Z is for...

Z is for...

The Zarrow Group!

The Zarrow Group is actually a combination of three foundations formed by the Zarrow family.  It was incorporated in 1980.  Their ultimate goal is to help the less fortunate.  They do this in a variety of ways.

One of the ways they help is through scholarships. The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation part of the group provides scholarships for 7 different schools. Click here to see the list of schools.

Oh my goodness, this is actually the last post for the A to Z Challenge! I can't believe I made it through all of them.  I even got all my posts up on  the days they were supposed to post.  Despite the fact that for some reason my scheduling feature isn't working for this blog.  It's been fun, I hope you all have enjoyed my posts and found the at least a little informative and helpful. Thanks for stopping by!

This post is part of The Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2012

Y is for...

Y is for...

The Yao Ming Foundation!

Their goal is to help the lives of children in America and China.  With a strong emphasize on educational areas.  It was originally funded in 2008 by Yao Ming.  It was first started to help rebuild schools in China after a major earthquake destroyed them.  While they are currently not accepting new proposels, they have in the past offered grants to various programs in the U.S., to help with education.  Click here to find out more  about their grant program.

How you can help?  Besides donating directly to the organisation, they also have fund raisers that people can hold to help raise money for the foundation. Click here to find out more.

This post is part of The Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2012

X is for...

X is for...

The Xerox Foundation!

The Xerox Foundation gives grants to colleges and universities.  They also help encourage Xerox's employees to give back as well.  They have 4 different ways they help their employees do this. 

1-They give them full-paid leave to work full time on social projects

2-Teams of employees are set up to work on projects in their area

3-They learn about United Way and other ways they can help

4-Their contributions to higher education are matched by the foundation (up to $1,000)

To find out more, or if your school qualifies for any of the foundation's grants, click here.

This post is part of The Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2012

W is for...

W is for...

W.Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation!

The foundation was started in 1958 and  provides educational and developmental opportunities for today's youth to be able to fulfill their potential.  It mainly is involved in Boston, New York, Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area, but they have also been known to fund organizations outside these areas as they see fit.
Want to find out more about the foundations guidelines for their grants? Click here.

To find out more about the foundation just click here or on the link at the top of the post!

This post is part of The Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2012

V is for...

V is for...

Volunteering!

Now I understand not everyone has the time to volunteer.  Most people are working a full time job along with managing a home.  Free time is non-existent, and if there are a few spare moments they are spent trying to relax and unwind from all that the world throws at us.  Trust me I understand.  I used to work 24/7 LITERALLY.  It has only been recent that I have found myself with spare time on my hands.  If you had brought up volunteering a few years ago, I would have laughed. Simply because the time not spent at work and not spent sleeping, was spent trying to squeeze in time with my kids and my spouse.  So for those of you who don't have the time, I hold nothing against you, because I'm sure if you could have the time to volunteer you would do so.

However there are those out there who have the time to volunteer. If you are already volunteering, may I say thank you and good job.  Whether you volunteer in a local school classroom, or help out your child's soccer team, or donate your time to a local soup kitchen, or any of the other numerous activities that are available for a person to participate in, your time is greatly appreciated.

For those of you who aren't may I ask why not?   I understand maybe your free time is spent soley on your children or signifigant other or maybe on yourself. (and may I say there is nothing wrong with that, even the last one, we all need a break now and then)  But you don't have to spend ALL your free time helping out.  You can always just decide to donate a few hours or even 1 hour a month to volunteering for something.  If you want to spend extra time with your kids, volunteer to help out at a sport or club they are involved in.  Then you can spend some extra time getting to know them, while at the same time volunteering.  If you want to spend extra time with a spouse or significant other, why not volunteer together?  You can get to see your special someone doing something nice, and then get the added bonus of being able to tell all your friends about it later. (I know the last part is more of a girl thing then a guy thing, and it is kinda shallow, but I love telling my friends whenever my boyfriend does something sweet.)

If you've never helped someone before you might not know this, but it makes you feel good inside. Even if you don't always get to see the results of your work.

