Thursday, November 7, 2024
Welcome to the ConnectEd Bulletin Board!
This is the place to find opportunities for further professional development, grant and awards opportunities, and much more!
- Nominate a Teacher for a Kohl Fellowship!
- Apply to Be a DPI STEAM Fellow
- Wisconsin Civics Games Editorial Writing and Cartoon Contest
- Beloit Public Library Honored with NAACP Community Service Award
- Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools Receives 2024 Innovation Impact Award
- Fostering Young Readers Through Language and Literacy
- Wisconsin Farm to School Recognition Program Launch
- Special Education Conference
- PBS Wisconsin Education’s ‘Wisconsin Biographies’ collection welcomes Roberto Hernández
- Wisconsin Arts Celebration Project 2024
- Anti-Human Trafficking Webinars for School Staff 2024-25
- We've Moved! Update Your DPI Contacts
Nominate a Teacher for a Kohl Fellowship!
The Kohl Teacher Fellowship program recognizes and supports teaching excellence and innovation in the state of Wisconsin. Their goal is to support Wisconsin teachers in the pursuit of their unrealized goals for their classrooms or professional development. The 100 Herb Kohl Fellowship recipients and the 100 Wisconsin schools of those teachers will each receive a $6,000 grant. Nominations close 11/12/24 and applications are due 1/7/25. More information and the nomination portal can be found on the Kohl Educational Foundation's website.
Apply to Be a DPI STEAM Fellow
Are you an educator or librarian with experience teaching STEM/STEAM? The Department of Public Instruction is looking to hire 15 STEAM fellows who will engage in professional development, collaborate with regional and statewide partners, and implement STEAM-related initiatives in their schools and communities. Fellows will participate in collaborative learning experiences, curate educational resources, develop a plan to locally engage underrepresented students in STEAM education, and share their learning with others. The fellowship aims to foster innovation, equity, and excellence in STEAM education across Wisconsin.
Fellowships highlights:
- $2,000 stipend
- Grow your own practice with free professional learning
- Support others to grow their practice by sharing what you’ve learned!
To learn more and apply (Applications due November 8): DPI STEAM Education Fellows Application
Wisconsin Civics Games Editorial Writing and Cartoon Contest
The Wisconsin Newspaper Association and the Wisconsin Civics Games are hosting the fourth annual Editorial Writing and Cartoon Contest this fall. This contest is designed to promote civic engagement and education in Wisconsin middle and high schoolers. The prompt this year is the First Amendment and the deadline is Wednesday, December 4th. First place winners will receive $500.
Visit this page for more information that you can share with a student who might be interested in entering this competition.
Beloit Public Library Honored with NAACP Community Service Award
Beloit Public Library was honored to receive a prestigious Community Service Award from the Beloit NAACP at the organization’s Freedom Fund Banquet last week. This award was “in recognition of the library and its staff in carrying out the primary value enshrined in their strategic plan of the belief that all members of the community deserve respect and equitable treatment.”
The Beloit Branch NAACP #3251 hosted its annual banquet at the Eclipse Center with Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge Lena C. Taylor as the keynote speaker on October 24. Library Board President Geri Heim, Former Library Board President Florence Haley, and Library Director Nick Dimassis accepted the award on behalf of the library with many staff and board members present.
Diversity is one of our community’s greatest strengths, and we are committed to being a welcome place for all members of our diverse community. Read more about this honor on the Beloit Public Library website.
Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools Receives 2024 Innovation Impact Award
The Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools, which is funded through the DPI's federal WCSP funds and contracted to CESA 9, was recognized for developing and implementing an innovative tool or resource that has positively impacted charter school authorizing in their area. The award was given by the National Network for District Authorizing (NN4DA) at the National Association of Charter School Authorizers Conference highlighting the work they have done around the community needs assessment.
From the award: "Sarah [Hackett, Executive Director] and Tim [Scottberg, Associate Director]... responded to the challenge of the federally mandated Community Needs Analysis by creating a tool that was useful to many stakeholders in Wisconsin, including charter developers, authorizers, and the state. The simple to use, but powerful tools will help ensure proposals for new charter schools and expansions and replications are designed to serve the local community, while empowering the authorizer with information that can inform their decisions. Also important, they have been generous with sharing their model, featured both by the U.S. Department of Education and NACSA, as well as the NN4DA. The team has also been an active participant in the NN4DA and a valued thought partner in all our work."
Fostering Young Readers Through Language and Literacy
A Guide for Connecting the 2023 Wisconsin Act 20 Across Early Childhood Systems
This collaboratively developed resource provides an overview of the 2023 Wisconsin Act 20 and highlights the intersections to key early care and education systems (child care, Head Start, 4K). It also offers practical strategies for educators to create effective learning environments that nurture the development of strong young readers.
