Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Welcome to the ConnectEd Bulletin Board!
This is the place to find opportunities for further professional development, grant and awards opportunities, and much more!
Quick Navigation Links
Take the DPI Strategic Planning Survey Before It Closes February 17th!
Wisconsin Wayfinder: Children's Resource Network Updated Resources
Join BadgerLink's Next TeachingBooks for Libraries Training!
Student Services/Prevention and Wellness (SSPW) Resources and Trainings Webinar
Bullying Prevention Online Training Program
Inviting Youth to Share Their Voice on How Adults Can Be Supportive
Schools Are Making Cool Choices!
2024 Promoting Early Childhood Conference
2024 Play Make Learn Conference Call for Proposals
Internship Applications Open for the DPI's State of Wisconsin Student Diversity Internship Program (SWSDIP)
News from Around the State
Take the DPI's Strategic Planning Survey Before It Closes February 17th!
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is currently engaged in the creation of a five-year strategic plan. The strategic plan aims to align the work of the agency and the needs of all learners in our schools and libraries. Our strategic planning process features three phases culminating in a strategic plan in fall 2024.
Take the DPI Strategic Planning survey now!
Learn more about the DPI's Strategic Planning Process
Wisconsin Wayfinder: Children’s Resource Network Updated Resources
Wisconsin Wayfinder now has videos and brochures that can be shared with families at IEP meetings, email lists, parent resource areas in schools, and school and district webpages. The DPI will continue to share additional resources as the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) develops them.
Video Links to Share with Families:
Brochures to Share with Families:
- Wisconsin Wayfinder Brochure English
- Wisconsin Wayfinder Brochure Spanish
- Wisconsin Wayfinder Brochure Hmong
Wisconsin Wayfinder provides a statewide user-friendly website and toll-free number, 877-WiscWay (877-947-2929), to provide families with convenient, direct access to compassionate and knowledgeable children’s resource guides. Please share the toll free number (877-WiscWay) and these resources and much more that you can find on the Wisconsin Wayfinder website with families in your schools, districts, and communities. Below are two additional resources that may help case managers, IEP team LEA representatives, and other educators talk about Wisconsin Wayfinder with families who have children with disabilities.
As educators in Wisconsin schools, you have incredible access to providing families with timely and relevant information.
Join BadgerLink's Next TeachingBooks for Libraries Training!
It's not too late to sign up for upcoming training sessions on BadgerLink resource's TeachingBooks for Libraries. Next Tuesday's session will discuss planning for summer reading and using TeachingBooks at the public library.
Student Services/Prevention and Wellness (SSPW) Resources and Trainings Webinar
The webinar Navigating the DPI Website: Finding New or Timely SSPW Resources and Trainings will be held on Thursday, March 7, 2024, from 9:15-9:45 a.m. The purpose of the webinar is to provide information on how to navigate the DPI website and the SSPW webpages to find new or timely resources or training from SSPW. This webinar will be recorded and linked on the SSPW Communications website. Please contact Julie Incitti, julie.incitti@dpi.wi.gov with any questions. Click here to register for the webinar.
Bullying Prevention Online Training Program
The Student Services/Prevention and Wellness Team (SSPW), in collaboration with Dr. Chad Rose at the University of Missouri, is once again offering a free, online bullying prevention training course for Wisconsin educators! This course is designed for all educators including regular and special education teachers, student services professionals, administrators, out-of-school time program staff, and any other school personnel. This five-module course can be completed by an individual in approximately two hours. The five modules provide foundational knowledge of bullying prevention:
- Module 1: What is Bullying?
- Module 2: Predictive and Protective Factors Associated with School Bullying
- Module 3: Intervention for Bullying in the Schools
- Module 4: Group and Individual Interventions and Federal Law Related to Bullying
- Module 5: Resources
Please visit DPI’s Comprehensive Approach to Bullying Prevention webpage to register for access to this training program. Please contact bullyingprevention@dpi.wi.gov with any questions!
Inviting Youth to Share Their Voice on How Adults Can Be Supportive
The Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health (OCMH) will hold Youth Listening Sessions asking youth to share how adults can be supportive to them. There are two virtual sessions:
- Youth/young adults ages 13-18 on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, from 5-6:30 p.m.
- Young adults ages 19-24 on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, from 5-6:30 p.m.
Click here to register for either session.
