On February 6, 2009, experts will present the latest research on financial aid practices that support student enrollment and persistence, as well as recommendations for reforming federal student aid.

Where are the grants going? Check your state and check by category with this interactive Foundation Center site that tracks grants, loans and other help to local charities during the economic downturn.

ExploraVision competition gives students in grades K– 12 the chance to create their own visions of the future. Student teams select and research a current technology and then explore what it could be like 20 years from now. Members of the four first-place teams will each receive a $10,000 US Savings Bond and an expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC to be recognized for their achievements.

This report provides critical information on the costs, funding sources, financing
strategies and sustainability of youth engagement. Included are also several profiles of
youth engagement programs that have implemented various promising strategies to finance
and sustain their work.

The Health Resources and Services Administration has a new funding opportunity. Up to
$375,000 will be awarded for demonstration projects to improve health care access in
rural areas. RFP deadline: October 16. For more program information, click here.

This program awards up to $10,000 for collaborative initiatives that support the vision
objectives in Healthy People 2010, which address examinations and prevention, eye
diseases, injury and safety and vision rehabilitation. Deadline: August 29, 2008.

If you work with teens with disabilities, you’ll want to know about the Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work (TTW) program. Its Youth Transition portion offers funds for organizations that help students receiving Social Security disability benefits find employment. Is it right for you? Melody Goodspeed, Youth Transition Specialist for TTW answers some common questions about the funding.

The day-long White House Conference on Helping America's Youth, held last Thursday at Howard University in Washington, D.C., was a high-profile culmination of First Lady Laura Bush's interest in efforts to keep teens and young adults on track. Connect for Kids' Jan Richter spoke with youth advocates about the conference, and about what we can do for this sometimes hard-to-help group.

The National Association of Children's Hospitals—N.A.C.H.—is the public policy affiliate of NACHRI. N.A.C.H. is a trade organization of 133 children's hospitals and supports children's hospitals in addressing public policy issues that affect their ability to fulfill their missions to serve children and their families. N.A.C.H. fulfills its mission and vision through federal advocacy, collaboration and communication designed to strengthen the ability of children's hospitals and health systems to influence public policy makers, understand federal and state policy issues, advance access and quality of health care for all children, and sustain financially their missions of clinical care, education, research and advocacy.

Waypoint Corvallis is committed to helping local schools in their fundraising efforts. Their goal is to educate people about corporate programs and bring local businesses into partnership with their local schools.