Volume 15, Number5
May2015
Headlines
“My Disability Is One Part of Who I Am”. Planning for National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2015 is underway, and the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy announced the official theme for the October observance: "My Disability Is One Part of Who I Am."National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), known as NDEAM is a nationwide campaign that raises awareness about disability employment issues and celebrates the contributions of America's workers with disabilities, past and present. Each spring, the year's theme is announced to help workplaces, individuals and communities begin planning activities. The 2015 theme echoes the ODEP-funded Campaign for Disability Employment's "Who I Am" television public service announcement, currently in national distribution. This announcement features nine diverse people with disabilities — some obvious and some not — sharing the many ways they describe themselves, from personal interests to family relationships to occupations. Among them is actor RJ Mitte, known for his work on AMC's critically acclaimed series "Breaking Bad." For more information about NDEAM, including specific ideas for how different types of organizations can participate, visit and select "National Disability Employment Awareness Month" from the drop-down menu. To view the "Who I Am" PSA, visit To view the press release, visit:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Announces Funding Opportunity to Support Employment Research Priority. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living is accepting applications under the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) and Centers Program. The purpose of DRRPs is to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, by developing methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technologies that advance a wide range of independent living and employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities, especially individuals with the most severe disabilities. A total of $950,000 has been identified to support projects which honor the established priorities, including “Center on Knowledge Translation for Employment Research Priority” and “Projects for Translating Disability and Rehabilitation Research into Practice.” To obtain additional information and an application, visit: Deadlines:Notice of intent to apply June 9, 2015; and transmittal of applications July 6, 2015.
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Announces Requirements and Registration for the “Offender Registration Toolkit Challenge”. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for its Offender Reintegration Toolkit Challenge. The objective of the Challenge is to reduce recidivism and provide resources and support for individuals leaving the criminal justice system and re-entering their communities. SAMHSA is seeking solutions through cost-effective, portable, technology-based products that effectively reach a diverse population of ex-offenders being released from jail or prison, and the friends, family, parole officers, case managers, and service center staff who help them. Technology-based products may include, but are not limited to, web applications, mobile apps, and Web sites. Awardees will receive: 1st prize: $10,000 cash; 2nd prize: $7,500 cash; and 3rd prize: $5,000 cash. To obtain additional information and an application, visit:
Deadline: July 29.
Funding Announcements and opportunities
U.S. Department of Education Announces $60 Million Available for First in the World Grant Competition. As part of the Obama Administration's commitment to drive innovations in higher education and increase college completion, affordability and quality outcomes, the U.S. Department of Education announced the availability of $60 million in Fiscal Year 2015 in the First in the World (FITW) program. FITW grants will fund the development and testing of innovative approaches and strategies to improve postsecondary education attainment. Of the $60 million available this year, the competition has a set-aside of $16 million for institutions designated as minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities. FITW is an evidence-based program that draws on the design of the Department's Investing in Innovation Fund (i3). This year's FITW competition will feature two types of grants—development grants focused on testing innovative practices associated with student success; and validation grants with more rigorous evidence criteria, intended to confirm the effectiveness of promising practices when implemented more broadly. Successful applicants must demonstrate not only an innovative project design, but outline a rigorous plan for how the project will be evaluated to demonstrate its effectiveness. To obtain additional information and an application, visit: To view the press release, visit:
Deadline: June 30.
Department of Education Seeks Comment on Proposed Priority under Its Demonstration and Training Program -- Career Pathways for Individuals with Disabilities. The purpose of the Demonstration and Training Program is to provide competitive grants to, or enter into contracts with, eligible entities to expand and improve rehabilitation and other services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Rehabilitation Act), or to further the purposes and policies in sections 2(b) and 2(c) of the Rehabilitation Act by supporting activities that increase the provision, extent, availability, scope, and quality of rehabilitation services under the Rehabilitation Act. The May 15 FEDERAL REGISTER provides complete background, the outline of topics to be addressed in future competitions, and instructions for the submission of comments. To view the May 15 FEDERAL REGISTER, visit: Deadline: Comments are requested by June 15.
Barrett Announces $375k Expansion Of Earn and Learn Program. Mayor Tom Barrett and Alderman Russell Stamper announced that $375,000 of new funding will be available to the Earn and Learn program. The additional funding will help create 200 new summer jobs. The program's goal is to show young people the value of a day's work. The program has placed more than 22,000 students into summer jobs since its inception. The program is operated by the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board and the Milwaukee Department of City Development. To obtain additional information, visit:
Jobs for the Future and Aspen Institute Award $6 Million in Grants to Successful Youth Programs. On (May 8), in response to President Obama's call to action in launching My Brother's Keeper(MBK)* to promote successful outcomes for boys and men of color, Jobs for the Future (JFF), a grantee of the Social Innovation Fund, and the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions (AFCS) awarded $6 million to innovative organizations that dramatically improve education and employment outcomes for opportunity youth in communities across the country. Opportunity Youth is a term used to describe the 6.7 million young people – between the ages of 16 to 24 in the United States - who are neither enrolled in school nor participating in the labor market. Seven community grantees will receive three-year grants of $240,000 - $270,000 per year to further develop ladders to success for opportunity youth. Grant award recipients were selected after a rigorous and collaborative evaluation by JFF and AFCS. The grantees, representing a diverse portfolio of communities, are taking a cross-system, cross-sector approach towards improving outcomes for young people, with a particular focus on boys and men of color. To view the press release, visit:
opportunities for youth, young adults, and teachers
Chesapeake Bay Trust Accepting Mini-Grant Proposals for K-12 Environmental Education Programs. TheChesapeake Bay Trust is accepting applications for its Mini-Grant Program. The program will award grants of up to $5,000 to support activities at schools in the Chesapeake Bay watershed area that provide meaningful educational experiences, teacher professional development, and programs that advance environmental literacy. The program is designed to engage students and residents in Maryland and Washington, D.C., in activities that raise public awareness and participation in the restoration and protection of the bay and its rivers. Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations; faith-based organizations; community associations; service and civic groups; municipal, county, regional, state, and federal public agencies; soil/water conservation districts and resource conservation and development councils; forestry boards and tributary teams; and public and independent higher education institutions are eligible to apply. To obtain additional information and an application, visit:
Deadline: June 12.
