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Scholarships for ages 6-18, plagiarism, roman numerals, Booster Bash

Education Roundup

I love scholarships that are open to kids of all ages, not just seniors. Here are a few … Kohl’s stores are honoring more than 2,200 youth, ages six to 18, who have made a positive impact on their communities through volunteerism, with more than $420,000 in scholarships and prizes; top winners receive $10,000 each. Nominations are accepted at www.kohlskids.com until March 15, and nominators must be 21-plus. Two-thousand students will win a $50 Kohl’s gift card, and more than 200 will win $1,000 toward post-secondary education. Ten national winners will get $10,000 in scholarships (and $1,000 for their favorite charity).

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Best Buy is awarding $1.2 million in scholarships to students in grades nine to 12 to recognize and reward extraordinary contributions both inside and outside the classroom. Applicants must have a GPA of 2.5; be involved in community volunteer service or work experience; and be planning to go to a college, university or vocational-technical school following graduation. Up to 1,200 scholarships of $1,000 each will be granted. The deadline is Feb. 15 (sorry for the late notice). www.bestbuy.scholarshipamerica.org/register.php

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And for students 16 or older, PG&E will award $1 million in scholarships to Northern and Central California students this year. Up to 10 students will receive full-ride renewable scholarships of $30,000. Finalists receive $2,500 and can reapply each year. Students must be high school seniors or graduates and plan to enroll at two-year or four-year colleges, universities, or vocational-technical schools. The Bright Minds scholarship is also open to adult students returning to college. The deadline to apply is Feb. 17. Visit www.pge.com/brightminds to apply.

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A new Harvard University study examined the connection between childhood experiences and adults who demonstrate leadership qualities, starting with children as young as 2. It looked at intelligence, drive, social skills and personality and found that behaviors such as embracing novel experiences are most important. Children who engage in new experiences “tend to become more extroverted, socially engaging and become everyday leaders,” said the Harvard researchers. And, good news for those of us whose children sometimes drive us nuts, they found that the most demanding children are the most likely to be leaders as adults. Encouraging children who show an interest in something was a key area where parental influence was important, as was fostering determination to take on a challenge and pursue it to mastery or success. The data also found that motivation trumps intelligence when it comes to leadership. What can schools do? The study suggests that students should be given access to real-world experiences, the chance to try and fail and try again and the chance for students to discover their passions.

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Pets Lifeline’s “Open Paw Project” will train high school juniors and seniors to socialize the shelter animals and serve as “ambassadors” for Pets Lifeline. Contact Heather at 996-4576.

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The Boosters have completely revamped their Booster Bash tradition with a new venue and a new menu. The party is set for Saturday, March 10 at 5:30 p.m. at the new Hanna Boys Center auditorium. The night will feature cocktails, appetizers, silent and live auctions, BBQ and dancing. Tickets are $65 and can be bought online at www.svhsboosters.com. Call Wendy at 938-5481 with questions or to donate auction items.

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Teachers should consider applying for one of 400 classroom supply grants of $250 given by the organization “Kids Bowl Free.” The organization works with teachers, school administrators and bowling centers to help provide a safe, fun activity for kids on summer break.  K-8 certified teachers in public, private, charter or parochial schools may apply. Visit www.bowlingtoteachers.com to complete the short application. One-hundred grants a month will be awarded from now through May 2012.

Unlikely but innovative … a group of students from UC Riverside have proposed a new funding model for the entire UC system to address unpredictable and large decreases in state appropriations, and the steady increase in tuition costs. The students call their plan the UC Student Investment Proposal and in it, UC students would pay no upfront costs for their education but would agree to pay 5 percent of their income to the system for 20 years after graduating and entering the workforce.

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Last weekend I travelled to Washington, D.C., and toured American University, Georgetown University and George Washington University. I was impressed by all three, but particularly by the gorgeous campuses of the first two, and by the fact that almost 90 percent of students at all three have at least one internship in D.C. before they graduate. I caught up with Maggie Kuk, Sonoma Valley High School class of ’08, who loved AU and is graduating a semester early despite having studied abroad in New Zealand. She majored in foreign policy and has a job already lined up.

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I hope that all our local students wrote their own college application essays … I’ve just heard about a new software program called Turnitin that’s already being used by more than 100 colleges around the country to detect student plagiarism in the admissions process. Stanford and Penn State have gone on the record about using it and Penn State admissions reps said it has uncovered plagiarism rates of between 3 and 5 percent, an admissions officer told the Los Angeles Times.

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Presentation School is offering nine after-school classes for grades K-8 that are open to students from all schools. Full details are at www.presentationschool.com/student-life-perks.html but offerings include basketball, soccer, chess, clay, painting, lab science, yoga and more. Classes start this week.

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“The Super Bowl: XLVI Is Greek To Kids As Schools Stop Teaching Roman Numerals.” That recent Associate Press headline gave me pause. Those of us in our 40s or older probably can’t remember when we learned Roman numerals but there is no question that we know them. Students today aren’t learning them in most schools. Ask your kids at dinner tonight if they know what number “XXIV” is and let me know.

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The Rotary Club is selling raffle tickets to raise money for their programs supporting Sonoma youth. You can win $10,000 in cash or a trip to Ireland. The winning tickets will be drawn on St. Patrick’s Day at their corn beef and cabbage dinner. Tickets are $50 and only 1,200 will be sold. To purchase tickets, email Margie@CommunityCafeSonoma.com or stop by the Community Cafe.

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Sonoma Valley High School senior Monica Pulido is running a hair donation drive for her senior project to create free wigs for breast cancer patients.  Hair needs to be at least eight-inches long and will be cut for free by a professional hairstylist. Contact Monica at 508-8752 or monicapulido94@yahoo.com.

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Clarification: When I mentioned the lack of Spanish instruction in Sonoma schools last week, I was talking only about the public schools. Woodland Star offers Spanish twice a week from kindergarten to grade five, and three times a week in middle school. Presentation School has a dedicated Spanish instructor from kindergarten onward and St. Francis offers Spanish twice a week from kindergarten onward.