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From the Executive Director / From the Editor / About SCSC / Calendar of Events Student Enrichment Programs Winter Issue Home Page Previous Issues of Cooperative Link |
Center for Academic Excellence
Same Mission, New Name & Address
The mission of the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) is to help improve, promote and recognize academic excellence in Minnesota schools. CAE’s directors, staff and partners believe in greater involvement of students and parents in schools and school decision-making, and partnerships in support of improved teaching and learning. CAE was created in 2002 as the Center for Educational Performance Excellence in response to uncertainty about pending and future legislative actions for the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation (MAEF). CAE continues to partner with MAEF, delivering MAEF programming, in addition to providing its own fee-based products and services. CAE also works in partnership with many of the state’s education associations and organizations, including the service cooperative members of the Minnesota Regional Service Agency (MRSA), to deliver recognition and information programs and services to educators statewide. (MAEF’s administrative duties, in support of MAEF’s Board of Directors, are currently provided by the Minnesota Department of Education.) CAE is also a membership organization, providing information and networking services to its members. In addition to membership, service revenues, and earnings from several endowments, CAE raises funds and in-kind contributions to underwrite its statewide work in support of student and educator recognition, and promotion of academic enrichment. CAE is currently housed under the umbrella of the South Central Service Cooperative in North Mankato. For more information, please contact the Center for Academic Excellence at 1610 Commerce Drive, North Mankato, MN 56003, or via e-mail to cae@mncae.org, phone at 507-389-2461, or visit the CAE website: www.mncae.org. Academic League Council Looks for Volunteers The Academic League Council has openings for volunteers with an interest in supporting academic enrichment opportunities for students in Minnesota. Council members are asked to participate in two meetings annually, primarily to help review and endorse enrichment programs that are offered on a statewide basis in Minnesota, and one or two related events. Additional information is available by contacting the Center for Academic Excellence. Academic enrichment program information is available at www.mncae.org for programs that have been endorsed by the Academic League Council, including a list of approaching academic enrichment program calendar deadlines and copies of the Reach for the Stars catalog that lists all programs endorsed by the council. Nominate an Outstanding Educator in 2005-—CAE Teams with MRSA Members to Name Regional Finalists You’re encouraged to nominate an educator that you know or work with, who has done an outstanding job of promoting ethics within their classroom or school, helping students overcome learning barriers, or advanced student achievement through academic challenges or competitions, for the 2005 WEM Foundation Outstanding Educator Awards. 2005 marks the seventh year of the WEM Foundation Outstanding Educator Awards, which honors unsung heroes of the education profession in three categories: Academic Challenge Coach of the Year (for outstanding coaches of activities endorsed by Minnesota’s Academic League Council), Teacher Achievement (for teachers who excel in advancing student learning in alternative or challenging settings), and Ethics in Education (for individuals or teams that promote ethical behavior in curriculum and personal practice). Currently practicing educators from public and non-public schools, including charter schools, are eligible for nomination. (Nominations from students and parents are especially encouraged, and we thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide in sharing nomination information within your school community.) Nominees will be asked to complete and return an application package by April 22, 2005, so we recommend early nominations to give them ample time to respond. This year, CAE is teaming with the service cooperative members of the Minnesota Regional Service Agency (MRSA) to name finalists in each of the three categories in eight regions of the state. Six statewide honorees will be chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of judges from that pool of 24 finalists. The six statewide honorees each will be awarded an unrestricted $10,000 cash prize and crystal apple, courtesy of the WEM Foundation. Additional information, including category and online nomination details, is available at www.mncae.org/wem_foundation.html, or by contacting the Center for Academic Excellence by phone 507-389-2461 or email cae@mncae.org. 2005 Gathering of Champions Logo Chosen The design submitted by a 6th grade student from Upsala Area Schools, The Gathering of Champions is an annual statewide event honoring students who are named as Academic All-Stars by officials in participating schools. The honored students may include top academic achievers, students who have made a dramatic improvement in their academic work or achievement, and the top finishers in academic challenges and competitions at a regional or higher level. Johnson’s artwork will be used as the visual centerpiece of informational materials and artwork for the 2005 Gathering of Champions. For more on the GOC celebration, visit www.mncae.org.
Austin Johnson, has been selected for use as the logo for the upcoming Gathering of Champions (GOC), a program honoring Minnesota’s top academic achievers. Johnson’s artwork received the most votes in an on-line advisory balloting conducted by the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), a non-profit organization that administers the program in partnership with the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation.
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