Friday, February 19, 2010

Training Minds Ministry Internship


"In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later." ~ Harold Geneen There is a lot of talent among homeschool speakers and debaters, many of whom were trained with Monument Publishing resources and Training Minds Ministry camps. Our 2010 internships attempt to harness that talent and, in turn, provide the experience needed for continual academic growth.
If you are on track for a future in journalism, publishing, or writing, we have a program for you. Monument Publishing, the publishing arm of Training Minds Ministry, wants you to spend some time with them in Monument, Colorado, learning the skills associated with publishing the most widely used resources for academic speaking and debating. Learn from nationally-known authors throughout the week, and take part in the tasks that bring well-known curriculum to market.

Two 2-week Internships Available

There are two internship applications available, both two weeks long. Applicants are able to apply for both if they wish. Approximately 12 students will be accepted per program. More information will be posted as speakers and agenda items are secured. Here are some for starters...
  • Speech Internship (July 5-17)
    Apologetics, Interps, Extemp, Impromptu, Platforms
    Monument Publishing has plans to expand into every area of speech and debate competition. In Apologetics, we plan to use Lee Strobel's Case for Faith as a foundational book for apologists to work through. Travis Herche is launching Keys to Interp text, and an accompanying curriculum to follow suite. Cody's Gold Book will likewise need curriculum developed. A 60-minute drama film on limited-prep speech preparation is in the works, plus other film-making needs. Lots of exciting developments in publishing, and the interns will be an integral part of bringing these works to market.
  • Debate (July 26 - August 7)
    More resources than ever are planned for development. Interns will develop products helpful to Lincoln-Douglas debaters, and be taught by area experts in philosophy and value-debate competition. Blue Book has been in existence since 1998 and is the most widely recognized and widely used sourcebook in the homeschool debate market. Interns will work with the authors of all the Blue Books, as well as develop new supplies that help aid team-policy debaters.
NOTE: This is NOT a speech and debate camp. Interns are expected to have at least 1 year experience in speech and debate. Interns are brought on board for their enthusiasm to contribute to the homeschool speech and debate community. We value their skill and will train them for the work they will put into the projects. Research Camp and Training Minds Conference follow later in August where competitive training will occur.

This Unique & Valuable Training

This is the first Training Minds Ministry opportunity of its kind. Monument Publishing will put you to work, but there is a tremendous amount of educational value in such work. Consider...
  • Interns will be taught fundamentals of the editing process, coached by Chris Jeub, owner of Monument Publishing, certified English teacher, author, and professional editor.
  • Interns will coordinate with the authors of these works, authors like Vance Trefethen, Cody Herche, Andrew Roblyer, and more.
  • Interns will have their names credited with several of the products they help produce, some of which may be actual sourcebook material.
  • Interns will participate in planning meetings with their Program Manager prior to the first day of the Internship. If you have creative ideas to make speech and debate easier and more enjoyable, this is your time.
  • Interns will learn the fundamental machanics of the publishing business, everything from product planning to budgeting to marketing to layout/design to making a sale.
  • Interns may have the opportunity to earn college credit for their participating (details to come soon).
Interns will have fun, too, enjoying a 1-day team-building activity in Colorado. This is a great way to experience the reality of publishing to a niche market of homeschool speakers and debaters.

Housing & Facility

Interns will be matched with a homeschool family to spend their time in Monument, or arrangements will be made for the interns to stay supervised in the church. Housing is included in the cost of the internship. Transportation to and from Monument Hill Church (where the Interns will meet) will be provided. The internship is completely supervised with no unsupervised free time allowed. A group-building activity accompanies each internship.

Cost

  • Internship Tuition: $695 per student, $395 per additional sibling applicant.
  • College credit is an optional additional cost (more information to be posted soon).
Our primary focus is to get the most talented young people on board, students with true gifting and desire to be great writers, editors and publishers. Because of this, Monument Publishing is offering scholarship opportunities for families who are struggling financially (please request information via our Contact page). To help alleviate overall expenses, other offers include...
  • Housing: no charge. All housing is supervised.
  • Food: All lunches are provided. Breakfasts are arranged with host housing. Dinner is not provided, and Interns are expected to pay for their own dinner unless other arrangements are made.
  • Team-building activity: free. Monument Publishing is paying for it.
  • All Interns receive up to $100 worth of products that they helped produce.

Requirements

  1. Proficient language arts skills. A writers/editing test will be required for all applicants. High school level proficiency at minimum is required.
  2. Sophomore in high school. This is a minimum requirement. College students and graduated adults are welcome to apply.
  3. Knowledge in homeschool speech & debate. We need young people who are well versed in our community of academic speakers and debaters in homeschool forensics.
  4. Experience in the activity. It is important to note that this is not a training camp for competition. Instead, talented young people are participating in the development of products in which they already have a foundational knowledge.
We hope you are able to apply to one or both of our Monument Internships. Contact us with any questions. 

A message from HSLDA: Transcripts?