Wisconsin Farm to School Recognition Program Launch
The DPI Farm to School (F2S) team would like to share about an exciting new program, the Wisconsin Farm to School Recognition Program! The purpose of the program is to help schools promote and celebrate their F2S accomplishments. Schools that sign-up complete activities in the three core elements of F2S (local procurement, nutrition and agriculture education, and school gardens) and the number of activities they complete determines their broccoli-pun recognition level. Many of these activities can be seamlessly incorporated into existing programming.
There are four levels of recognition (with an additional bonus level), Broccoli Seedling, Broccoli Sprout, Broccoli Floret, and Broccoli Crown (Bonus: Broccoli Flowering School). Participation is by school (versus district) but there is no limit to the number of schools within a district that can participate. Prize incentives will be given for each completed level. The program officially launched on October 1, but schools can join at any point in the school year. Awards will be given at the end of May 2025.
Special Education Conference
The CESA 11 EdEvents Special Education Conference 2024 will be held from November 14-15, 2024, at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells, WI. Keynote speakers include Mills Rodgers, a national speaker on topics related to educational equity of diverse populations, and Kate Swensen, founder of Finding Cooper’s Voice. This year, the DPI Special Education Team will also have a number of sectional presentations on topics including Act 20 and special education, working collaboratively in special education, College and Career Ready IEPs at a Glance, Behavior as a Form of Communication, Functional Behavioral Assessment, Developmental Language Disorder, and DPI updates. Link to registration and more information.
PBS Wisconsin Education’s ‘Wisconsin Biographies’ collection welcomes Roberto Hernández
PBS Wisconsin Education recently added a new story to the Wisconsin Biographies collection. Roberto Hernández: Working for La Comunidad shares the story of Roberto Hernández, who became an activist for better educational opportunities for his fellow Latino students in Milwaukee.
Wisconsin Arts Celebration Project 2024
The Wisconsin Arts Celebration Project (WACP) began in 2023 as a collaborative project between the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Wisconsin Arts Board created to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wisconsin Arts Board. The project offers FREE music, lesson plans, and materials created by Wisconsin artists and educators to Wisconsin schools, communities, and libraries. The project continues in 2024 with MORE collaborations, connections and opportunities!
The 2024 WACP will center on the theme of “Curiosity”. As Sir Ken Robinson once said, "If teachers can keep the flame of curiosity burning in children, then pretty much everything else will follow from that. Curiosity is the engine of achievement." This year's project will launch on this website around October 18, 2024. Below are the artists and educators contributing to this year's project. We are grateful to each of them!
To learn more and to see a list of our contributing artists and educators, head to the website.
Anti-Human Trafficking Webinars for School Staff 2024-25
The Department of Children and Families, in partnership with DPI, will again provide free learning opportunities in the 2024-25 school year. Click here to view a flier of the trainings with registration. The two sessions are:
- ‘It Happens Here’ Facilitation Guide & Lessons: Training for School Staff & Other Professionals Supporting Anti-Trafficking
- 'It Happens Here’ Documentary Community Screening & Discussion
We've Moved! Update Your DPI Contacts
As of August 5th, the DPI is now located within the Tommy G. Thompson Building, a few short blocks away from our previous location at GEF-3. Our new address is:
201 West Washington Ave.
Madison, WI 53703
Phone numbers and email addresses for DPI colleagues will remain the same.
- State Superintendent Proposes $42 Million To Support Early Literacy Initiatives
- State Superintendent Budget Proposal Invests Nearly $60M to Recruit, Retain Wisconsin Educators
- State Superintendent Proposes Universal Free Meals for Wisconsin Students
175 years of the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired via WMTV 15 News
The school was the first public institution chartered by the state legislature. This beautiful piece highlights the school's history and the accomplishments of its students and staff.
Wisconsin tribal leaders applaud Biden's apology for shameful Indian boarding schools via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Tribal leaders in Wisconsin are applauding President Joe Biden’s historic apology on Oct. 25 for the federal Indian boarding schools that abused Indigenous children.
Local businesses provide THS students with opportunity put job interview skills into practice via Tomahawk Leader
Business Instructor Connor Ahrens explained that through a series of mock job interviews, students engaged one-on-one with representatives from prominent local businesses, receiving both practical experience and individualized feedback.
Kaul asks Wisconsin Supreme Court to hear case on DPI’s request for $50M to fund reading bill via Wisconsin Public Radio
A Dane County judge rejected request to release the money.
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