Citizen Writer Contest (Deadline: April 30)

Reading Rockets and AdLit.org's new writing contest, Citizen Writer, offers writing prompts with connections to civics, citizenship, and our communities. We want students to think and learn more about America's people, places, and ideals as they write. Prize winners will have their work published on ReadingRockets.org and AdLit.org and will receive a gift basket of age-appropriate books and a personalized certificate.

State Farm Youth Advisor Grants (Deadline: May 2)

The State Farm Youth Advisory Board is providing $5 million in service-learning grants to youth across the United States and Canada in an effort to create projects that bring about sustainable, positive change in local communities. Youth in public schools, or youth associated with a 501(c)3 organization have the opportunity to apply for grants ranging from $25,000-$100,000 to help their implementation of a school-based service-learning program that ties into an existing K-12 curriculum, and relates to one of the following focus areas: Driver Safety, Environmental Responsibility, Financial Literacy, Access to Higher Education, and Natural or Societal Disaster Preparedness.

Spring HS Nature Classes

NATURE’S CLASSROOM

Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area in Montville Twp is offering science programs for home school children ages six to twelve years. Each session consists of four two-hour classes that are hands on and suited for experiential learners. To register or for more information on the programs listed: call Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area: 973-334-3130 or e-mail Douglas at dvorolieff@morrisparks.net RSVPs needed ASAP to confirm classes will run!

Classes are:

Tuesdays, 1:30-4pm for 6-8 year olds on April 5, 12, 19, & 26 (topics: Water Cycle, Birds, Reptiles, & Wildflower Hike)

Thursdays: 1:30-4pm for 9-12 year olds on April 7, 14, 21, & May 5 (topics: Leave No Trace Principles, Mapping, Tracking, & Navigation Hike)

Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area - 472A Boonton Ave - Montville Township

The 4-week sessions are $45 or $12 per class/ non-refundable payable upon registration. Each session is limited to 12 students.

FAMILY HOMESCHOOL WALKS

At Pyramid Mtn on the following Wednesdays from 1pm to 2:30pm

April 13: Dirt Made my Lunch: Explore soils and their importance to life on Earth with activities and a guided walk.

May 18: Stream Ecology: Put on your water shoes and get into the stream to study this habitat and its critters.

Walks are for all ages; cost $8 per child age 3 and older.

To register or for more information on the programs listed: call Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area: 973-334-3130 or e-mail Douglas at dvorolieff@morrisparks.net

Civil War Student challenge - prcatice or register now

HISTORY® and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt invite high school students to compete for scholarships in the National Civil War Student Challenge as part of the commemoration of the Civil War's Sesquicentennial this April.
The National Civil War Student Challenge is a timed online competition that will test a student's knowledge of this pivotal chapter of American history—over $30,000 in college scholarships will be awarded to the top-scorers. The Challenge takes place online from April 7-9; students can register today.

VANISHED: Smithsonian's online mystery starts April 4

Students can spend 8 weeks solving an online mystery

http://vanished.mit.edu/

A mystery is brewing at the Smithsonian Institution, and the scientists there want the help of the nation’s middle schoolers to solve it. Children and teens aged 11–14 can get involved in uncovering the mystery in Vanished, an online science-fiction interactive mystery event that starts April 4.

Students can sign up for the event, conducted by the Smithsonian and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, at The Education Arcade. The mystery, which is unveiled during the course of the eight-week event, involves a fictitious environmental disaster. Each week, participants will get clues online that will allow them to come up with hypotheses about the cause that can be tested, debated and refined.

As part of the event, players get an assist from real-world Smithsonian scientists in areas such as forensic anthropology, paleobiology, and entomology. Scientists will have videoconferences online, and participants can send them questions that will be answered in real time. Students will be asked to collect real data, such as documenting a species in their neighborhood. They can upload pictures to the Web site and compare their finds with field guides. Some players near 20 or so Smithsonian-affiliated museums can find clues inside.

Clues can also be gathered from several games that will be available on the site. As players participate, they will gain achievement points, just as in video games.