National Resource Center Invites Applications for Research Projects. The University of South Carolina’s is accepting applications for its Paul P. Fidler Research grant program. The program is aimed at improving the experiences of college students transitioning into and through higher education. Eligible applicants must be faculty, staff, or a graduate student at an institution of higher education in the U.S. who plans to conduct research on issues of college student transitions. Awardees will receive a cash stipend, travel to two national conferences, a presentation at a national conference, and priority consideration for publication. To obtain additional information and an application, visit: Deadline: July 1.
James F. and Marion Miller Foundation Accepting Applications for Oregon-Based Arts and Education Projects. The James F. and Marion Miller Foundationis accepting applications from nonprofit organizations for projects that advance the arts or K-12 education in Oregon. Eligible applicants must be an Oregon-based governmental agency or nonprofit organizations that is considered tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and have been in existence a minimum of three years. Grant awards will range from $5,000 to $225,000. To obtain additional information and an application, visit: Deadline: July 6.
Publications
The Right Supports at the Right Time: How Money Follows the Person Programs Are Supporting Diverse Populations in the Community. This report published by Mathematica Policy Research, examines how six Money Follows People (MFP) grantees are serving populations with diverse needs in the community and the factors that have contributed to their strong performance on key outcome measures. The six states were selected based on having scored higher—relative to other state MFP grantees—on the number of people transitioned, rates of reinstitutionalization, changes in self-reported quality of life, and other indicators for each of the four populations the MFP programs targeted: older adults and people with physical disabilities who transition from nursing homes, people with intellectual disabilities, and people with mental illness. To view the publication, visit:
Doubling Graduation Rates: Three-Year Effects of CUNY’s Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) for Developmental Education Students. The What Works Clearinghouse provides a review of this study developed for the Institute of Education Sciences. The study examined the effects of offering a multi-faceted support program to low-income community college students in need of developmental (remedial) courses. The study also reported the impact of the offer of the City University of New York's Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) program on student enrollment in college, credit accumulation, completion of developmental requirements, degree attainment, and transfer from a 2-year to a 4-year institution. Program impacts were evaluated in a randomized controlled trial, in which 451 students were offered the ASAP program and 445 students were assigned to a comparison group. To view the new quick review, visit:
Developing Positive Young Adults: Lessons from Two Decades of YouthBuildPrograms. This report developed by MDRC, presents findings from two separate research efforts that shed light on the process of youth transformation and identity development in YouthBuild. The first paper, written in 1997 by Ronald F. Ferguson and Jason Snipes, is based on a formative evaluation of early YouthBuild programs between 1991 and 1994. In that evaluation, participants described themselves as more efficacious, optimistic, and morally upright after participating in the program for a year. Young
adults whom Ferguson and Snipes interviewed spoke often of deep personal transformations not only in their own identities but also in relationships with friends, family, and community. Thesecond paper presents the findings from a 2014 survey of YouthBuild program directors across thecountry and shows that the themes Ferguson and Snipes set forth continue to resonate. To view the report, visit:
Program resources
Previously Recorded Webinar
On May 27, the Employment and Training Administration hosted a webinar entitled:
Enough is Known for Action: Firing Up Youth Standing Committees. This session was the fourth webinar in the Enough is Known for Action series for the youth community, hosted by the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Division of Youth Services and Regional Offices, to inspire strategic planning and action now in anticipation of the July 1, 2015, implementation date of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Helping in-school and out-of-school youth access the services and supports they need to succeed is a critical goal of WIOA. Workforce Development Boards in partnership with their Youth Standing Committees are key connectors and conveners for local youth programs and resources. This engaging and interactive webinar provided information, resources, and local examples that informs program's WIOA implementation strategies and service delivery. To view the archived webinar, visit:
On May 13, the Employment and Training Administration hosted a webinar entitled:
Innovation and Opportunity Network: WIOA “Act Now” Series - WIOA TEGL 27-14 Governance. The session walked state and local workforce system leaders and practitioners through the recently published USDOL/ETA Training and Employment Guidance Letter 27-14: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Transition Authority for Immediate Implementation of Governance Provisions. To view the archived webinar, visit:
Calendar of Events
June 9. New York City, NY. The Future of Urban Innovation Summit: StartUps, co-hosted by the Department of Commerce and Columbia University.
June 21-27. Bethesda, MD. Envision National Young Leaders Conference. To obtain additional information, visit:
August 24-27. Santa Fe, NM. Georgetown University'sLeadership Academy. To obtain additional information, visit:
October 6-8. Washington, DC. Making Cents International Global Youth Economic Summit 2015. To obtain additional information, visit:
November 9-11, 2015. Chicago, IL. National Association of Workforce Development Professionals. 2015 Youth Symposium. To obtain additional information, visit:
November 15-16. Phoenix, AZ. National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth 2015 Annual Conference. To obtain additional information, visit:
NOTICE:
The Employment and Training Administration is interested in hearing about new and innovative approaches which bring employers, educators and workforce systems professionals together to serve our communities’ youth. If you would like to share projects or programs in your area, please e-mail your information to the Division of Youth Services at .
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Youth Resource Connections
Technical Assistance Update for May 2015