Girls Impact the World Film Festival and Scholarship Opportunity

Girls Impact the World 

Film Festival 2020

High school and college students submit original short films focused on critical women’s issues such as girls’ education, ending violence against women, poverty & economic independence, and authentic beauty/body image and more! Learn more.

Requirements for entry: https://gitwff.org/submit/

Austin Public Library Sew Much Fun

Sew Much Fun

Come make your own stuffed felt friend. We have all the materials you need to create dinosaurs, unicorns, stars, and more. Each session, we’ll work on a new project.

Free and open to the public | Gratis y abierto al público

11:00 AM

Saturday

December 21, 2019

Ruiz Branch
1600 Grove Blvd.
512-974-7500

Austin Public Library Lego Lab at the Little Walnut Creek Branch

Lego Lab

Recommended for ages 5 and up

With Legos, you can build anything you can imagine and tell any story you can dream up. Come to the Lego Lab to hear, see, make, and create different stories, all while building with Legos provided by the Library! Program length can vary, please call branch for details.

For more information, please visit: https://library.austintexas.gov/event/lego-lab/lego-lab-657978 

Free and open to the public | Gratis y abierto al público

3:30 PM

Monday

December 16, 2019

Little Walnut Creek Branch
835 W. Rundberg Ln.
512-974-9860

Blair Woods Family Nature Day - 12/14/19 10-noon

Join Travis Audubon from 10-noon for a morning of educational activities at Blair Woods Sanctuary, a natural oasis in east Austin! Snacks and water provided. Activities include guided walks and nature crafts. Starting at 11:30, presentation by our friends at Austin Reptile Shows with live reptiles! Free and open to the public. Direct any questions about this event to Caley Zuzula at caley@travisaudubon.org. Additional information at https://travisaudubon.org/?event=blair-woods-family-nature-day-12&event_date=2019-12-14

Cherrywood Art Fair - 12/7 & 12/8

Chula League’s Cherrywood Art Fair is an art filled two-day event showcasing local artists, live music, kids activities and great food in a free, family-friendly environment. Since its 2002 inception, the Fair has served as a destination for discerning holiday shoppers seeking unique, hand-crafted items from Texas artists and makers. Proceeds benefit Little Artist BIG ARTIST, our free after school arts-mentorship program in six East Austin elementary schools.

This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

December 7 – 8, 2019
Saturday and Sunday 10am – 5pm
Maplewood Elementary
E. 38 1/2 St. & Maplewood Ave

Holiday Sing-Along & Downtown Stroll Family Event - 12/5/19 6-9 pm

Holiday Sing-Along & Downtown Stroll
Texas State Capitol

Join hundreds caroling in front of the Capitol as the tree is lit before heading down Congress Avenue for live music, shopping, art and much more.

As part of the Downtown Austin Alliance’s holiday event, The Contemporary Austin offers free admission, extended hours, and festive activities, including light painting and a luminous art project.

Stop by and visit the exhibitions at the Jones Center and join in the family-friendly fun after the tree lighting at the Capitol!

The event is 6-9 pm, December 5, 2019. 

Girlstart: Starry Nights Star Lore Shows

Starry Nights ft. Inuit Star Lore Shows

Girlstart’s STEM Studio and Mini-Planetarium is a unique space for families to explore astronomy! 

Starry Nights are held the first Thursday of every month (except January, June, July, and August), with each month featuring a new astronomy experience and related hands-on activities. All ages are welcome to stop by any time between 5:30pm and 7:00pm. 

RSVP is recommended, however it is not required to join us.

Girlstart STEM Center

1400 W Anderson Lane 

Austin, TX 78757

www.girlstart.org 

20 Study Strategies for Final Exam Week

As the semester comes to a close, the exam schedule begins to loom larger! Check out these 20 Study Strategies for Final Exam Week.

C-Span Student Documentary Contest

StudentCam is C-SPAN's annual national video documentary competition that encourages students to think critically about issues that affect our communities and our nation.

This year students in grades 6-12 are asked to create a short (5-6 minute) video documentary on a topic related to the competition theme, "What's Your Vision in 2020? Explore the issue you most want presidential candidates to address during the campaign."

With cash prizes totaling $100,000 each year, C-SPAN awards prizes to 150 student documentaries, and over 50 teacher advisors. Since 2004, C-SPAN has awarded over $1 million dollars in cash prizes to past winning students and teachers.

“What's Your Vision in 2020?”

Explore the issue you most want presidential candidates to address during the campaign.

Your video should analyze the current or historical significance of your chosen issue and include differing points of view.

• The competition is open to all students in grades 6-12. Grades 6-8 compete in the Middle School category, and grades 9-12 compete in the High School category. For more information, visit our Prizes page.
   
• Students may compete individually, or in teams of either 2 or 3 members.
   