If you do volunteer I know I didn't name all the ways you can help, so why don't you leave some suggestions in the comments of ways you can share your time?  Or even better ways you can do it that help involve everyone in your life, be they partners, kids, or just random friends and family?

This post is part of The Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2012 

U is for...

U is for...

U.S. Department of Education's Student Aid Web Site!

Ok, it's pretty much self explanatory.  Just click on the link above and it will take you to the web site for the U.S. Department of Education's student aid information.  As well as helping get money for college the site also provides help with preparing for college and repaying your loans.  So even if you haven't graduated from high school yet be sure to go check out this site.  Don't not go to college because you think you can't afford to.  

This post if part of The Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2012

Mother's Day Giveaway from Gone Reading!

So at the end of last month I told you about Gone Reading!, the online store that donates 100% of its after tax profits to fund libraries and reading programs.

Well they are offering an awesome giveaway for Mother's Day! The winner will receive $100 in merchandise from Gone Reading AND a $25 gift card for Amazon!   The contest ends in 19 days so be sure to click the link below to find out more and to enter via the rafflecopter near the bottom of the page.

Good luck!

The Month of Mom Giveaway from Gone Reading.

T is for...

T is for:

Teach For America!

This organization's mission is to eliminate educational inequality between low-income students and other higher income students.  They do this by recruiting recent college graduates to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools.  They also train them so that they have an immediate positive impact on their students.  (click here to find out more)

How can you get involved, besides volunteering to teach or just donating money?  

-Sponsor a teacher

-Help raise money

-Join their staff

Find out more about this amazing organization at their site today!

This post is part of The Blogging From A to Z April 2012 Challenge.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Honorees from Massachusetts

I'd like to introduce you to the Honorees from Massachusetts for The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.  The program also chooses anywhere from 2 to 10 runners up in each state.  They are named Distinguished Finalists and receive a bronze medallion. I will be listing them as well underneath the Honorees.

I will give a short description of what the Honoree has been nominated for and then you can click on their name to find out more! 

Here are the State Honorees:

Rebecca Ackerman

Rebecca is a junior.  She has helped to generate more than $85,000 for autism research.

and

Grace Kirrane

Grace is in sixth grade.  She makes fleece blankets for the Police and Fire departments to give to children rescued in emergency situations. 

Here are the Distinguished Finalists:

Elizabeth Belanger-aiding the disadvantaged

Michael Firn-aiding the disadvantaged

Moira Landry-aiding the disadvantaged

Jessica Leong-aiding the disadvantaged

Daniel Dietz-assisting the disabled

Eric Lacroix-works in a leadership position in his towns "Relay for Life"

Lets hear it for these great kids!

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Honorees from Maryland

I'd like to introduce you to the Honorees from Maryland for The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.  The program also chooses anywhere from 2 to 10 runners up in each state.  They are named Distinguished Finalists and receive a bronze medallion. I will be listing them as well underneath the Honorees.

I will give a short description of what the Honoree has been nominated for and then you can click on their name to find out more! 

The State Honorees:

Loranika Sharma

Loranika is in sixth grade. She co-founded "Go Green Environmental Group".  They promote book recycling, urge publishers to print children's books on recycled paper with organic ink, and help teach other things they can do to help the environment.  They have also help collect clothing for the poor.

and 

Saanya Ali

Saanya is a sophomore.  She makes and sells greeting cards to help raise money organizations that support children's education around the world. She also hosts workshops to help encourage other children to help others.

The Distinguished Finalists:

Felicia Clements-aiding the disadvantaged

Sarah Fetcho-aiding the disadvantaged

Anuj Khandelwal-aiding the disadvantaged

Leah Muskin-Pierret-aiding the disadvantaged

Josephine Grant-helping and comforting the sick

Nina Lu-helping and comforting the sick

Lets hear it for these great kids and the amazing things they have done!

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Honorees from Maine

I'd like to introduce you to the Honorees from Maine for The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.  The program also chooses anywhere from 2 to 10 runners up in each state.  They are named Distinguished Finalists and receive a bronze medallion. I will be listing them as well underneath the Honorees.

