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February 29, 2012   (Happy Leap Day!) Reducing Stress and Preparing Students for Learning New Schools That Work: Using Meditation to Reduce Student Stress See how one middle school in San Francisco implemented a Quiet Time program that's reducing truancies and suspensions -- and preparing students for learning. Risking Peace at a Troubled School Edutopia's David Markus takes you behind the scenes of a remarkable middle school to show how they took a bold step to reduce student stress. How to Set Up a Meditation Program at Your School Learn why training, consistency, and trust are keys to successfully implementing a school meditation program. Most Popular Blogs Last Week 1.  Nine Things Successful People Do Differently by Heidi Grant Halvorson 2.  Lights, Camera... Engagement! Three Great Tools for Classroom Video by Ron Peck 3.  Twenty Movies Every Educator Should See by Nicholas Provenzano 4.  Teaching with Google+ by Terrell Heick 5.  The Power of Project-Based Writing in the Classroom by Heather Wolpert-Gawron Experience Our Schools That Work Series On Facebook Check out our latest package on reducing student stress on our Facebook page! Download a resource and watch the video. FREE! ASCD Annual Conference Passes This week, two lucky winners will receive passes to the ASCD Annual Conference on March 24-26, 2012 (up to a $165 value!). Enter by Sunday for a chance to win. March 2: Read Across America Edutopia Blog: The Nuts and Bolts of Setting up Literature Circles Blogger and teacher Elena Aguilar shares her strategies for creating engaging literature circles that motivate students to read. She explains how you can lay the groundwork and teach the protocol for discussions.  Video Spotlight March is National Nutrition Month Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley, California, serves up a healthy school lunch with nutritious and delicious food kids love -- some of it locally grown in the school's own garden. Advertisement   Are rewards a form of bribery?   What companies offer teacher discounts?   Making a course outline   Tell us what you think Advertisement Meditation in School? "My own children began meditating in San Francisco in 2009. Before they started to practice meditation, they too were riddled with the stress, strain and anxiety that our modern world creates in all of us.... It brought a level of peace to our home that hadn't existed prior to meditation. In school... they were motivated and looked forward to learning." --Helen Pettiford parent of two SFUSD students and school district administrator   Join the discussion Send Edutopia News to a friend GRANTS & RESOURCES The George Lucas Educational Foundation is a nonprofit operating foundation and is not a grant-making organization. However, in order to realize the potential of 21st-century education, we are fully aware that our community needs to secure grants and be aware of other exciting opportunities in education, such as the following: The George Lucas Educational Foundation Grant Information List SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Awards: Nomination deadline is March 5, 2012. Nominate your favorite environment advocate with a five-minute video posted to YouTube. One youth, adult, and environmental educator will each win $10,000 to support his or her efforts. The Purpose Prize: Nomination deadline is March 30, 2012. This prize recognizes people ages 60-plus who are using their passion and experience for social good. Five winners will be awarded $100,000 each. Ezra Jack Keats Minigrant Program: Deadline is March 31, 2012. Founded by Ezra Jack Keats, the beloved children's book author, this program gives $500 awards to public schools and public libraries to bring innovative, imaginative, and inspiring programs to life. Education Events National Association of Independent Schools Annual Conference February 29 to March 2, 2012, Seattle, WA. The Comprehensive Assessment Consortia: A Progress Update (The Alliance for Excellent Education Webinar) March 1, 2012, 11:00 a.m. PT, 2:00 p.m. ET. Safe, Structured and Free Online Book Clubs (Collaborize Classroom Webinar) March 1, 2012, 12:00 p.m. PT, 3:00 p.m. ET. EdCamp IS March 3, 2012, Seattle, WA. PBL and Service-Learning (Buck Institute for Education Webinar) March 7, 2012, 3:00 p.m. PT, 6:00 p.m. ET. New England 1 to 1 Summit March 10, 2012, Burlington, MA. The 7 Building Blocks for Success for Learning With Cell Phones (Simple K12 Webinar) March 13, 2012, 2:00 p.m. PT, 5:00 p.m. ET. CUE & The Future (Computer-Using Educators, Inc.) March 15 to March 17, 2012, Palm Springs, CA Building a Grad Nation Summit March 18 to March 23, 2012, Washington, D.C. Net Smart: How to Thrive Online (Simple K12 Webinar) March 20, 2012, 12:30 p.m. PT, 3:30 p.m. ET. PBL for School Leaders (Buck Institute for Education Webinar) March 21, 2012, 3:00 p.m. PT, 6:00 p.m. ET. ASCD Annual Conference Tweetup March 24, 2012, Philadelphia, PA. EdCamp SocialStudies March 24, 2012, Philadelphia. PA. EdCamp Omaha March 24, 2012, Omaha, NE. Science and Symbol: How Can Art Serve as A Tool to Understand Science, History, and More? (Smithsonian Education) March 26, 2012, 10:00 a.m. PT, 1:00 p.m. ET. 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