In this issue readers will find:
- U.S. Department of Education Announces $650 Million Investing in Innovation Fund
- Worth Reading: Millennials Putting a New Face on America
- Find it in The ACA Encyclopedia of Counseling
- Fast Fact: African Americans Have Lower Drinking Rates than Others
- Sign of the Times: Studies Examine Student Addiction to iPhones and Laptops
- Celebrating Those Who Make a Difference for Mental Health
- Conference Clipping: Plan Now to Present at the ACA 2011 Conference in New Orleans
- Future Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling Exploring Member Interest
- On the Lighter Side: Student Government Holds Rally to Abolish Student Government
- New Edition Just Out: Terrorism, Trauma and Tragedies
- Calendar: State Conferences Spring Up Across America
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U.S. Department of Education Announces $650 Million Investing in Innovation Fund
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently announced the Department of Education's final priorities and the grant application for the $650 million Investing in Innovation Fund (I3). The I3 fund, which is part of the historic $5 billion investment in school reform in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), will support the development of path-breaking new ideas, the validation of approaches that have demonstrated promise, and the scale-up of the nation's most successful and proven education innovations. President Obama has proposed an additional $500 million for the I3 program in his fiscal 2011 budget.
Individual school districts or groups of districts can apply for the grants, and entrepreneurial nonprofits can join with school districts or a consortium of schools to submit applications. To qualify for the competitive grants, applicants will need to address one of the four areas that are driving the Obama administration's school reform agenda: supporting effective teachers and principals; improving the use of data to accelerate student achievement; complementing the implementation of standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and careers; and turning around persistently low-performing schools.
Applications will be due in mid-May and grants will be awarded in September. In the coming weeks, officials from the Department's Office of Innovation and Improvement will hold informational workshops in Atlanta, Baltimore, and Denver that will be web-accessible.
ACA's brief
Worth Reading: Millennials Putting a New Face on America
According to research by the Pew Research Center, the Millennials-America's teens and twenty-somethings-are shaping their generational personality and it is one of confidence, self-expression, and driven by change. They possess an optimistic view of the future, despite having witnessed or been a part of the recession and economic downturn. In short, they are a generation that sees the glass as half-full.
The full report offers a glimpse of the Millennials' political views, their personal priorities, and how they differ from other generations and among themselves.
Find it in The ACA Encyclopedia of Counseling
This premiere counseling reference book is ideal for students, educators, supervisors, researchers, and practitioners seeking to quickly update or refresh their knowledge of the most important topics in counseling. More than 400 entries span the 2009 CACREP core areas used in counselor preparation, continuing education, and accreditation of counseling degree programs, making this a perfect text for introductory counseling classes or for use as a study guide when preparing for the National Counselor Exam. This encyclopedia makes counseling come alive through its user-friendly writing style; instructive examples that connect readers to practice, teaching, supervision, and research; and its helpful cross-referencing of entries, boldfaced important terminology, and suggested resources for further study.
2009 | 672 pgs
Order #72879
ISBN 978-1-55620-288-9
List Price: $99.95
ACA Member Price: $74.95
Fast Fact: African Americans Have Lower Drinking Rates than Others
African Americans drink less than other racial groups, according to a survey released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The survey found that blacks ages 18 and older use alcohol at a rate of 44.3% compared with the national average of 55.2%. African Americans ages 18 to 25 are also less likely than other young adults to engage in binge drinking. With respect to the rate of illegal drug use, the survey found black adults have a rate that is higher than the national average.
Sign of the Times: Studies Examine Student Addiction to iPhones and Laptops
The sample wasn't huge—just 200 students. The locale was restricted—all were students at Stanford University. But the findings suggest that iPhone users, Apple's entry into the Smartphone market, may be America's newest victims of addiction. Just how reliant were the survey respondents on these technological devices? Using a scale of one to five—five being addicted and one being not addicted at all—10% admitted full addiction, 34% gave themselves a four, and just 6% said they could live without the device.
Laptop addiction is another issue facing college students—and their professors are fighting back. According to an article in The Washington Post, laptop usage in the classroom has become a powerful distraction. Professors have banned laptops from their classrooms at several Washington, DC and Virginia universities including George Washington University, American University, the College of William and Mary, and University of Virginia.
Celebrating Those Who Make a Difference for Mental Health
ACA members are encouraged to join the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in recognizing entertainment industry professionals and mental health consumers who have given a voice to people with mental health problems. The Voice Awards honor film and television writers and producers who incorporate dignified, respectful, and accurate portrayals of people with mental illnesses into their scripts, programs, and productions. Additional consideration will be given to productions that pay special attention to multicultural issues and populations.
Similarly, consumers who have led efforts to promote the social inclusion of people with mental health problems, demonstrated that recovery is real and possible, and made a positive impact on their communities, workplaces, and/or schools will also be honored by the Voice Awards. ACA has partnered in this initiative for a number of years.
Click on the link below for information about award eligibility and the nomination process. Nominations for entertainment industry recognition and mental health consumer recognition must be received by April 30, 2010 and May 14, 2010 respectively.
Conference Clipping: Plan Now to Present at the ACA 2011 Conference in New Orleans
The online Call for Programs for the ACA 2011 Conference & Exposition, March 23-27, in New Orleans, will go live on Monday, March 29, 2010. The submission deadline is June 2, 2010 at 5pm ET.