I will give a short description of what the Honoree has been nominated for and then you can click on their name to find out more! 

Here are the State Honorees:

Carly Osgood

Carly is in eighth grade.  Carly is and active volunteer.  She has mentored and worked with children as a camp counselor.  She helped create a garden that has produced more than 17,000 lbs of fresh fruits and veggies for 3 local food pantries.  She has also helped the homeless, mentored a student with autism at her school, raised money for a local firefighter with cancer and helped make toys for a local animal shelter.



and

Andrew Hayford

Andrew is a senior.  He created a "Keep Our Beaches Clean" program that helped get elementary students involved in helping the environment.  He also hosts the Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup at two beaches every year.



And the Distinguished Finalists:

Emily Sevey-aiding the disadvantaged
Alexandra Hood-teaching, tutoring and mentoring other young people.


Lets hear it for this exceptional kids and the amazing things they have achieved.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Honorees from Louisiana

I'd like to introduce you to the Honorees from Louisiana  for The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.  The program also chooses anywhere from 2 to 10 runners up in each state.  They are named Distinguished Finalists and receive a bronze medallion. I will be listing them as well underneath the Honorees.

I will give a short description of what the Honoree has been nominated for and then you can click on their name to find out more! 

Here are the State Honorees:

Anne Hope Noel

Anne is in seventh grade.  She started "Warm Hearts", a yearly collection drive that helps provide more than 1,000 cold weather items to the homeless in her community. She also formed a Relay for Life team that has helped raised almost $10,000 for cancer research.




and

Mary-Brent Brown

Mary-Brent is a junior.  She started two annual fundraising projects and related workshops that help give young people the tools and opportunities need to raise money for charity.  She also created "Kids Wanna Help" shich has raised more than $95,000 for 34 different charities.




And the Distinguished Finalists:

Camille Tharpe-helping and comforting the sick
Justin Magrath-protecting the environment
John Murphy-protecting the environment
Cameron Windham-spreading the spirit of volunteerism




Lets hear it for these great kids and the awesome things they are doing!

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Honorees from Kentucky

I'd like to introduce you to the Honorees from Kentucky for The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.  The program also chooses anywhere from 2 to 10 runners up in each state.  They are named Distinguished Finalists and receive a bronze medallion. I will be listing them as well underneath the Honorees.

I will give a short description of what the Honoree has been nominated for and then you can click on their name to find out more!

The State Honorees are:

Megison Hancock

Megison is in eighth grade.  She founded a recycling club at  her school.  She got recycling  containger for the cafeterias, and helped get other students to use them.  

and  

Julia Higginbotham

Julia is a senior.  She founded "Project Keep'em Warm".  The program helps make fleece blankets for more than 1,000 needy children at Christmastime. 

The Distinguished Finalists are:

 Jaime Doctrow-helping and comforting the sick

Mollie Kregor-helping and comforting the sick

Derek Willett-promoting health and safety

Scott Callahan-teaching,tutoring, and mentoring other young people

Lets hear it for these great kids and the wonderful things they are doing!

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Honorees from Kansas

I'd like to introduce you to the Honorees from Kansas for The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.  The program also chooses anywhere from 2 to 10 runners up in each state.  They are named Distinguished Finalists and receive a bronze medallion. I will be listing them as well underneath the Honorees.

I will give a short description of what the Honoree has been nominated for and then you can click on their name to find out more! 

The State Honorees are:

Saajan Bhakta

Saajan is a senior.  He co-founded a"PovSolve. An organization that helps raise peoples awareness of poverty in India and Wichita.  They have helped poverty stricken in both India and Wichita.



and

Grace Schram

Grace is an eighth grader.  She recorded and sold copies of the CD"Showers from God".  She used the money she raised to help build fish ponds in Africa and a home for orphaned boys in Haiti.





The Distinguished Finalists are:

Molly Rockefeller-aiding the disadvantaged
Danielle Newton-assisting the disabled
Kenneth Kays-enhancing community resources
Zach Haney-spreading the spirit of volunteerism





Lets hear it for these motivated teens and the amazing things they are accomplishing!

