SYLVAN DELL CHALLENGE

This challenge will encourage parents to explore the world around them with their children -- which is great for both family togetherness and education. You can learn more about the Sylvan Dell Challenge at www.SylvanDellPublishing.com/SylvanDellChallenge.htm. All participants will be entered into a drawing to win a $500 scholarship and their choice of ten Sylvan Dell books for their children.

So you’re ready for the Sylvan Dell Challenge? Here's how it works:

* First, give yourself a round of applause for being a great parent.

* Now Let the fun begin – choose any 5 of the following 10 activities:

* Visit a planetarium. Find one near you at www.astronomyclubs.com (click “Planetariums”).

* What kinds of birds live near you? Identify two different birds in your backyard or at a pet store, take a picture and research what kinds of birds they are. Write down two fun facts about each bird. Don’t forget to show us what you’ve learned!

* Visit a zoo. Find one near you at http://www.aza.org/FindZooAquarium/.

* Visit an aquarium. Find one near you at http://www.aza.org/FindZooAquarium/.

* Participate in a library children’s program. Many have weekly storytimes, author visits and more!

* Visit a science center with your child. Find one near you at http://www.astc.org/ (click “Find Science Center”).

* Participate in a local, state or national park/forest naturalist or Junior Ranger program.

* What is your child’s favorite animal? Research it together and have your child either draw a picture or write a paragraph about what he/she has learned. Please send in a copy at the end of the challenge.

* Attend a storytime or children’s program at a local bookstore.

* Read ten books with your child throughout the challenge, and please send us a list.

* All activities must be completed between March 1 and June 1, 2008.

* Please provide documentation of each activity you complete – identify date, time and location of activity; take pictures; and take a few notes! All three are required for documentation. (Certain activities may specify special documentation.)

* After you and your child have completed at least five activities, please send complete contact information, a list of activities you’ve completed, the documentation and a short summary of what you and your child gained from the experience to:

Sylvan Dell Publishing
Attn: Sylvan Dell Challenge
976 Houston Northcutt Blvd., Suite 3
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

Or e-mail all materials to info@SylvanDellPublishing.com with the subject line “Sylvan Dell Challenge.”

* All entries will be entered into a drawing. One grand prize winner will receive a $500 scholarship for his/her child and 10 Sylvan Dell books. Two runner-ups will win their choice of 10 Sylvan Dell books. (All winners will be chosen at random.)

* This challenge is intended for children ages 4-8, but all families are welcome to participate.

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LET THE MUSIC DRIVE YOU

KIDZ BOP, in partnership with the Dodge brand, is launching an online contest that encourages kids to star in and produce a music video so they can enter to win an All-New family 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT.

Online at KIDZBOP.com, kids can view a video for “First Time”, a special preview track from KIDZ BOP 13, and download a free excerpt of the song to make their own videos. Families can then upload their user-generated “Let The Music Drive You” video contest entries to KIDZBOP.com, where fans will view and rate the videos. At the close of the contest, Dodge will select the winning video based on originality, art direction and performance, and will award the Grand Prize of one All-New 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT to the young filmmaker’s family. “Let The Music Drive You” contest submissions will be accepted until May 31, 2008.

For more information visit www.dodge.com/grandcaravan and www.kidzbop.com.

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EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE

Bridge Multimedia and the National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI) have launched of the fourth edition of http://www.EdTechOnline.org, a user-friendly Web site that offers a “One Stop Shop” for the latest information on federal grants available to support educational technology funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Available free of charge, EdTech Online links state and local educators, technology developers, vendors, and publishers to the latest data on current and upcoming grants that focus on increasing technological capacity within K-12 public schools. The online resource offers updated information on federal grant program summaries and strategic objectives, appropriations, contact information, and links directly to the government agencies offering specific grants.

Learn more at www.bridgemultimedia.com and www.nationaltechcenter.org

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FISH LIPS CONTEST

The IMAX Theatre at Palisades Center is hosting a DOLPHINS & WHALES Fish Lips Contest for children 13 and younger. Parents can submit photos of their kids making a fish lip face and all photos will be posted on the big screen during the run of the film: DOLPHINS AND WHALES 3D.

