Weblog: November 2007
New Promotional Materials Available for Download!
Promotional materials for the Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center's new programs and initiatives are now available online on the VALRC website. These attractive brochures, posters, and flyers are provided in pdf format (with printer's lines) so you can easily print and distribute as many of them as you like to your program's teachers and students. These publications can help you promote the new eLearn Virginia distance learning program, the GED® On Demand program for digital cable subscribers.
To access these printable pdf files, click here. If you have any questions about content, file formats, or technical issues, please contact the VALRC's Assistant Instructional Technology Specialist, Christopher Poole at cpoole2@vcu.edu.
VALRC Has Upgraded its Events Calendar, Registration System
The VALRC has launched a new online events calendar to replace our previous system. Not only is our new calendar simpler and easier to use, but users now have the ability to register for events online through the calendar interface!
Navigating the calendar
On the VALRC website, click on the Calendar tab at the top of the page.
You'll be taken to a list of upcoming events, with the nearest events listed near the top. On the right, you'll see a small monthly calendar. Days with scheduled trainings or other events are highlighted in red. Clicking on a specific day will take you to that day's events.
If you want a more concise look at our upcoming events, there is a list titled Upcoming Events for the Next 90 Days on the right hand side of the page that offers a quick overview of events. This list is also clickable.
Registering for events Under the title of each event is a link in green text that says Click here to register for this event. When you click that link , it will take you to another page with a full description of the event and a short online form at the bottom of the page. To register, complete all of the fields in this form and then click the Send Registration button. Voila--you're registered for the event you chose, and should receive registration confirmation via the email address you provided on the form.
If you have any questions about registering for events, please contact Marianne Baker (mdbaker@vcu.edu) or Christopher Poole (cpoole2@vcu.edu).
Revised Form I-9
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released a revised Form I-9, which is the form that all employers must complete for new hires to verify eligibility to work in the U.S. As of Nov. 7, 2007, the new form is the only version that is acceptable for use, although the USCIS says it will publish a notice granting employers a 30-day period to transition to using the new form. Employers should take note that the new I-9 Form has a revision date (in the lower right corner) of 06/05/07; previous versions are no longer valid. The agency has also updated its "Handbook for Employers, Instructions for Completing the Form I-9."
The key revision to the updated Form I-9 is the removal of five documents from List A, which previously could be presented by an employee to establish proof of both identity and employment eligibility. These documents were removed, says the USCIS, because they lack sufficient features to help deter counterfeiting, tampering, and fraud. The five documents that are no longer acceptable are:
Certificate of U.S. Citizenship, Form N-560 or N-570
Certificate of Naturalization, Form N-550 or N-570
Alien Registration Receipt Card, Form I-151
Unexpired Reentry Permit, Form I-327
Unexpired Refugee Travel Permit, Form I-571
In addition, the following document was added to List A of acceptable documents: Unexpired Employment Authorization Document, Form I-766.
The new form and instructions may be downloaded at this site, or type in the following URL: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-9.pdf
Grant Writing: The Needs Statement Workshop
Audience: Seasoned and novice grant writers looking to improve an existing needs statement or create a new one
Locations:
Rocky Mount, December 6, 2007, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
or
Henrico County, January 8, 2008, 9:00 am - 12:00 noon
Your grant hinges on a compelling needs statement that is written accurately and succinctly. In fact, all the other elements of your grant depend on this important introduction. Many seasoned grant writers have failed to persuade funders to award money based on this section alone. Our 3-hour participatory, hands-on workshop is designed for seasoned grant writers or novices who want to strengthen the needs statements on a current grant or tackle the needs statement for their programs.
To register, visit VALRC's online training calendar and click on your preferred date: http://www.calendar.valrc.org
Confirmation and directions will be provided by email after receiving your registration.
Look for more grant writing workshops in the new year!
Capacity and Design & Evaluation and Budgeting