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- Federal Resources
Federal Resources
Advancing Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy
This “road map” for civic learning outlines the steps that the Department of Education is taking to increase civic learning and engagement. It also outlines directions for advancing civic learning and democratic engagement in schools, with special attention to the federal role and civic learning in higher education.
Archived Webinar: Using Data to Identify Programmatic Interventions
The Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Healthy Students’ Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Center held a webinar on December 14, 2011, “Using Data to Identify Programmatic Interventions.” It covered the need to use school climate data to identify needs, selecting evidence based programs to address these needs, and implementing these programs effectively within a school or district.
Citizen Corps
Citizen Corps was created to help coordinate volunteer activities that will make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation. It provides opportunities for people to participate in a range of measures to make their families, homes, and communities safer from the threats of crime, terrorism, and disasters of all kinds. Search for your local Citizen Corps Councils, Community Emergency Response Teams, Medical Reserve Corps, Fire Corps and Neighborhood Watch programs here.
National 4-H Headquarters
National 4-H Headquarters, United States Department of Agriculture. 4-H is the largest youth organization in the United States for children and youth ages 5 to 19. Visit the Cooperative Extension Office near you to find a 4-H program in your community
Passport in Time
Passport in Time (PIT) is a volunteer archaeology and historic preservation program of the USDA Forest Service (FS). PIT volunteers work with professional FS archaeologists and historians on national forests throughout the U.S. on such diverse activities as archaeological survey and excavation, rock art restoration, survey, archival research, historic structure restoration, oral history gathering, and analysis and curation of artifacts. FS professional staff of archaeologists and historians serve as hosts, guides, and co-workers.
Students Transforming Schools and Communities
At a policy briefing organized by the Department of Education's Youth Engagement Team, two high school juniors from Baltimore shared how civic engagement has empowered them to advocate for themselves and their peers on issues that impact their daily lives.
Teen CERT: Community Emergency Response Team
The Teen CERT training program teaches youth readiness and response skills. Hands-on practice and realistic exercises prepare youth for the unexpected in their community. Newly learned leadership skills will empower youth to safely respond to an emergency and assist victims without endangering themselves or others.
The Volunteer Clearinghouse
The Volunteer Clearinghouse serves the Corps of Engineers nationwide to link potential volunteers with Park Rangers at lakes and waterways that need them. It provides information about the volunteer program and directs people to the point of contact, usually a Park Ranger, at the lake or location of interest.
Trends Among Young Adults Over Three Decades
The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics' report, “Trends Among Young Adults Over Three Decades, 1974-2006” outlines patterns of change in postsecondary enrollment, labor force roles, family formation, and civic engagement as measured in young adults two years out of high school in 1972, 1980, 1992, and 2004.
2011–12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study
Using survey data from approximately 95,000 undergraduate and 16,000 graduate students, this report from the Department of Education provides information on the percentages of students receiving various types of financial aid and how much they received, by institution, attendance pattern, dependency status, and income level. The study indicates that 71% of undergraduates and 70% of graduates received some type of financial aid.
2014 Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Awards
Forty-eight schools were honored as 2014 Green Ribbon Schools for their exemplary efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, promote better health, and ensure effective environmental education, including civics and green career pathways. In addition, nine districts were honored for the District Sustainability Award.
2015 International Student Data
Developed by SEVP, a new report, “SEVIS by the Numbers” (PDF, 33 pages), illustrates the latest data from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a website that provides information about international students, exchange visitors, and their dependents while they are in the United States. The report includes information about the number of students, where they are from, where they are attending school, and what they are studying. SEVP also launched a new interactive mapping tool that allows users to explore international student data included in the report.
5 Ways to Pay Off Your Student Loans Faster
This blog post, from a representative from the Office of Federal Student Aid, features advice on paying off student loans faster. Tips include signing up for an automatic debit payment plan and using tax refunds to pay off of part of a loan.
7 Ways to Promote FAFSA Completion at Your School
This blog entry provides ideas for how counselors and other school professionals can promote the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at their high school or college campus. Examples include using social media and hosting a FAFSA night on campus.
3 Ways to Get Your Loan Out of Default
Borrowers who default on still have options. This blog post outlines steps that borrowers can take to get their loans back in good standing, including loan repayment, rehabilitation, and consolidation.
7 Common FAFSA Mistakes
This blog entry outlines seven common errors that students make when completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and presents resources to help them avoid these mistakes.
5 Things To Do After Filing Your FAFSA
This blog post from the Department of Education features information for students on the next steps they should take after they have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
6 Things You Must Know About Repaying Your Student Loans
This blog post and video from the Department of Education can help students and recent graduates understand the details of loan repayment, including when repayment starts, who to pay, how much to pay, and how to make payments.
5 Steps for Picking a College
The Secretary of Education Arne Duncan shares his advice for students when picking a college, laid out in five steps.
4 Things to Do Before You Make Your First Student Loan Payment
This blog entry outlines the four things recent graduates should do as they prepare to make their first student loan payment: get organized, contact the loan servicer, estimate monthly payments, and select a repayment plan. Learn more.
21st Century Community Learning Centers
This program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low performing schools. The program: helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.
4 Reasons Why Community College Was Perfect For Me
Talla Hashemi, a junior at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and ED intern, shares why attending community college, and then transferring to a four-year university, was the best choice for her.
Action Guide for Emergency Management at Institutions of Higher Education
This guide has been developed to give higher education institutions a useful resource in the field of emergency management.
Achievement Gap Narrows as High School Graduation Rates for Minority Students Improve Faster than Rest of Nation
According to new data from NCES, graduation rates for black and Hispanic students increased by nearly four percentage points from 2011 to 2013, outpacing the growth for all students in the nation. The data also show that the gap between white students and black and Hispanic students receiving high school diplomas narrowed over that time.
A Comparison of College Attendance and High School Coursework from Two Cohorts of Youth
The Department of Labor conducted an analysis that examines how the relationship between high school courses and college attendance may have changed between the late 1970s and the late 1990s. As time progressed, students began taking more rigorous coursework and that became a high predictor of who was likely to attend college. In the late 1970s, however, fewer students took advanced courses and the rigor of the courses did not seem to be a determining factor in college attendance.