OCMH is asking school staff to forward this invitation to youth who may be interested in registering (see the flyer). Youth attending the full session will receive a $25 e-gift card. The sessions are for youth and young adults only. Questions may be directed to Karen Katz, Operations Lead, Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health, at Karen.Katz@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
Schools Are Making Cool Choices!
More than 500 students will have access to play “Cool Choices” at their school and take actions to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions!
Cool Choices is a six-week online game provided by Green & Healthy Schools and can be implemented at the classroom level, multiple classrooms within a school, or with teams from the same school or district. It takes about 5 minutes per day to play.
The game period is available to all Wisconsin schools free of charge. There will be an additional game period during Earth Month in April. Learn more!
2024 Promoting Early Childhood Conference
Promoting Early Childhood Conference (PEC) is an early childhood collaborative event sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction in partnership with the Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners (WECCP). The conference will be taking place March 5-7, 2024.
Who Should Attend? Early childhood leaders from schools, child care, Head Start, home visiting, environmental education and other related programs and services such as: principals, 4K coordinators, special education directors, program support teachers, school board members, child care directors, Head Start directors and coordinators, professional development trainers, community teams, Early Childhood faculty at two- and four-year colleges. For more information, check out the Promoting Early Childhood Conference webpage of the DPI's website.
2024 Play Make Learn Conference Call for Proposals
You are invited to submit a proposal to present at the 2024 Play Make Learn Conference (PML)! The conference is a place for collaboration and discovery in the design, research and practice of playful learning, games for learning and positive social impact, making and makerspaces, STEAM education, and arts in education. PML creates an inspirational space for preK-12 educators, designers, developers, innovators, librarians, museum professionals, makers, and researchers to tinker together, share knowledge, and celebrate one another’s work. Find out more on the event webpage.
Internship Applications Open for the DPI's State of Wisconsin Student Diversity Internship Program (SWSDIP)
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is currently seeking applicants for the State of Wisconsin Student Diversity Internship Program (SWSDIP). Interested people must be at least 18 years of age by May 22, 2024 and living in Wisconsin during the internship program. Candidates must be enrolled in, recently graduated (2022/2023) from, or planning to attend (2023/2024) a 2-year, 4-year, or graduate school.
The goal of this internship program is to connect people from culturally diverse groups with various lived experiences to state government. Our hope is that this internship will provide interns with a snapshot of what working at DPI is like, so they are excited to explore a career here. More information about this internship program can be found here.
Interested individuals may apply online by 11:59 pm on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, through Wisc.Jobs.
Show this video to your students and share on social media!
To apply for a position, the applicant must enter the job code:
- Position 255101: Equity and Inclusion Human Resources Generalist (Human Resources Team)
- Position 255102: Communication and Research Intern (Special Education Team)
- Position 255103: Homeless Children & Youth Education Intern (Title I and School Support Team)
- Position 255104: Media Relations and Speechwriting Intern (Education Information Services Team)
- Position 255105: Family Youth & Community Engagement Consultant (Operations Partnerships and Innovation Team)
We Need To Support Our Kids, Not Punish Them via the Wisconsin DPI
A statement by State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly addressing misguided truancy legislation.
New Wisconsin bill targets school librarians for books that some parents consider obscene via Green Bay Press-Gazette
A bill introduced in the Wisconsin Legislature would open school librarians to prosecution for purchasing library books considered "obscene." It's a bill that's been replicated across the United States, according to Every Library, which is tracking legislation concerning libraries. In this story, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin spoke with six education experts from the Wisconsin DPI, who expressed concerns about the implications of such a bill, from how it would impact the mental health of young people to the fractures it risked carving between educators and parents.
Eau Claire elementary schools fight food waste by composting via WQOW 18 – Eau Claire
Facilities participating in the 'Schools Fight Food Waste' grant program include Locust Lane, Roosevelt, Sherman, Meadowview, Northwoods, and Robbins Elementary schools.
Wausau student lives out dream of being Super Bowl Junior Reporter via WSAW 7 - Wausau
Shea Reif applied for the Packers Junior Reporter position two days before applications closed. It was a contest through the dental company Invisalign. Now, after a three-month wait, she’s finally making her dream become a reality.
'I'm going to save people's lives": STEM showcase inspiring next generation via NBC 26 – Green Bay
This is the Einstein Project's first annual STEM showcase. Two 4th grade scientists share their innovations.
We want to hear from you. Take the DPI's Strategic Planning survey!