CPS TechCrew | Tech 2009 Announcement

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR TECH 2009!

APPLY ONLINE: Applications are now being accepted at http://www.springfieldtech2000.org/. The deadline to apply is January 12, 2009.

WHO SHOULD APPLY: All schools and districts in Illinois are invited to apply to participate in TECH 2009.

OVERVIEW OF EVENT: TECH 2009 is a not-for-profit initiative supported by a broad range of education and business organizations. Its purpose is
two-fold: 1) to raise awareness of the critical role technology plays in preparing students to succeed in today¹s world; and 2) to show the need for increased funding for classroom technology.

Selected school teams will demonstrate a school project to legislators, business leaders and the general public in the State Capitol Building Rotunda. Each team of four (one teacher and three students, or one teacher, one administrator and two students) will demonstrate their project either during a morning or afternoon time slot (approx. 9am-Noon or Noon-3pm). For more information, go to the TECH 2009 website, http://www.springfieldtech2000.org/.

LOCATION OF TECH 2009: State Capitol Building, Springfield, IL

DATE OF TECH 2009: TECH 2009 will be held in the Spring of 2009. The committee is waiting for the legislative calendar to be set before securing a date for the event. The TECH 2009 committee is hopeful an April 30, 2009 date will coincide with when legislators are in session in Springfield.
Once the legislative calendar is set, the date of TECH 2009 will be announced on the TECH 2009 website.

SELECTION OF SCHOOLS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT: School teams will be selected to represent a balanced distribution between legislative districts, grade levels and curricular areas. Preference will be given to projects that demonstrate improved teaching and learning through the use of technology.
Our goal is to select one team from every legislative district (representative & senatorial) in the state. Schools will be notified of their selection status in mid-January, 2009.

TECH events are not only fun but memorable experiences for participants and observers alike. We hope you will apply to participate in TECH 2009.

i-SAFE International Poster Contest

i-SAFE Educators,

i-SAFE is excited to announce a new student contest. The i-SAFE International Poster Challenge gives your students an opportunity to draw attention to e-Safety. Your students can make an impact and help change the way other students see the Internet while utilizing their art skills.

They see them on the highway, malls and movie theaters. Now, they can take the i-SAFE Poster Challenge and spotlight e-Safety in schools. Students can choose an e-Safety issue such as: texting, cyber bullying, gaming, online predators, or piracy. Then, express their creativity using any artistic styles such as political, movie, inspirational, graffiti, or billboard design.

Once your students have finished their poster, have them send it via e-mail or U.S. mail to i-SAFE by Dec.15. Winners will be announced in elementary, middle school, and high school levels. The winning students and schools will receive national recognition and have their posters distributed as part of our educational program.

All the information on the contest, including judging and prizes, can be found at http://xblock.isafe.org/contests.php. Please e-mail us at contest@isafe.org with any questions. Thanks and good luck!