| Did you know there is an on-line source for Head Start publications
and materials? It's the Web site http://www.headstartinfo.org,
developed by the Head Start Publications Management Center (HSPMC). It was
launched in April 1999 and is one more avenue for HSPMC to provide vital
materials and information to local programs and the wider Head Start community.
HOW CAN YOU USE THE WEB SITE?
Access Information
The HSPMC Web site gives you access to a wealth of resources and has many
user-friendly features. HSPMC's objective was to keep the site as straightforward
as possible. When local programs see how easy it is to use, they expect
that more and more grantees will want to visit them on-line.
The information on the site is organized under five sections:
1) Publications,
2) Conferences,
3) Partnership and Collaboration,
4) Recruitment and Awareness, and
5) Information Center. A map
gives an overview of the Web site so you can see where to locate specific
information. You can also search by "keyword"
or subject. (Search for "parent involvement," for example, and
you will find many materials referenced, including an Information Memorandum
on parent involvement, Head Start Bulletin, and the Resource
Guides.) Other user-friendly features of the site include a text-only
option that allows it to be viewed with some of the earlier versions of
Internet browsers. The site is also accessible to people with disabilities.
It has received the "BOBBY" rating, given by the Center
for Applied Special Technology (CAST), to recognize Web sites that are
compatible with enhancement software used by disabled persons to access
technology.
Join Discussion Groups
The electronic forums on the HSPMC Web site give you an opportunity to
join discussion groups with Head Start colleagues. You can participate
in forums on Early Head Start, Health and Disabilities, Technology,
Family and Community Partnerships, or other topics. How you decide
to participate is up to you. You can share ideas, pose questions, discover
colleagues with similar interests, or gain insight from the viewpoints
expressed.
Download Materials
You can download material from the site in various formats, including
full text (for faster printing of documents without graphics),
and Portable Document Format (PDF), which preserves a document's
original graphics and page layout.
Order On-line
The HSPMC site gives you access to the Catalog
of Head Start Materials and makes it easy to order any catalog materials
on-line. Since the launch of the site in April, on-line orders from Head
Start programs have grown steadily from 55 in the first month to now more
than 200 per month. "The on-line catalog allows you to select what
you need from more than 130 Head Start publications, videos, materials,
and training guides," says Rita Fravel, HSPMC Internet specialist,"
and you can browse the materials available alphabetically or by subject.
Plus, if there is something you can't locate or you have a question, you
can send an e-mail message via askus@headstartinfo.org
and an HSPMC staff person will assist."
WHAT TOOLS WILL YOU FIND ONLINE TO ENHANCE YOUR PROGRAM?
Recruitment and Awareness
Visit the HSPMC site for recruitment and awareness materials, such as
a preschool to kindergarten transition guide, a tip sheet on recruiting,
and public information sheets on Early Head Start and the CDA credential.
In addition, you'll find downloadable text versions of the Give Your
Child A Head Start and Nurturing the Promise brochures.
Partnership and Collaboration
Links from the HSPMC site will guide you to a listing of Head Start State
Collaboration Office Directors; to a directory of grantees on the Head
Start Bureau Website; to Head Start's Training and Technical Assistance
Network; and to many other Head Start partners and family and child care
organizations.
On-line Resources
HSPMC's team of information professionals has created on-line Resource
Guides, Internet Pathfinders, and Tool Kits which contain
valuable information for you, whether you are a Head Start director or
a program coordinator. There are Resource Guides on parent involvement,
meeting techniques, and other topics. Also, there are four tool kits on
Early Head Start, conflict management, transportation, and mental health.
See us at an upcoming conference!
See the Web site for a schedule of conferences where HSPMC will be exhibiting
throughout the year. We participate in approximately twenty conferences
nationwide each year as part of our efforts to serve Head Start programs
and to educate communities about Head Start.
We want your feedback
We are continually updating and refining the content of the Web site.
Significant enhancements to its search capabilities and the on-line catalog
are already underway. But we want to hear how you think we can make it
more useful to you. Visit the HSPMC Web site today and often – add
us to your bookmarks and create a link to the HSPMC Web site from your
own Web page. We also want to hear from you! Please send your comments
to our Webmistress at: webmistress@headstartinfo.org.
Anita Prince is Senior Marketing Director and Paula Ralph is Writer
and Publisher Specialist at the Head Start Publications Management Center.
For more information, contact the HSPMC at T: 202/ 737-1030, F: 202/ 737-1151,
Web site: http://www.headstartinfo.org.
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