How do we promote life-long learning and literacy? How to do we help youth to thrive educationally?
This page is dedicated to what we do as well as a great place for cool resources!
Teachers Join the Literary Scarecrow Contest
WIN Books for Your Classroom!!
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Contest Guidelines and Paper Entry Form
2022 Participants | ||
Announcements
| PRINT OUT THE BOOK CHALLENGE! |
2022 Is Our Book Challenge
Local Summer Enrichment Scholarships Available from the Club (contact us)
MWC Grants to Educators: If you are an educator, please fill out this form to be considered for a project to help students click on purple link).
Teacher Appreciation
GFWC-IL Scholarships Available (see below)
Juniorette Club coming to a school near you soon.
Your Library Has More Going on Than You Think! Check it out here.
Wednesday Monthly Book Club
Each month the group makes a new book selection and discusses it over lunch at Sherwood Oaks Restaurant at 11:30 am on the third Wednesday of every month. Always looking for new members to join in the conversation! For more information email [email protected]
May
April
March
February--"The Woman in Cabin 10" by Ruth Ware
2020--January "One More River to Cross" by Jane Kirkpatrick
November--"Love and Ruin" by Pauls McClain
April--"The Girl With No Name," by Diney Costeloe
March--"My Life in France," by Julia Child
February--"The Plot to Hack America," by Malcolm Nance
April
March
February--"The Woman in Cabin 10" by Ruth Ware
2020--January "One More River to Cross" by Jane Kirkpatrick
November--"Love and Ruin" by Pauls McClain
April--"The Girl With No Name," by Diney Costeloe
March--"My Life in France," by Julia Child
February--"The Plot to Hack America," by Malcolm Nance
GFWC-IL State Scholarships Offered
1. Lorado Taft Art Scholarship ($1000) (Supported through Pennies for Art.)
2. Arthur Grant Smith Drama Scholarship ($1000)
3. Hamilton Ridge Music Scholarship ($1000)
4. Lincoln Lodge Vocational Scholarship for Boys ($1000)
5. Illinois Cottage Park Ridge Vocational Scholarship for Girls ($1000)
6. Vina A. Miller Scholarship (Conservation 2019) ($1000)
7. GFWC Illinois Native American Scholarship ($750)
8. GFWC Illinois Cultural Exchange Scholarship ($500)
Scholarships are not limited to high school graduates. All ages of potential students are welcome to apply. Past applicants and/or winners may reapply. Students at parochial /private schools as well as schools in nearby communities that are not served by a local GFWC Illinois club may apply.
The applications should be available in schools later this month. If they are not, or the school is not served by a club, students should contact our education chair.
2. Arthur Grant Smith Drama Scholarship ($1000)
3. Hamilton Ridge Music Scholarship ($1000)
4. Lincoln Lodge Vocational Scholarship for Boys ($1000)
5. Illinois Cottage Park Ridge Vocational Scholarship for Girls ($1000)
6. Vina A. Miller Scholarship (Conservation 2019) ($1000)
7. GFWC Illinois Native American Scholarship ($750)
8. GFWC Illinois Cultural Exchange Scholarship ($500)
Scholarships are not limited to high school graduates. All ages of potential students are welcome to apply. Past applicants and/or winners may reapply. Students at parochial /private schools as well as schools in nearby communities that are not served by a local GFWC Illinois club may apply.
The applications should be available in schools later this month. If they are not, or the school is not served by a club, students should contact our education chair.
MWC was one of the community resources at the Morris Elementary Parent Teacher Conferences in November of 2018. The Club is assisting the district in collecting snacks and breakfast items for students in need.
Every month we collect Box Tops for Education that we send in to schools.
Little Free Library Touches Down at Chapin Park
MWC has joined the LFL movement by purchasing and maintaining several Little Free Libraries. Check out our books AND if you want to be part of the Little Free Library (LFL) movement, then let us know how we can assist you. Help us put LFLs up all over Morris! #MWCServingOurCommunity
The garden at Chapin Park that MWC maintains is next to the LFL. Next the club will be working on donating a bench. We have been saving recycled lids and caps for several years.