ACA has specific interest in these topics for 2011: Disaster mental health, social media, military members and their families, and the Revised DSM (DSM-V). ACA is also actively seeking advanced programs in all topics.
The Call is for Pre-conference Learning Institutes and regular conference Education Sessions.
Pre-Conference Learning Institutes
- Focus on advanced skills, techniques and approaches that counselors can utilize in their day to day work
- Are presented by highly-qualified experts in the field
- Offer a smaller class size, which gives attendees a more intense learning experience
- Take place the two days prior to the start of the conference (March 23-24, 2011)
- Are offered in two formats: Daytime Sessions, 6 contact hours and Evening Sessions, 3 contact hours
Education Sessions
- Make up the core conference (March 25-27, 2011)
- Are offered in three different formats: 90-Minute Program, 60-Minute Program, 30-Minute Project/Research Poster Session (takes place in Convention Center Exhibit Hall)
Note: Class sizes for 90 and 60-Minute Programs are based on room capacity. Complete details will be available on the website along with submission instructions.
On the Lighter Side: Student Government Holds Rally to Abolish Student Government
You read it correctly. Members of the University of Nevada – Reno Students for Liberty were in a festive mood when they gathered on campus this month to call for the abolition of student government. All of the gathering costs, including music, balloons, posters, ponies, and pizza, were paid for by the student government. According to KOLO-TV, the exercise was designed to call attention to the failings of the current government structure and to accept ideas for a more representative system.
New Edition Just Out: Terrorism, Trauma and Tragedies
Revised with 90% new content, this 3rd Edition of Terrorism, Trauma, and Tragedies: A Counselor's Guide to Preparing and Responding was just released by the ACA Foundation. The new content includes lessons learned, treatment strategies, implementation plans and updates on the ever-expanding field of disaster mental health. Edited by Jane Webber and J. Barry Mascari, the book includes contributions from 51 authors. The first edition of this best-selling book was developed following the terrorist attacks of September 11 and has now been expanded to include more recent events such as the financial crisis, campus shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in China, and treatment of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and their families. Of interest to school counselors are chapters covering student death and other tragedies and how the school administration and counseling department responded. New sections were added on multicultural awareness in disaster mental health and self-care for counseling professionals and first responders. ACA Foundation.
2010 | 200 pgs
Order #72892
ISBN 978-1-55620-308-4
List Price: $39.95
ACA Member Price: $29.95
Future Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling Exploring Member Interest
A grassroots group of American Counseling Association (ACA) members is assessing the interest level for developing a child and adolescent counseling division within ACA. Tentatively called the Association for Child & Adolescent Counseling (ACAC), the organizers envision the new group as promoting best practices, research, networking, and collaboration opportunities for professional counselors who work with children and adolescents in a variety of counseling settings. If you might be interested in such a division, a short interest survey has been created to allow you to respond. Access the ACAC support survey at http://tinyurl.com/acac-survey. Additional information can be obtained from Randy Astramowich at randy.astramovich@unlv.edu
Calendar: State Conferences Spring Up Across America
April 9-11, 2010
New Jersey Counseling Association
Donald D. Warner Student Life Center at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, NJ
April 12-13, 2010
Maine Counseling Association
Samoset Resort, Rockport, ME
April 15-17, 2010
American Counseling Association of Missouri
Capital Plaza Hotel, Jefferson City, MO
April 16-17, 2010
Colorado Counseling Association
Doubletree Hotel, Denver Tech Center
April 22-24, 2010
South Dakota Counseling Association
Aberdeen Ramkota Hotel, Aberdeen, SD
April 30, 2010
Maryland Association for Counseling and Development
John Hopkins University Conference Center, Columbia, MD
ACA divisions, branches, and regions are valuable sources of learning and professional development. Information on events will be posted approximately 8-10 weeks prior. This information is made available to ACAeNews via the ACA master calendar and the various organization web sites. Send calendar items to dbrown@counseling.org. Please provide the sponsor, dates, site and contact person information. Information posted here is restricted to that sponsored by ACA divisions, branches, regions and related organizations.
ABOUT ACAeNews
ACAeNews is published 24 times annually by the American Counseling Association for the benefit of members across the counseling profession. Any reference to a product, service, activity or listing of a web site in ACAeNews does not imply endorsement by ACA. Any views and opinions are those of the sponsoring organization and may or may not be shared by ACA.
Direct comments, questions, and submissions to fburtnett@counseling.org. All submissions will be subject to review by ACA for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance to the readership and may be edited.
Lynn E. Linde, President
llinde@loyola.edu
Richard Yep, CAE, Executive Director
ryep@counseling.org
Debra Bass, Director of Marketing and Communications
dbass@counseling.org
Frank Burtnett, NCC, NCCC, ACAeNews Editor
fburtnett@counseling.org
Don Kenneally, Internet Development / Production
dkenneally@counseling.org
ACA Website: www.counseling.org
Copyright 2010, American Counseling Association, 5999 Stevenson Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone: 703-823-9800. Email: fburtnett@counseling.org. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce anything contained in this newsletter as long as the American Counseling Association is identified as the original source of the information.
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