January 4, 2012
Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:
2012 NATIONAL YOUTH SCIENCE CAMP NOMINATION PROCESS
The California Department of Education (CDE) is pleased to announce it is accepting applications for the 2012 National Youth Science Camp (NYSC).
The NYSC is a residential science education program that honors and challenges two graduating high school students from each state. The NYSC is offered at no cost to participants. All educational and recreational programming, as well as meals, lodging, and round-trip air passage on scheduled airlines are provided free of charge to the delegates.
The NYSC will be held at a facility located in the Monongahela National Forest near Bartow in the eastern mountains of West Virginia. Delegates must be able to attend the entire NYSC program. Delegates arrive in Charleston, West Virginia, on Wednesday, June 27, 2012, and depart on Saturday, July 21, 2012. More information is available on the NYSC Web page at http://www.nysf.com/w/programs/nysc/nysc-2011/ (Outside Source).
To be eligible for consideration, an applicant:
- Must be a candidate for high school graduation between July 1, 2011, and June 30, 2012.
- Must complete the application enclosed or found on the CDE NYSC Web page athttp://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/nysc.asp and return it and supporting materials to the CDE by a postmark deadline of Friday, February 17, 2012.
- Must demonstrate superior academic proficiency, including recognition in mathematics and/or the sciences.
- Must demonstrate an application of leadership abilities and social maturity through involvement in school and community activities.
- Must demonstrate skills and achievements outside the realm of science and outside the realm of academic pursuits.
- Must demonstrate a curiosity and an eagerness to explore many and varied topics.
The completed application and supporting materials must be postmarked by Friday, February 17, 2012, and sent to the attention of:
Craig Cheslog
Principal Advisor to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Superintendent’s Initiatives Office
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Suite 5602
Sacramento, CA 95814
Principal Advisor to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Superintendent’s Initiatives Office
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Suite 5602
Sacramento, CA 95814
As part of the NYSC program, scientists from across the nation present lectures and hands-on science seminars and linger to interact informally with student delegates. Delegates are challenged to explore new areas in the biological and physical sciences, art, and music with resident staff members.
Opportunities are provided for delegates to present seminars covering their own areas of interest and research. A visit to Washington D.C. permits delegates to visit some of the nation’s premier scientific, governmental, and cultural facilities. The NYSC experience includes overnight expeditions into the Monongahela National Forest featuring backpacking, rock-climbing, caving, mountain biking, or kayaking opportunities.
If you have any questions about the National Youth Science Camp nominations process, please contact Craig Cheslog, Principal Advisor to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Superintendent’s Initiatives Office, by phone at 916-319-0554 or by e-mail at ccheslog@cde.ca.gov.
Sincerely,
Tom Torlakson
Heritage Schools Can Now Register with State,
Superintendent Torlakson Announces
SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that the 2012 Heritage School Registration System is open. Heritage schools—which give students a chance to focus on the language, culture, and traditions of a foreign country—must register online annually with the California Department of Education (CDE) by the end of January.
"Heritage schools continue to play an important role in helping students learn about and connect with their family's culture, values, and traditions," Torlakson said. "I'm pleased that the Department of Education supports these institutions by offering an easy-to-use online registration system."
Annual registration exempts heritage schools from licensure by the State Department of Social Services as a child daycare center. While the registration process does not constitute an evaluation or approval process, it does mean that schools that register agree to follow health, safety, operational, and parent notification requirements.
The annual heritage school registration process is required under California Education Code Section 33195, which became law in January 2010. The statute defines heritage schools as out-of-school-time programs that serve public and private school children between the ages of four years, nine months and 18 years by providing activities focused on the language, culture, and traditions of a foreign country.
Annual heritage school registration carries a fee to cover the implementation costs incurred by the CDE, consistent with the statute. The 2012 registration fee for each heritage school is $250, and is based on the costs associated with receiving, processing, and posting the registration forms, along with the necessary technical assistance offered.
For additional information on heritage schools and the registration process, please visit Heritage Schools - Parents/Family & Community.
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Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100