ASCD Middle East
ASCD announces the formation of ASCD Middle East, which will offer educators in the region on-site and online professional development and training. ASCD Middle East will provide educators with translations of ASCD books and multimedia resources, customized capacity building to meet local needs, and opportunities to attend ASCD conferences and institutes.
ASCD Middle East will convene a conference November 8–9, 2008, in Istanbul, Turkey, on the theme, "The Whole Child: Embracing a Global Vision." Conference sessions will support educators in addressing learners' holistic as well as academic needs.
Joseph Ghaly, former leader of the ASCD Qatari Connected Community, is ASCD Middle East's executive director. For more information about ASCD Middle East, visitwww.ascdme.org.
Introducing Select Membership
The ASCD Comprehensive membership category is now called ASCD Select membership. The name change came in response to feedback received from ASCD members, leadership, and affiliates. The member benefits and dues rate will remain the same. For more information on Select membership, visitwww.ascd.org/select.
Advocate for Education
ASCD educators, including Emerging Leaders and Educator Advocates, will bring their message from the classroom to the Capitol during the fourth annual Leadership for Effective Advocacy and Practice (LEAP) Institute, which will take place September 14–16, 2008, at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City, in Arlington, Virginia. Attendees will hear from several speakers, including political pollster and communicator Frank Luntz and political strategist and commentator Donna Brazile. The event will prepare attendees for scheduled visits with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to advocate effective education policies.
If you are unable to attend, you can follow Institute coverage on ASCD's Inserviceblog (www.ascd.org/blog) and use the resources in the ASCD Action Center (www.ascd.org/actioncenter) to strengthen your advocacy efforts at home.
