was a “C.”

edweek.org

Feature Story (with related resource links): State of the States: Holding All States to High Standards

Additional Resource: Interactive Map & Individual State Report Cards

U.S. News: Learning from No Child Left Behind

U.S. News & World Report
January 13, 2010

Signed to law in January 2002, "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) marked a controversial landmark for the feder­al government in education policy. It mandated high-stakes tests to measure student achievement. Schools that lag behind face penalties. With the law past due for reauthorization, U.S. News & World Report asked four experts to offer lessons that can be drawn from it.

Margaret Spellings
Former U.S. Secretary of Education

Randi Weingarten
President of the American Federation of Teachers

Michael Cohen
President of Achieve, a nonpartisan education re­form group

Andrew Rotherham
Publisher of Educa­tion Sector; author of the blog Eduwonk.com

CA After-School Awarded B+

Children Now has issued it's 2009 California Report Card.

Released last week by the nonprofit group, the Report Card assigns letter grades to individual issues like early learning and development, K-12 education and health coverage. These issues are broken down into three categories: Health, Education & Cross-System Issues.

In awarding CA after-school a B+, Children Now indicates the state is a national leader when it comes to providing after-school programs. That's the highest grade given CA across all issues.

See complete California Report Card '09

District Official Calls THINK Together "Outstanding Partnership"

Whittier Daily News
January 9, 2010

State report card on children's well being has few bright spots

...However, when it comes to after-school programs, the state earned a solid B+, thanks to the largest publicly funded after- school infrastructure in the nation.

At the Baldwin Park Unified School District, Assistant Superintendent Christine Dennis said the after-school program run by the nonprofit Think Together has been an "outstanding partnership."

"And what we've found is that our children are not just getting the same lessons they get during the school day - they're getting math enrichment and physical activity and homework help," she said. "It's like a school within a school."

By Tracy Garcia, staff writer
tracy.garcia@sgvn.com
562-698-0955, ext. 3051

Complete Story
Children Now: CA Report Card

CBS News to feature THINK Together & Baldwin Park Schools

Watch the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric tomorrow night (Thurs, 1/7) at 6:30 pm (pacific time) – or set your TV recording devices to watch it later. CBS News is scheduled to broadcast a segment on health and obesity in America which we anticipate will feature our partners at the Baldwin Park Unified School District and THINK Together.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Healthy Kids Healthy Communities Initiative has acknowledged efforts in the Baldwin Park community to combat childhood obesity and suggests it’s a national model that others should emulate. That’s why CBS News has decided to spotlight what’s working right for Baldwin Park’s kids in their segment and will feature the contributions that Baldwin Park Schools & THINK Together after-school programs are making in the local fight to keep kids healthy and fit.

It’s rewarding enough to know THINK Together is making a difference in the lives of kids and the communities we serve, but it’s an honor when our work gets recognized like this.

This is one of many positive signs that 2010 will be a banner year for THINK Together.

What do you see for THINK Together in 2010?

Students Could Win $100 Gift Certificate in Art, Poetry Contest

Coastal Art & Poetry Contest Details:

WHO: All California residents in kindergarten through 12th grades are invited to participate. There are four categories for awards in both art and poetry: K-3rd, 4th-6th, 7th-9th, and 10th-12th grade.

WHAT: Entries must have a California coastal or California marine theme (e.g. no tropical or Arctic settings or species -- for help with California species, click here.) Poetry and artwork must be original. Art should be no larger than 11 inches by 17 inches. Acceptable art media are paint, pencil, markers, ink, crayon, chalk or pastel (fixed), and collage. Three-dimensional pieces, computer printouts, photography, or photocopies are not eligible. All entries must include a completed contest Entry Form.

Winners will be selected in each of four grade-level categories (K-3rd, 4th-6th, 7th-9th, and 10th-12th) in both art and poetry to receive a gift certificate for $100 to an art supply store (for winners in art) or book store (for winners in poetry). Winners and honorable mentions will receive tickets to Aquarium of the Pacific, courtesy of the Aquarium. Each sponsoring teacher will receive a gift certificate for $40 for educational materials.

WHEN: Entries must be postmarked by January 30, 2010.

HOW: Review and complete the Guidelines and Entry Form and submit it with your art or poetry to:

COASTAL ART AND POETRY CONTEST
California Coastal Commission
45 Fremont Street, Suite 2000
San Francisco, CA 94105

Students may have their work featured in California Coastal Commission materials and webpages. Students may enter multiple pieces. Artwork will be returned only if a self-addressed, stamped envelope is included with the entry. Winners and honorable mentions may be retained by the Commission for approximately one year for public exhibit.

For more information, or to request to have an entry form emailed, mailed, or faxed to you, contact the California Coastal Commission at 800-COAST-4U or coast4u@coastal.ca.gov.

• Entry Form and Guidelines in English [in MS Word] [in PDF]

• Entry Form and Guidelines in Spanish [in MS Word] [in PDF] (Poetry entries must be in English)