If your child has never attended a public or a private school, then it’s likely you’ve not seen a high school transcript in a while. To most homeschool parents, the word “transcript” elicits almost as much fear as the word “fire” in a crowded room! Some parents think that they cannot create such a document. We hope that reading this newsletter will allay your fears and give you confidence that you are capable of issuing a professional-looking document on your teen’s behalf.
Transcripts: What and Why?
Two questions we frequently encounter are: What is a transcript and why do I need one, especially if my teen is not pursuing college? Simply stated, a transcript is a concise and accurate record of your teen’s academic courses taken during the high school years. A transcript is not only necessary for college admission, but may be required for scholarships, Vo-tech and other post-high schools, apprenticeships, entry level employment to evidence completion of high school, and will definitely be required if enlisting in the military.
Now that we’ve established the necessity of a transcript, let’s look at the different sections of such a document. (It may be helpful for you to print off one or more of the sample transcripts, including a blank form, that are found on our website and refer to them as you read through the rest of the newsletter.)
Transcript Heading
You will want to begin by placing a title at the top of the document such as “Official High School Transcript.” Or, you may choose to use your school name, “Smith High School.” If you belong to an umbrella or oversight group, then that may be the school name you’ll use (please ask the group for permission to do so).
Following the title, provide the student’s personal information on one side and the school information on the opposite side (even though much of this information is identical). The student should list his full given name, address (including email address), phone number, birth date, and parents’ full names.
A Social Security number is not required on a transcript. It will be requested by the schools in the application in order to match up any financial aid or scholarship money that is received for your student. Once in the school’s database, most colleges issue a student ID number to the applicant, and that is the number to use for future correspondence with the school.
Transcript Academic Record
The major section of the transcript is the academic record (or body) section which is usually divided into four parts or years. Some families, however, create a transcript by semesters rather than years. This is strictly a personal choice, but listing courses by semester may make it more difficult to keep the transcript short and concise.
Each year will be labeled by grade such as “Grade 9,” and so forth. Under this heading, all the courses taken in the 9th grade will be listed followed by the credit earned and the grade awarded. When titling a course on the transcript, use a brief and clear title so that others will have an accurate idea of the course content.
College courses taken as dual enrollment should be starred and a note included at the bottom of the transcript that these are college-level courses, or simply list the name of the college. (Generally speaking, a one-semester college-level course is equivalent to one year of high school credit.)
Transcripts submitted with a college application should list the 12th grade courses even though these courses are not yet completed. Place an “IP” (in progress) in the grade column of the transcript until a grade is awarded at the end of the senior year.
Along with the course title and grade earned, also indicate the credit each course is awarded. There are several ways to evaluate credit. For additional information see “Evaluating Credits” on our high school website.
At the bottom of each year, total up all the credits and compute that year’s grade point average (GPA). More detailed instructions on how to calculate yearly and cumulative GPAs can be found in our October 2009 newsletter, “Computing a GPA—Yikes!”
Transcript Academic Summary
At the bottom of the transcript, the total number of credits and the cumulative GPA will be listed. Be sure to also include the date of graduation and that a diploma was issued.
Some transcripts will include a grading scale or table. Providing such information can be helpful to someone reading your transcript in understanding your grades. However, if your teen has taken courses from other teachers or from outside sources, it will not be possible for you to provide a uniform grading scale. If this is the case, then it’s wise not to include the scale or table.
Signature and Date
The transcript should be typed and professional in appearance. Every time it is requested, provide an original, signed, and dated document. It is a good idea to have someone proofread your transcript for spelling and calculation errors before issuing it.
The Finished Product
The samples on our website will give you the type of information that any transcript should include, but don’t think that you must duplicate the formats. You have the freedom to design your own transcript to fit your teen’s specific needs. Your transcript will be fine as long as it is clear and accurately reflects your teen’s high school academic courses.
Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it? Hopefully this information will give you the confidence that you, too, can produce a professional-looking transcript for your teen—one that you will look forward to providing to anyone who asks. 


2010 Free Days




DENVER ZOO
·        
2300 Steele St., Denver, 303-376-4800
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Saturday November 13, 2010

DENVER ART MUSEUM
·        
100 West 14th Avenue Parkway, Denver, 720-865-5000           
 (The art museum is free the first Saturday of every month: )
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Saturday June 5, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010        

DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS
·        
1005 York Street, Denver, 720-865-3500
Monday, January 18, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Thursday, October 23, 2010
DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS @ CHATFIELD
·        
8500 Deer Creek Canyon Road, Littleton, 303-973-3705
Friday, January 1, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010

DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE
·        
2001 Colorado Boulevard, Denver, 303-322-7009
Monday, January 11, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010 

Last Call for Teen Pact


Last week to Register!
TeenPact Colorado meets March 8-12, 2010

Final Registration Deadline
February 22nd, 2010

TeenPact teaches TEENS they can have an imPACT in American
government even while too young to vote. Spending a week at the
Colorado State Capitol, students not only learn about the basics of state
government but also gain a biblical understanding of their responsibility
as citizens: to vote and to pray effectively. During the week of classes
March 8-12, students learn to find their way around the capitol, know
where to find bills and how to read them, study and enjoy parliamentary
debate, run for a mock office during the week, and meet public officials.
TeenPact's goal is to instill the skills and passion necessary to impact
the nation for Jesus Christ.

If you live too far from Denver to commute daily, grab a friend, share a
hotel suite, or meet someone new! Contact Jodi for hotel information at
clapper@centurytel.net. For details about meals, homework help, or
any other questions, you are always welcome to contact Michelle
Warren, Colorado State Coordinator, at colorado@teenpact.com.

Register today at http://www.teenpact.com