Leadership Is Available for Anyone
HOBY is a leadership seminar held throughout the country for sophomores of any gender to teach them leaderships skills to Empower, Lead, Excel. This organization is partnered with GFWC. If a student is interested, they can talk to their school counselor to see if there is a scholarship available. If not and they would still like to attend, they can self-register through MWC or on their own. This seminar is a great wait to cultivate leadership skills that last a life time.
World of 7 Billion Student Video Contest
The nonprofit Population Connection operates a student video contest for 6th and 7th graders across the world. The population on earth is now seven billion and expected to grow to nine billion by 2050. What's that mean for resources? How do we keep the planet healthy? How do we feed everyone? These are great questions that students are tackling. Click on the button to see 2017 winners, and better yet, encourage your favorite teachers to get their students involved. What a fun way to use the digital voices that modern kids have in a powerful and meaningful way!
In the Interests of Learning Something New for Black History Month--Listen to This Podcast
Teen Retreat--Learning to Love Yourself
First, the KickboxingSimilar to last year, the participants were exposed to kickboxing, which is a fun way to increase a person's heart rate. Not only is it fun, but it may help females to feel empowered.
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Then, the YogaAfter increasing their heart rates, it was time for the girls to learn how to use stretching to tone, strengthen and lengthen their muscles. Better yet, they learned how to calm their minds.
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Last, Learning About NutritionThere is a scientifically linked connection between the gut and the body. It's called the second brain. The girls learned how to cook some nutritiously dense food for themselves.
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Failure is Not a Four Letter Word!
Failure isn't a word many of us care to use about ourselves. However, failure actually drives innovation and to fail means ultimately there will be success. This concept is at the heart of the Museum of Failure in Sweden. It is here that such products as a Beta tape player, Trump Game, and a creepy talking doll reside--you name it, and the failure is represented. Even if you can't get to Sweden, you can see exhibits in Las Vegas ad Las Angeles. Get on board the failure train and see how risky and rewarding innovation can be.
Rebel’s With a Cause
”The bravest and brainiest girls have been breaking rules for 150 years.” Check out these books about girls who empowered themselves. Who wouldn’t want to be as cool as these heroines?
From Nancy Drew to Hermione to any new young plucky female coming down the pipe. These novels can inspire the girl in you go out and be a problem solver! #herometoo.
From Nancy Drew to Hermione to any new young plucky female coming down the pipe. These novels can inspire the girl in you go out and be a problem solver! #herometoo.
Podcasts Are a Great Way to Learn
So you are bored as your driving. Or maybe there’s nothing on the tube today. Or maybe you just want to learn about new stuff and have a curious mind. If so you might be a podcaster. Here are some great ones to check. They run the gamete of making sense of ideas and life.
The ABCs of Food Labels
There is so much more to food labels than in the past. So how is a person supposed to know what to do? Here is Green America’s guide to food labels. If you are interested in how to read certain information and what it means, this should help.
But wait there’s more to understanding food labels. We all know we are supposed to cut back on sugar, but sometimes that’s easier said than done. For example any processed food you buy may include two to five types of sugar, which may be harder for you to recognize when a food has sugar in it, words such as maltose, molasses, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, anhydrous dextrose, brown sugar, cane juice, honey, lactose, fructose, etc. Some processed foods even have 2-5 of these different type of sugars in them! What's a consumer to when trying to avoid so much sugar? Try buying processed foods that have less than five ingredients. That may be a person’s best way to avoid hidden sugars.
Winter White House? What’s That?
Ever wonder about where Presidents go in the winter? Like the rest of us, they sometimes look for respite from the cold. This Smithsonian article provides insight into the latest location Mar-a-Largo but also illuminates other locations.
One of the most famous locations is in Key West at the Navel base. It’s where Harry S. Truman spent much time contemplating his serious responsibilities. Truman has been voted by scholars as one of the top ten Presidents (#8 in fact) for effectiveness and greatness. If you are in Key West, visit the museum to get a feel for this President and the events and times of the end of World War II.
