4empowerment^® e-Newsletter
September 30, 2003

Welcome to the 4empowerment^® e-newsletter. Click, collaborate, teach, and learn.

Showcase Your Student Work on 4e-zine!
4empowerment® has launched its 4e-zine, an online digital magazine. Our unique 4e-zine allows students to showcase all types of media from short stories to "spoken word" poetry to short films. Student participants in 4e programs, such as Making the Connections (a new languages arts TARGET grant program), will be able to submit and showcase their work online. Teachers will be able to recommend their students' works for feature showcases. Click on the purple tab above or here to enter the 4e-zine.

Featured 4e-zine Artist: Scott Newton
You may have seen our featured 4e-zine artist Scott Newton at the recent Austin City Limits Music Festival where Scott discreetly prowls the stages to snap close-ups of live bands. This month, 4e-zine is proud to showcase some of Scott's work. Go there now to see shots of Beck, David Byrne, and others performing in concert. Be sure to check out the VIEW gallery as we continue to unveil Scott's artistic photographs throughout the month of October.

Featured Scientist: Dr. Elizabeth Smith
Learn more about the life of a research scientist from Dr. Elizabeth Smith, who works for the Center for Coastal Studies at Texas A & M University in Corpus Christi. Read our chat with Dr. Smith in which she emphasizes why education is important in preserving the quality of our coastal habitats and surface fresh water supplies.

October Quiz: Aquifers
Which activity is the heaviest use of aquifer water going to a city? Taking showers, washing clothes, washing cars, or watering grass? Take our quiz on aquifers and find out!

Power Poll: What's the best strategy for resolving water quality issues?
Students in the 4empowerment educational programs who recently completed activities involving water quality sampling are now beginning to study the "Big Picture" -- what does this all mean for the ecosystem and for our environment? What types of water quality issues are faced in your community? Express your opinion in our October Power Poll.

Making the Connections: AFF Screenwriters Workshop
October 9-11, 2003 @ Austin, TX • Selected language arts teachers will be attending a professional development workshop next week for the Making the Connections TARGET grant program. The workshop will be held in conjunction with the Austin Film Festival's Screenwriters Conference. Joining us for a special session on student learning styles will be Dr. Claire Ellen Weinstein, noted University of Texas at Austin professor and creator of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory student assessment tool.

Stellar Students Sought!
Nominate your favorite student to be featured for Student of the Month by 4empowerment®. Your student's achievements be highlighted and published on the 4empowerment® website, along with a photo and interview. Send us your nominations!

SXSW Web Awards: Student Category
Early Submission Deadline: October 19, 2003 • The 7th Annual SXSW Web Awards Ceremony uncovers the best new websites -- discovering and honoring the digital artists and developers who fuel the web with creative energy and ideas. Students, enter now for a chance to win the SXSW Web Award in the Student Category! Learn more!

Free Aquatic Toxicity Testing Course for Teachers
November 9-13 @ Austin, TX • At its upcoming 24th Annual Meeting, the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North American (SNA) will be offering an environmental education short course targeted towards junior and senior high school educators. Sign up now!

Texas Commission on the Arts’ (TCA) Young Masters Program
Do you have an especially motivated 8th-12th grader who aspires to become an accomplished artist? The TCA has developed a program which funds especially dedicated young artists to participate in advanced art training programs. Be sure to visit http://www.arts.state.tx.us/ or call (512) 936-6564 for details about this program. Applications must be postmarked by December 15, 2003.