• Documentaries must include clips of supporting or opposing C-SPAN video that relate to the chosen topic.
   
• Winning StudentCam documentaries will thoroughly explore a variety of viewpoints related to the chosen topic, including those that may oppose the filmmakers points of view. We recommend that you interview experts on your chosen subject.
   
• Documentaries must be between 5-6 minutes in length. *End credits, if applicable, must begin after the 5-minute mark but are permitted to run longer than the allotted 6-minute time frame.
   
• Entries must include either end credits or a works cited list.

For the complete list of competition rules, click here.

Click here for a printable Student Checklist (Google Doc)

Fore more information concerning this contest, visit: http://www.studentcam.org/

Free Online Courses

Interested in free online courses? Check out this list of opportunities.

LASA Open House & Showcase Event November 20, 2019

On November 20, from 6-8 pm, The Liberal Arts and Sciences Academy (LASA) High School will hold an open house event for students and their families to walk the halls, meet students and teachers, see arts groups perform, and find out more about the application process.

For more information, please explore the LASA website at www.lasahighschool.org.

John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Essay Contest

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Contest Topic

Describe and analyze an act of political courage by a US elected official who served during or after 1917. 

To learn more about political courage, visit Contest Information and FAQs.

All submissions must adhere to contest requirements.

Contest Deadline

The Profile in Courage Essay Contest opens for submissions on September 1, 2019. The contest deadline is January 17, 2020. 

Recognition and Awards

First-place: $10,000          Second-place: $3,000          Five Finalists: $1,000 each          Eight Semi-finalists: $100 each

Get Email Updates

Join our mailing list to get contest tips, updates, and a reminder to submit your essay.

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum does not sell or share your personal information or email address.

For more information, please visit: https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/education/profile-in-courage-essay-contest/getting-started 

East Austin Art Studio Tour

Big Medium's East Austin Studio Tour (EAST) is a free, annual, self-guided art event spanning two weekends in November. EAST provides opportunities for the public to meet the artists of Austin in their creative spaces. 

Tour Dates: November 16-17 & 23-24, 2019

Time: 12-6 pm

Boundaries: 

East of I-35

West of HWY 183

South of HWY 183

North of Riverside Drive

For more information: http://east.bigmedium.org/

The Davidson Fellows Scholarship Awards

The Davidson Fellows Scholarship awards $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 scholarships to extraordinary young people, 18 and under, who have completed a significant piece of work.

Application categories are Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Literature, Music, Philosophy and Outside the Box. Davidson Fellows are honored every year in Washington, D.C. with Congressional meetings and a special reception.

Davidson Fellows named as one of "The 10 Biggest Scholarships in the World" by TheBestColleges.org and one of "7 Prestigious Undergrad Scholarships" in U.S. News & World Report.

Deadline & Eligibility

• The 2020 deadline is February 12, 2020 and the application will open in November.
• How to Apply 
• Frequently Asked Questions 
• Past Scholarship Recipients  
• Fellows Press Room 

Frogs Are Green Art Contest

2019 Kids Art Contest – Fire and Ice

Calling all children ages 3-17!
Announcing the 10th Annual International Children’s Art Contest!

Hosted by Frogs Are Green

We will award winners in these age groups: 3-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-17. We also add categories based on what we receive, such as: Best 3D; Best Environmental; and Best Black and White and more. Award certificates are given to 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place and honorable mention students in each age group and specific category. *Prizes are awarded to ONLY the 1st place winners in the age group categories.

48 Essential Links for the Parents of Gifted Children

Check out these links to organizations, blogs, websites, and social media for parents of gifted students: 48 Essential Links for the Parents of Gifted Children

Congressional Seminar Essay Contest for High School Students

Congressional Seminar Essay Contest for High School Students

This essay contest is a major project of The NSCDA held under the auspices of the Washington Workshops Foundation, a private nonprofit educational program in American government for high school students.

Winners receive full tuition, including seminar materials, university campus housing, and two meals daily, for a week of citizenship education about the national government, plus fun, new friends, and tours of sites in our nation’s capital.

Please read the material below for information on the application process. Good luck! 

Click here to see a sample itinerary from the 2019 program

∗Essay Topic for the 2020 Congressional Seminar∗

“Why is history important? Why should we preserve our national treasures and how should we, as a nation, continue to preserve our lands and historic buildings?”

Rules, Information and Judging Criteria for Essay Contest

History of the Congressional Essay Contest

Essay Contest Poster

2020 Essay Contest Application

How to Apply

Review Essay Rules and Information to make sure your submission complies with all rules.

Download and complete the 2020 Application and email or mail by USPS with your essay to the local/state NSCDA Congressional Essay representative or Patriotic Service Chair as directed. Please download the Application Unsure about who this person is? Please email  Dames@nscda.org for the correct name and contact information. Please include your name, State and county/parish of your school and contact information.