One of the most famous locations is in Key West at the Navel base. It’s where Harry S. Truman spent much time contemplating his serious responsibilities. Truman has been voted by scholars as one of the top ten Presidents (#8 in fact) for effectiveness and greatness. If you are in Key West, visit the museum to get a feel for this President and the events and times of the end of World War II.
Tis the Season for Nobel Lauretes
Most Recent NomineesOn November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament giving the bulk of his fortune for annual prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace. The Economic Sciences prize was established in 1968 by the Swedish National Bank.
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48 Women Have Been Awarded a NobelTo date there has been over 900 Noble Prizes awarded to men, women, and organizations. About 19% of the awards have gone to women. Most in the field of medicine, literature and peace.
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Madame Curie Won Two AwardsMadame Curie, one of the most prominent women in chemistry won the award twice for her work in radiation. She was the first woman to win the award in 1903 and then won a second one in 1911. Her daughter also won an award in 1935 for chemistry. Clearly a talented family!
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Breakthrough Junior Challenge The Breakthrough Junior Challenge from Khan Academy is a chance for a child to win a $250,000 college scholarship.
To enter, a child should create a short video (three minutes or less) explaining a challenging concept in physics, mathematics, or the life sciences in an engaging, illuminating, and creative way. Anyone ages 13 through 18 is eligible. In addition to awarding a college scholarship to the winner, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge will give the winner's teacher a $50,000 prize and the winner's school a new $100,000 science lab. The winner also will be invited to an awards ceremony where the prize will be presented in front of the superstars of science, Silicon Valley, and Hollywood. |
Khan Academy is a nonprofit website dedicated to helping anyone learn anything. Check it out!
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Crowd Funding for Science!
A young female biology graduate, Cindy Wu, started a crowd fundraising platform for small experiments that would never get big money grants to fund. The site is called Experiment. It's a place were the public and researchers (amateurs and academic) can easily interact for small grants. The platform has been a source for over $7 million dollars worth of funding, supporting over 700 projects. Click on the l;ink if you want to learn more about this great crowd sourcing project.
Gen Next
Skilled craftsman are retiring at an alarming rate, and there are not enough trained individuals to take their place. So Norm Abram from This Old House fame and Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs fame are rallying support for scholarships and opportunities for students wanting a hands on future. Many students and their parents do not know the long-term outlook for the trades and so may not think about helping their son or daughter pursue that career path. To learn more about these opportunities check out the mikeroweWORKS (MRW) Foundation Work Ethic Scholarship Program, which supports training for students.
Education Opportunity is Always Knocking
Great Parent Conference Being HeldOver 20% of the population in America is dyslexic. For these people certain tasks that others naturally accomplish in their left side of the brain are more difficult. if you are that person OR are raising that child, here is a great resource for you!
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Learn Anything!Khan Academy was started by a loving uncle to help teach his nephews about math. It is now one of the largest free sources of learning on the planet. It is my "go to" place to learn just about everything! Check out the Crash Course series (my favorite), but there is so much more. Appropriate for any age group.
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Reading is SexySo even the GFWC has a Little Free Library. Let's join the movement! What a great way to share some books you love and the joy of reading with friends and neighbors. Build your box today.
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Scholarships Provided to Area Students for Summer Enrichment
MWC provides scholarships for summer enrichment for a student to attend the Illinois Leadership Conference and also provide funding for a student to attend a summer camp for the fine arts--either music, band or speech team. These funds are raised through a Bridge Marathon operated throughout the winter by a member. Those who love bridge, enjoy theri social time but also raise money for these special scholarships. If you are interested in learning bridge, regardless of whether you are a MWC member or not, please contact us to learn more. We will also be offering lessons this upcoming year.
Summer Enrichment ScholarshipsThe Club gives away several scholarships to send high school students to summer enrichment camps. The recipient of our $300 Music/Speech/Art Scholarship attends a summer camp to advance their skills in a program.
Other opportunities are through GFWC-IL, see information above. In order to apply for a scholarship, the student must have a letter of recommendation from our Morris Woman's Club President. If accepted, the student will receive a full scholarship from the Illinois Federation of Women's Clubs to attend. |
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