The Daily Colonial: "According to a panel discussion conducted in October by the National Academies, the nation's leading science advisory group, American 12th graders performed below the international average for 21 countries on the general knowledge of math and science and China's engineer graduates outnumbered America's engineer graduates by almost 9 to 1 in 2005.

NASA is concerned that the United States is falling behind.

The agency has created various programs for minority students including NASA Scholars, a program that consists of fellowship programs at 14 minority-serving institutions; NOMISS, a program designed to encourage minority students to engage in learning about culture and its relevance to space sciences; and the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers science program that gives internships to Hispanic students pursuing science careers."

The Lagrant Foundation is Accepting Applications for $100,000 in Scholarships for Minority Students Studying Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations: "Nov. 18, 2005--THE LAGRANT FOUNDATION (TLF) is now accepting scholarship applications for the 2006/2007 academic year for minority students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in advertising, marketing or public relations.

Applications may be obtained through THE LAGRANT FOUNDATION`s website, www.lagrantfoundation.org, or by calling 323.469.8680. Applications must be submitted to THE LAGRANT FOUNDATION by Tuesday, February 28, 2006 for consideration."

ICT [2005/11/15] Minority executive scholarship provides for elite training: "Bank of America's supplier diversity program not only encourages and supports contracts with diverse suppliers, it also helps fund the Dorothy B. Brothers Minority Executive Scholarship, providing minority business owners with access to high-caliber management education. These scholarships help those business owners formulate and implement business strategies to achieve a competitive advantage, and to manage their company's growth in order to successfully bid, win and manage larger contracts.
For more information about the Dorothy B. Brothers Minority Executive Scholarship, or to download an application, visit www.bankofamerica.com/supplierdiversity."

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR JOURNALISTS TO TAKE COLLEGE COURSES IN RELIGION - Joy Junction: "According to a news release from the Religion Newswriters Association (RNA), the scholarships can be used at any accredited college, university, seminary or similar institution. Journalists can take any course they choose as long as it is in the field of religion.
Jan.1 2006 is the next deadline for scholarship applications, which are reviewed quarterly by a committee of award-winning journalists. Additional scholarship application deadlines will be April 1, July 1, and Oct. 1, 2006."
Complete information about the Lilly Scholarships in Religion is available at www.religionwriters.com

Wire Reinforcement Institute Accepting Applications for Engineering Scholarships: "The Wire Reinforcement Institute (WRI) is now accepting scholarship applications for undergraduate and graduate civil and structural engineering students at accredited engineering colleges and universities for the 2006-07 academic year. The scholarships range from $2,500 to $10,000, and the application deadline is Feb. 1, 2006.

Interested candidates should obtain an application form from our website at: http://www.wirereinforcementinstitute.org/. Further questions may be addressed to the WRI at admin@wirereinforcementinstitute.org, or by calling (800) 552-4WRI (4974); Outside US, please call: 1-860-808-3000 x356."

The Seattle Times: Education: Feds accuse Southern Illinois University of bias against whites: "The U.S. Justice Department has threatened to sue Southern Illinois University next week unless the college opens up three paid fellowship programs once reserved for minority and female students.

The government says it will file the lawsuit because the fellowships discriminate against 'whites, nonpreferred minorities and males,' according to a letter dated Nov. 4."

USDA ACCEPTING 1890 NATIONAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2006
ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR

WASHINGTON, October 27, 2005- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is
accepting USDA/1890 National Scholars Program applications for the 2006
academic school year.


The USDA/1890 National Scholars Program is a partnership initiative between
USDA and the 1890 Land Grant Institutions and Tuskegee University. Through
this initiative, USDA seeks to expand its diversity by recruiting talented
students into public service in agriculture and related fields, including
food sciences, natural resource sciences and agricultural sciences. Through
this partnership, USDA hires graduates into career positions at USDA. Since
the inception of the National Scholars Program in 1992, USDA has funded a
total of approximately 400 national scholars.

The application form is available on the national scholars web site at
http://1890scholars.program.usda.gov.

The application form can either be printed blank or completed on-line and
must be submitted by January 15, 2006.

USDA/1890 scholarship recipients receive full tuition, fees, books, use of
laptop computers and printers, software, employment and employee benefits
for each of the four years they pursue a bachelor's degree. For each year
of the scholarship, students receive room and board provided by the
partnering institutions. Students are required to work one year at USDA for
each year of their scholarship.

The 1890 Land Grant Institutions include: Alabama A&M University, Alcorn
State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Fort
Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Langston University,
Lincoln University, North Carolina A&T University, Prairie View A&M
University, South Carolina State University, Southern University, Tennessee
State University, Tuskegee University, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff,
University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Virginia State University and West
Virginia State University.


All 2006 application materials must be postmarked no later than January 15,
2006, and sent to the USDA liaison officer at the institution of the
applicant's choice.

For more information about the USDA/1890 National Scholars Program, contact
Carl T. Butler, USDA/1890 National Scholars Program Manager, by phone at
(202) 205-2693, or by e-mail at mcarl.butler@usda.gov.

Study: wages will decline for a changing workforce: "The change is the result of two factors, the report's authors argue. Baby boomers, the nation's most educated generation, are retiring. Meanwhile, Hispanics and blacks are a growing proportion of the population, and they are less likely than whites to have college degrees. In New York, for example, they are expected to be 35 percent of the state's population by 2020.

If the education of these minority groups does not improve, per capita income would drop from $23,404 in 2000 to $22,222 in 2020 ? a decline of $1,182, or 5 percent when adjusted for inflation, the study predicts.

"

MercuryNews.com | 11/10/2005 | Education study sees crisis in workforce: "Californians' average income -- and the state's tax base -- are headed for decline in the next 15 years unless the state moves aggressively to increase the number of Latinos who attend college and earn degrees, a report concludes.

The same demographic trends are at work across the nation, as well-educated white baby boomers retire and their would-be replacements come increasingly from minority groups that lag in educational attainment, especially Latinos, according to a study released Wednesday by the National Center for Education Statistics in San Jose."

EPA awards grants for education on exposure to toxic chemicals

Nov. 4 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded grants totaling $2 million to 12 communities across the country.

The Community Action for a Renewed Environment Grants are to fund programs reducing the public´s risk of exposure to toxic chemicals and enhancing community education.

Additional information about the grants and the recipients is available online at www.epa.gov/care.

Discovery Education, The Faith & Politics Institute, and Freddie Mac Bring Civil Rights Curriculum to Schools: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance: "Freedom on the Move, Continuing the March toward a More Perfect Union mails to all U.S. middle and junior high schools in November 2005 and parents, educators, and administrators across the country are encouraged to engage with this curriculum in order to teach every child in America about this important piece of our nation's history. For more information, please visit http://www.discoveryschool.com/freedompreview."