Parent Center Updates

• Wilbur Hawke Appointed to National Fatherhood Committee
• EPICS Celebrates 25 Years
• Parent Center Social Networking Sites

Announcements & News

• TA&D Center of the Month: National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center
• 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Common Core Standards Released
• National Family Support Survey

Resources

• The Condition of Education: 2010 Report
• Health Insurance and Access to Care for Children and Adolescents
• State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report Brochure
• CELL Practice Guide: Infant Finger Drawing

Technology

• Accessible Technology Webinar Series
• Skype
• Color Palette Tool

Nonprofit Management

• Nonprofit Internships

Parent Center Updates

Wilbur Hawke Appointed to National Fatherhood Committee

Wilbur Hawke, director of the Parent Education Network PTI Project at Family Network on Disabilities in Florida, recently represented fathers of children with disabilities at a meeting of the National Fathers Leadership Group in Washington, DC. A diverse group of father organizations and faith-based representatives gathered with White House staff to discuss President Obama's Father Involvement Family Preservation Initiatives. This meeting focused on proposed 2011 funding for the Fatherhood, Marriage, and Families Innovation Fund. Congratulations to Wilbur for this honor and all the work he has done in this area!

EPICS Celebrates 25 Years

EPICS (Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs) is celebrating 25 years of service to families in New Mexico. Jeanette Trancosa, director of the organization and their Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC) project, was recently featured on a local television talk show along with two of her staff to discuss the center’s accomplishments. Congratulations! More>>>

Parent Center Social Networking Sites

Has your organization developed a video you’d like to share with Parent Center colleagues? Consider adding it to the Parent Center YouTube Channel. You can also connect with others through Facebook or receive updates from the ALLIANCE National Parent Technical Assistance Center Twitter account. Contact kerryjo.johnson@pacer.org with any questions.

Announcements & News

TA&D Center of the Month: National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center

The National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) helps improve outcomes for youth with disabilities by assisting states to collect and use transition data, identifying research-based best practices, and developing and disseminating products and resources to a wide range of audiences. NSTACC recently published three professional development presenter guides that include PowerPoint presentations, scripted notes, and related workshop materials. Topics covered are Indicator 13, Self-Determination, and Transition Assessment. NSTTAC is directed by David Test at the University of North Carolina, Paula Kohler at Western Michigan University, and Larry Kortering at Appalachian State University. More>>>

20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

July 26th is the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Several national disability organizations and agencies are hosting celebrations or promoting materials in honor of the landmark civil rights law, including the Disability Business Technical Assistance Centers, American Association of People with Disabilities, and TASH. Kareem Dale, Special Advisor to the President on Disability Policy, also gave a speech launching the ADA’s 20th Anniversary celebration. More>>>

Common Core Standards Released

The Common Core State Standards for math and English language arts have been posted online, along with supporting documents such as Application to Students with Disabilities. The standards were developed to provide evidence-based benchmarks for all students across the country. More>>>

National Family Support Survey

Parents or primary caregivers of young people with disabilities between 12 and 22 years old are invited to take part in a national research study of supports for families of youth with disabilities. Answers to the questions on the National Family Support Survey are confidential and will help the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, Parent Centers, and researchers understand the information and supports families need to prepare for moving into adulthood. Parent Centers and others are encouraged to share this link with families. A Spanish version will soon be available. Responses are due August 13. More>>>

Resources

The Condition of Education: 2010 Report

The Institute of Education Sciences, the research division of the U.S. Department of Education, recently published The Condition of Education 2010 summarizing national education data on nearly 50 indicators. The five major areas studied include: (1) participation in education; (2) learner outcomes; (3) student effort and educational progress; (4) the contexts of elementary and secondary education; and (5) the contexts of postsecondary education. More>>>

Health Insurance and Access to Care for Children and Adolescents

This new resource collection from the Maternal and Child Health Library at Georgetown University includes information on relevant data, programs, and policies that improve health care access and coverage for children and adolescents. More>>>

State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report Brochure

The Technical Assistance Coordination Center (TACC) at AED has developed a brochure on State Performance Plans/Annual Performance Reports. The brochure provides the legislative background for the reports and a summary of the determination process. More>>>

CELL Practice Guide: Infant Finger Drawing

The Infant Finger Drawing Practice Guide for Parents provides caregivers with ideas for “finger drawing” with their infant using different textured media such as water, rice, and playdough. More>>>

Technology

Accessible Technology Webinar Series

The Disability Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs) sponsor a webinar series on accessible technology. Registration is free and previous presentations have been archived. Upcoming presentations include The Business Case for Technology and Creating Accessible Videos for Your Website. More>>>

Skype

Skype is a free software application that allows users to make voice calls over the internet. Calls to other users (computer to computer) within the Skype service are free. Calls made to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee. Skype also has features such as instant messaging, data transfer and video conferencing. People can use Skype to connect with peers or family who may live long distances away. There are also numerous ways Skype can be used to connect parents, teachers, and students. More>>>

Color Palette Tool

Designing a website or want to pick complementary colors for any document? Adobe Kuler will apply advanced color theory rules to any base color choice and find the exact shades that will complement that color. It will also let you upload an image and find the complimentary colors that exist in the photo and can be used as a basis for a website or document. More>>>

Nonprofit Management

Nonprofit Internships

This article from Blue Avocado defines the terms “intern” and “volunteer” and provides an overview of how federal labor laws apply. More>>>