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Honorees from Iowa

I'd like to introduce you to the Honorees from Iowa for The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.  The program also chooses anywhere from 2 to 10 runners up in each state.  They are named Distinguished Finalists and receive a bronze medallion. I will be listing them as well underneath the Honorees.

I will give a short description of what the Honoree has been nominated for and then you can click on their name to find out more! 

The State Honorees are:

Hannah Jorgensen

Hannah is in seventh grade.  She helped organize a campaign to make personal care kits, with items like razors, shaving cream, tissues, etc.,  and pillowcases for families transitioning from local homeless shelters to more permanent homes.

and



Kayla De Weerd

Kayla is a freshman.  She created a program for her junior high that helped teach fellow students about nutrition and physical activity to help combat childhood obesity.




The Distinguished Finalists are:

Rachael Bair-aiding the disadvantaged
Julianne Delessio-aiding the disadvantaged
Gabriel Eide-feeding the hungry
Pavane Gorrepati-protecting the environment



Lets hear it for these awesome kids and the amazing things they are doing!

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Honorees from Indiana

I'd like to introduce you to the Honorees from Indiana for The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.  The program also chooses anywhere from 2 to 10 runners up in each state.  They are named Distinguished Finalists and receive a bronze medallion. I will be listing them as well underneath the Honorees.

I will give a short description of what the Honoree has been nominated for and then you can click on their name to find out more! 

Here are the two State Honorees:

Krystal Shirrell

Krystal is a senior.  She has helped numerous veterans.  From making lap blankets to help veterans with kidney damage stay warm to collection drives to sending decorated Christmas trees and care packages to troops over the holidays and many other things.



and

Faith Killian-Fassnacht

Faith is in eighth grade.  She founded "Writings on the Wall".  She sets up writing workshops for young people to attend to help them express themselves.



The Distinguished Finalists are:

Madison Doyle-aiding the disadvantaged
Deirdre Elfers-aiding the disadvantaged
Nathaniel Stone-aiding the disadvantaged
Colton Strawser-enhancing community resources
Evan Meade-promoting health and safety
Alyssa Jackson-teaching, tutoring and mentoring other young people

Lets hear it for these amazing kids and all the wonderful things they are doing!

S is for...

S is for:

Summer Search!

Summer Search works with low-income high school students, giving them, among other things, mentoring, college advice, and a lasting support network.  They also help college students successfully finish school and once they graduate encourage them  to come give back as part of their alumni.  It was founded by Linda Mornell  in 1990 when she sent 14 low-income students  on summer experiential education programs.  It has now expanded to 7 locations across the country, San Francisco, Boston, North Bay, New York City, Seattle, Silicon Valley and Philadelphia. 

You can get involved by:

-Donating money

-Referring Students

-Volunteering

-Attending Events

-Providing Internships

-Joining their staff

Be sure to check out their site to see about upcoming events and find out more about them!

This post is part of The Blogging From A to Z April 2012 Challenge.

R is for...

R is for...

ReadersLink!

From:

Readers Link is a program from Books XYZ a nonprofit bookstore that benefits education.  5% of a purchase goes to the school of your choice.  You can also share a link with others to help raise money for your school of choice.  Plus you can help raise money for specific projects in your school. 

Not sure if your school is registered? Simply click on the Find Your School button, and then put in your school name, town and state.  Very simple.  Want to find out more? Click here.

This Post is a Part of the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2012

Q is for...

Q is for...

Questions!

So what is that saying again? Oh yeah, there are no stupid questions.  There is nothing wrong with questioning things.  Of course this post is more along the lines of questioning people.  Or should I say don't be afraid to ask people questions.  Specifically teachers.  

If you are the parent of a school age child (or teenager) don't be afraid to ask their teacher questions.  If your child is having trouble in school, would you hesitate to try to find a solution?  Would you call the teacher and ask whats going on? Of course you would.  Is the child failing because they don't understand the material? <---See there's a question right there.  

