PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 29/ 17 (link source)
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Education today activated its emergency response contact center in response to the devastating impacts of Hurricane Harvey. The Department’s K-12 and Higher Education stakeholders who are seeking informational resources as well as those seeking relief from Department-based administrative requirements should contact the Department toll free at 1-844-348-4082 or by email at HarveyRelief@ed.gov.
The Department of Education’s primary role in natural disasters is to assist school districts and institutions of higher education in their recovery efforts. In addition to internal agency briefings, the Department is participating in daily interagency briefings led by the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA in order to understand the extent of the damage to educational infrastructure and the needs of its education stakeholders in the wake of Harvey. The Department's interagency work will inform and enhance the resources and relief that it will make available to school districts and institutions of higher education as the recovery work begins.
In addition to its Federal partners, the Department has reached out to the Texas Education Agency, the Louisiana Department of Education and institutions of higher learning in the impacted areas and will be coordinating its recovery activities through these agencies and institutions. The full extent of the Hurricane’s impact will not be known for some time but we will stay in close contact with our partners.
Last week, the Department began contacting more than 200 colleges and universities located in areas likely impacted by Harvey and will provide administrative flexibilities related to federal student aid rules.
The Department has also directed federal student loan servicers to provide impacted borrowers flexibility in managing their loan payments during this time. Borrowers can contact their student loan servicer for more information or call 1-800-4FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) to find out their servicer’s contact information.
US DEPT. OF EDUCATION:
BLOG POSTING on 8/ 24/ 17 (source link)
Everyone’s college experience is unique—and probably not quite what they were expecting, but here are some tried and true tips on how to get through it.
1. Get involved.
This point may be the most overhyped, but it’s still valid. Go to your school’s activities fair if they have one; otherwise, keep your eyes open for opportunities to join different clubs or teams. Joining a club or team can often provide a much-needed relief from your everyday classes or responsibilities, and it’s a great way to meet new people or to try something new! Many schools even have niche groups such as unicycle clubs, quidditch teams (of Harry Potter fame), and virtual reality clubs. If you don’t find a club that aligns with your interests, you can always start your own!
2. Learn how to network.
Networking is something that can seem foreign for high school students (at least that’s how it felt for me). We go to college and are suddenly expected to know how to make professional contacts without any real training. To be successful at networking throughout college, you have to put yourself in settings where you’ll have the opportunity to meet professionals in the field you’re interested in. Look for local networking opportunities or events that are catered to the industry you’re in or the skills you’d like to master. For example, you might find an event that teaches individuals how to run for office, or a training on using LinkedIn to your advantage, or a class that helps you learn photography skills. All of these events will put you in contact with people who can help propel you into a career later in life.
3. Prepare for the cost of college.
If you need to take out student loans to pay for college, borrow ONLY what you need. Many people accept less than what’s offered (myself included!). Borrowing an extra $4,000 now may turn into repaying an extra $7,000 in the future. (Remember, anything you borrow now must be paid back with interest later.) Consider getting a job to help defray costs. College campuses usually have lots of fun jobs to choose from (for example, I was a driver for my campus’s safe ride program). Finally, remember to continue to apply for scholarships, as many can be given only to current students or to students in a certain major.
4. Get an internship.
Paid or unpaid. Local, national, or abroad. Find an internship that caters to your interests or career goals. Internships can help you figure out if you truly want to go into a certain field, and they can make you more marketable to future employers. Completing an internship also gives you professional contacts and references that you can call on for years to come. You can find internship opportunities through your school, an online search, or by attending career fairs.
5. Know where to go for academic (and financial aid) help.
Your school wants you to succeed. Take advantage of their services, especially if they’re free. Some colleges and universities have exceptional one-on-one tutoring programs that can help you pass that seemingly-impossible class. Others have group study sessions with teaching assistants. Attending tutoring sessions like the ones I’ve described has helped me stay on track in my classes. Also, be sure to stay on top of your financial aid situation. Familiarize yourself with the financial aid office. They’re always there to help you navigate the (sometimes complicated) financial aid process.
6. Your major doesn’t determine your future.
College is the time to find yourself and truly discover your own interests. You will have to be intrinsically motivated in order to meet your goals—if you don’t want to do it, nobody can make you, so you might as well choose a major you truly enjoy. However, on that note, a major is just an area of study, not a career path. If you want to study dance and go to medical school, go for it! If you want to study psychology and become an elementary teacher (this is what I’m doing), go for it! Just make sure you know the required prerequisites for obtaining any higher degree/certification/licensure required by your field and be sure to meet those requirements in a timely manner, because classes are not free.
7. Don’t compare your college experience to someone else’s.
Everyone’s experience is different. Remember that what you see on social media isn’t always the full truth. For a lot of people, college is simultaneously the best and busiest time of their life. Remember, it’s okay to not be having fun 100% of the time. College isn’t all Instagram posts of parties, spring break trips, and football games in a VSCO filter. It’s okay not to be having fun 100% of the time—college is about learning, finding your passions, and building relationships. Your college experience is whatever you make it.