Email Dames@nscda.org if you have any questions.

*Please Note: Grandchildren and children of Dames are not eligible for the contest but can still participate. Please contact Libby Siskron at lsiskron@mindspring.com for more information.

Raise Your Voice Awards - Due 11/14/19

The Women’s Fund seeks to award up to 5 Raise Your Voice Awards to local middle and/or high school students who are standing up in support of positive changes in their communities.

Deadline: 11/14/19
Award Amount: 5 student awards for $1,000 each; each prize will directly support the implementation of the winning projects!
Eligibility: Middle and high school students in Central Texas
How to Apply: Application form and instructions are available at www.keyholderaustin.org/raise-your-voice-award

Basic application steps include:
1. Download and complete Raise Your Voice with Malala: A guide to taking action for girls.
2. Propose a project that you believe addresses the following.
· Tackles an issue related to women and girls in your community.
· Proposes an actionable solution.
3. Submit an essay, video, and supporting documents that explain your project.

Guiding the Gifted Newsletters

Check out the Guiding the Gifted newsletters created by Austin ISD.

• Guiding the Gifted: Asynchronous Development (English) (español)
• Guiding the Gifted: Heightened Sensitivity (English) (español)
• Guiding the Gifted: Introversion (English) (español)
• Guiding the Gifted: Peer Relations (English) (español)
• Guiding the Gifted: Leadership (English) (español)
• Guiding the Gifted: Learning Styles (English) (español)
• Guiding the Gifted: Perfectionism (English) (español)
• Guiding the Gifted: Moral Development (English) (español)
• Guiding the Gifted: Bibliotherapy (English) (español)

The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival

The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is an annual video contest in which young filmmakers create movies that tell the entire stories of Newbery-winning books in about 90 seconds. We are now entering our ninth year!

For example, check out the video above, a 90-second version of Madeleine L’Engle’s 1963 Newbery Medal winner, A Wrinkle in Time. Watch this and many more of the most popular 90-Second Newbery videos here. 

We feature the best submissions at annual screenings in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Minneapolis, San Antonio, Salt Lake City, Tacoma WA, Rochester NY, Oakland CA, Ogden UT, Salem OR, Boulder CO, and other cities—co-hosted by founder James Kennedy (author of the young-adult fantasy The Order of Odd-Fish) and other award-winning children’s authors.

The general deadline for next year’s 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is January 10, 2020. But you can turn your movies in at any time, and I hope you do!

Complete rules and details about the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival can be found here. Our press kit can be found here. 

Want to bring the 90-Second Newbery to your town? Contact James at james@90secondnewbery.com 

NaNoWriMo

Interested in writing a novel? How about writing one in a single month? Check out NaNoWriMo.

Source America Design Challenge

The SourceAmerica Design Challenge is a national engineering competition for high school and college students, which focuses on scalable, replicable innovations with the potential to increase the economic mobility of people with disabilities throughout the U.S. 

SourceAmerica invites high school and college teams to show their commitment to improving the lives of others by joining the Design Challenge. Student teams will collaborate with a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in their community or an SME at one of our member nonprofits for this project. The SME is the person with a disability who is a co-designer on the team and will use the invention at work. 

Together they co-create a process, device, system, or software that will minimize employment barriers and increase the earning potential of people with disabilities. Inventions are evaluated based on their impact and not technological sophistication.

Learn More

SourceAmerica is committed to improving the employment opportunities, economic empowerment, and upward mobility of people with disabilities. One of the many ways we support our community is through engineering solutions and programs like Design Challenge.

For questions or additional information about the SourceAmerica Design Challenge, please contact:

Charissa Garcia
Design Challenge Program Manager
SourceAmerica
8401 Old Courthouse Road
Vienna, VA 22182
cgarcia@sourceamerica.org
703-584-3940

Source America Design Challenge Website

Austen In Austin Film Series

Harry Ranson Center, Every Sunday in October at 3 p.m.  Lineup of FREE films based on Jane Austen's enduring work. 10/13 Sense and Sensibility (1995, 136 min). Emma Thompson  10/20 Emma (1996, 120 minutes). Gwyneth Paltrow 10/27 Clueless (1995, 97 minutes). Alicia Silverstone As part of the Stories to Tell exhibition, the Austen in Austin section features extraordinary first editions, unique family and association copies, and some surprises! The galleries open at noon every Sunday with docent tours at noon and 2 p.m. All events are FREE! No RSVP required, but arrive early as seating in the Prothro Theatre is limited. Street parking is free on Sundays! Doors open 30 minutes in advance.

College Visits Resources

Consider an online virtual college visit!
http://www.ecampustours.com/campus-tours.aspx?state=TX

https://campustours.com/

https://www.youvisit.com/collegesearch/

For in-person college visits, consider these 6 Steps to Get the Most Out of a Campus Visit.