So what stops you from calling the teacher and asking if they might need any help?  Maybe they could use a parent to volunteer as a class aid.  Maybe they need a parent to help organize a phone tree for students in the class, so if a child misses a day parents have a way to find out about what they missed that day.  Yes, as a kid gets into the upper grades there aren't as many parent teacher conferences, classroom nights, etc..  And maybe, for the teenagers out there,  if their parents show up in school it's the end of the world in their minds. But why not send a note to class?  Maybe the teacher could use more classroom supplies.  Pencils, paper, rulers, etc.  As a parent if you have free time maybe you could offer to hold a supply drive with other local moms and dads.  Just get a wish list of what the teacher, or teachers, might need and see how many people can donate one or more items on the list.  

Also never be afraid to contact the teacher.  Even if it is something negative, such as a students grades. Teachers don't want to see students fail.  They like knowing that parents are involved with their kids.  And if both you and the teacher are on the same page it can only help to make sure you child is getting the most of their education.  

This post is part of The Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2012

P is for...

P is for....

Prudential Spirit of Community Awards!

If you've been visiting my blog for the past few weeks I'm sure you've seen my posts for The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.  So just in case you're new to my blog I decided to use them for my letter "P".

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards picks 102 State Honorees each year, two from each state and two from D.C..  From these Honorees 10 are chosen in a special banquet ceremony in Washington, D.C.. These 10 Honorees receive $5000, a gold medallion, trophies and $5000 in grants from The Prudential Foundation to give to nonprofit charitable organizations of their choice. 

Be sure to check out the webcast on Monday May 7th to see which 10 of the Honorees will be named America's top youth volunteers of 2012!

 This post is part of The Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2012

O is for...

O is for

Oppenheimer Family Foundation Teacher Initiative Grants! 

Ok, so this program Chicago Public School teachers, so be sure if you know any out there you let them know about this!

The program was started in 1933 and gives grants to Chicago Public School teachers up to $2000 per project. The purpose of the grants is to aid CPS teachers who  use project-based learning.  They believe that for kids to learn better they need to have a more hands on approach. Click here to find out more.

All certified Chicago Public School personal are able to apply.  Click here to see the guidelines for applying!

So if you know any Chicago Public School teachers be sure to pass the word along!


  

This post is part of The Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2012

N is for...

N is for 

National Academy Foundation!

The National Academy Foundation, or NAF, was founded in 1982.  It is  a national network of career academies primarily found in .  It helps to create partnerships between business and education communities.  The founder, Sanford Weill, planned for the programs to connect students to entry level jobs in New York City, but it has expanded beyond that into a national movement that prepares students for successful careers. 

The academies vary from groups within larger schools to stand alone public high schools. The academies are based on one of four career themes.  Those themes are finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, or engineering.  Along with academic courses the students also take industry specific courses that relate to the career themes. They also provide work based learning activities so students can put their lessons into use.  To find out more about the academy program and the scholarships they offer click here and here!

This post is part of The A to Z Blogging Challenge April 2012

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Honorees from Illinois

I'd like to introduce you to the Honorees from Illinois for The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.  The program also chooses anywhere from 2 to 10 runners up in each state.  They are named Distinguished Finalists and receive a bronze medallion. I will be listing them as well underneath the Honorees.

I will give a short description of what the Honoree has been nominated for and then you can click on their name to find out more! 

The two state Honorees are:

Jonny Cohen

Jonny is a junior.  He invented an aerodynamic shield for the front of school buses that reduces wind drag, thereby improving gas mileage and reducing pollution.

and

Daniella Cohen

Daniella is in eighth grade.  She and another student worked on project G.I.V.E., Go Innovate Volunteer & Educate.  She currently co-manages a pen-pal program connecting students in the U.S. with students in Bangalore, India.




The Distinguished Finalists are:

John Makowiec-aiding the disadvantaged
Grace Hill-aiding the disadvantaged
Cassidy Muir-aiding the disadvantaged
Sarah Salameh-aiding the disadvantaged
Abigail Hedlin-enhancing community resources
Madelyn McGlynn-working to prevent disease in Uganda
Meaghan Ranz-raises money for victims of sex trafficking
Kaley Shannon-providing disaster relief

Lets hear it for all these wonderful kids!