8. Learn how to combat stress.
College can be a challenge. It’s not just the schoolwork that’s difficult; it’s balancing schoolwork, a social life, a job or two, housing, grocery shopping, budgeting, and anything else life throws at you. Self-care can help you balance these stressors to improve your overall well-being. Some self-care activities that work for me include deep breathing, coloring geometric patterns, and going on walks. Other people like to go to the gym, listen to music, or watch videos online. Whatever you do, make sure it’s the right thing for you so that you get the most out of this incredible period of your life.
Katie Hannestad is a junior at the University of Minnesota. She is an intern in the Office of Communications and Outreach at the U.S. Department of Education.
US DEPT. of Education blog posting: Celebrating a Sixth Cohort of U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools; Launching the 2017 Green Strides Tour
Date posted 8/ 23/ 17 (link source)
U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) began in 2011-2012 by defining “green school” according to three Pillars. In 2012-2013, ED added a District Sustainability Award and began an annual tour spotlighting the practices of honorees and launched a Green Strides resources portal for all to employ. The 2013-2014 cycle added an honor for state officials and 2015 brought a postsecondary category and saw the revamping of the Green Strides portal.
Need an occasion for celebration? On Wednesday, July 19th, we recognized 45 schools, nine districts, nine postsecondary institutions, and one state education agency official at a Washington, D.C. ceremony for their efforts to cultivate sustainable, healthy facilities, wellness practices, and authentic place-based learning.
The Director of the Campaign for Environmental Literacy James L. Elder, Director of the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council Anisa Heming, Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education for Management Holly Ham, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Education Director Louisa Koch congratulated the 2017 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools. They were also treated to a special briefing with hydrogen fuel car demonstration offered by the U.S. Department of Energy, a National Park Service ranger-led tour of National Monuments, and a reception with their Hill members sponsored by the Center for Green Schools.
As ED-GRS Director, I rejoice in honorees’ achievements each passing year while continuing to look for ways to make this federal communications and outreach tool structured as a recognition award fresh and useful to the school communities we serve. From tentative beginnings, it has become quite clear to us here at ED that sustainable school practices are here to stay and that our federal agency requires some understanding of school facilities, health, and environment matters, particularly as they affect learning. I’ve been honored to serve in this evolving role, to read each and every one of our nominations in full every year of this award, and to preside over our annual ceremony — which is always a special event.
Learning from the many national non-profit and federal colleagues who have educated us in these areas over the last five years, I, too, have come to think of healthy, safe, sustainable schools that offer real-world learning opportunities as something that should be the norm in all of our schools.
NASA Awards Contract for Center Protective Services for Glenn Research Center
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 25/ 17 (Link Source)
NASA has awarded a contract to Golden Svcs, LLC in Kingston, Tennessee, to provide protective services at the agency’s Ohio facilities, NASA’s Glenn Research Center’s Lewis Field in Cleveland and Plum Brook Station in Sandusky.
The firm-fixed price contract includes a two-year base period, followed by one two-year option and a one-year option. The potential total value of the contract is approximately $33.4 million.
Work under the contract will include support in a variety of areas, such as: emergency management; dispatch operations; national security protection; medical first responders; badge management; traffic and gate control; locksmith services; patrol operations; physical security; personnel security; and security incident response.
NASA Announces Cassini End-of-Mission Media Activities
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 24/ 17 (link source)
On Sept. 15, NASA's Cassini spacecraft will complete its remarkable story of exploration with an intentional plunge into Saturn's atmosphere, ending its mission after nearly 20 years in space. News briefings, photo opportunities and other media events will be held at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, and will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website.
NASA also will hold a media teleconference Tuesday, Aug. 29 to preview activities for Cassini during its final two weeks.
Launched in 1997, Cassini arrived in orbit around Saturn in 2004 on a mission to study the giant planet, its rings, moons and magnetosphere. In April of this year, Cassini began the final phase of its mission, called its Grand Finale -- a daring series of 22 weekly dives between the planet and its rings. On Sept. 15, Cassini will plunge into Saturn, sending new and unique science about the planet's upper atmosphere to the very end. After losing contact with Earth, the spacecraft will burn up like a meteor. This is the first time a spacecraft has explored this unique region of Saturn -- a dramatic conclusion to a mission that has revealed so much about the ringed planet.
WORLD AND NATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS
FROM THE UN NEWS CENTER:
UN chief Guterres condemns latest ballistic missile launch by DPRK
29 August 2017 – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the latest ballistic missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), in violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Children's access to safe water and sanitation is a right, not a privilege – UNICEF
29 August 2017 – In countries beset by violence, displacement, conflict and instability, children's most basic means of survival – water – must be a priority, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said today, warning that children living in fragile situations are four times more likely to lack access to drinking water.
NATIONAL
WP: Harvey takes aim at Louisiana as Trump plans to survey stricken Texas
HOUSTON — The remnants of deadly Hurricane Harvey spilled toward Louisiana on Tuesday with more potentially disastrous flooding and emergency evacuations as President Trump planned to survey the ongoing devastation in stricken Texas.
NBC: New Mexico community shaken after library shooting
CLOVIS, N.M. — A shooting inside a public library that killed two people and wounded four has deeply shaken an eastern New Mexico community.
Daily Bible Verse: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28 NKJV
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