From: givekidsgoodschools.com

Having a good teacher in the classroom is the single most important factor in kids' learning. But more than 20% of new teachers quit after only 3 years. And over 30% of teachers in high poverty schools aren't even qualified to teach the subject they're assigned.

GiveKidsGoodSchools.com is a new campaign that aims to improve the quality of public education for kids nationwide, starting with putting a good teacher in every classroom. Please take 30 seconds and send an e-mail asking your governor to make good teachers a top priority. Click the link below to Give Kids Good Schools!
http://www.GiveKidsGoodSchools.com

From: The Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries
http://www.laurabushfoundation.org

The Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries announces that applications for its first grants are now available. School libraries may request up to $5,000 to update, extend or diversify their book collections.

Information and applications are available through the Foundation website: http://www.laurabushfoundation.org.

Applications may be submitted on-line (preferred) or in print form.
Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. (EST) on February 28, 2003.

Announcement of recipient libraries will be made on or before May 15, 2003.

From: The BluePack Project
http://www.bluepack.org

This year, 3.2 million children in Afghanistan went back to school for the first time in years. However, only 1.7 million students had been expected to enroll, and the vast majority of the children entered badly damaged school buildings or makeshift classrooms in tents without pencils, paper, or any other educational materials. Many of the students entering the first grade were 12 and 13 years old because so many have never been to school. March is back to school time in Afghanistan once again -- yet the scarcity of supplies has not diminished. The BluePack Project is an initiative by the Academy for Educational Development (AED) to provide specially made backpacks containing pens, pencils, sharpeners, writing tablets, rulers, chalk and chalkboards to individual Afghan children. AED's goal is to raise $2 million -- enough to provide 200,000 Afghan children with BluePacks at a cost of $10 each. To learn how you or your school or community group can help, visit: http://www.bluepack.org