DOLPHINS AND WHALES 3D: Tribes of the Oceana is a stunning 3D underwater experience. The film is recommended for general audiences and does not feature any violent content. DOLPHINS AND WHALES 3D was shot entirely in the wild and consists solely of underwater footage, with no humans on screen. This film marks the first time that humpback whales, belugas, orcas, bottlenose dolphins and manatees have been filmed in 3D for the world’s biggest screens. Three years in the making, the film required no fewer than 12 international expeditions and 600 hours spent underwater at some of the remotest locations on Earth.

Winners will be chosen each week at random to receive 4 tickets to see an upcoming IMAX film. Winners will be notified by e-mail and the contest will run through May 30, 2008. Parents can submit photos to contest.palisades@imax.com. Parents must include their name, contact information, the name of the child or children in the photograph, and their home town. By submitting their photo, the parent agrees that IMAX Theatre at Palisades Center and its parent company has all rights to the use of the photo for any purpose. Parents are only to submit photos of their own children.

IMAX Theatre at Palisades Center is located on the top floor in the Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack near Target. For information on tickets and showtimes, call 845-358-4629 or visit http://www.imax.com/palisades/.

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IT HAPPENS AT IHOP

As part of a yearlong 50th birthday celebration, the IHOP chain will gather stories of the heartwarming, unexpected and even wacky events that have happened at the restaurant as part of a national contest. The winner of the contest will receive a grand prize of free pancakes for life.

Complete contest rules can be found at www.ihop.com. Entries can be submitted online starting March 24, 2008. The contest ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on May 31, 2008. One (1) grand prize winner will receive free pancakes for life (defined as a one free short stack of buttermilk pancakes per week for 20 years) at IHOP and a trip to New York with one guest for the celebration of IHOP’s 50thbirthday on July 7, 2008. (Trip to New York includes roundtrip coach airfare for two from winner’s nearest gateway airport to New York, New York, plus two nights of hotel accommodation and two tickets to attend IHOP’s July 7 birthday event. All other expenses are responsibility of winner. Winner must travel on dates specified by Sponsor and winner and guest must travel on same itinerary.) Five (5) runners-up will each receive $100 IHOP gift cards.

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TRASH TO TREASURE

The PBS kids show DESIGN SQUAD is inviting kids from around the country -- from kindergarteners to high schoolers -- to Reduce, Recycle, and Redesign items from their recycling bins into the next big thing. The grand prize-winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize provided by the Intel Foundation and a trip to the development lab at Continuum, an award-winning international design and innovation consultancy, to build a prototype of his or her Trash to Treasure design.

PBS's popular engineering and design competition show and Intel have joined forces with By Kids For Kids (BKFK), a company dedicated to inspiring young innovators to create and share their ideas, in this nationwide competition launched at www.bkfk.com on April 1, 2008 (to coincide with the television series' season two premiere on PBS) and will run through June 30, 2008.

The Design Squad Trash to Treasure contest will challenge kids of all ages to take everyday discarded or recycled material and re-engineer it into functional products. The products can move things or people (Mobility), protect the environment (Environmental), or be something kids can play with inside or out (Play). Some of the repurposed materials kids might use in their innovative designs are fabric, paper, plastic, small electronics, wheels, clamps, springs, batteries, hardware, wood, bike parts, string, rubberbands, cardboard, kitchen gadgets, etc.

Learn more at www.pbs.org/designsquad and www.bkfk.com.

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MATHCOUNTS

The mission of MATHCOUNTS is to get 6th, 7th and 8th graders throughout the U.S. excited about achievement in mathematics, and to provide middle school students with a foundation for successful careers in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. The MATHCOUNTS Club Program, provides middle schools across the country with the tools needed to create and hold regular meetings of a math club -- free of charge – with no obligation to join the local, regional or national competitions. Learn more at www.mathcounts.org.

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SPRING CLEANING CONTEST

Spring cleaning will never make a list of anyone’s favorite things. It’s tedious, back-breaking and unkind to your manicure. THE MAIDS Home Services eases the pain with the fourth annual Nobody Outcleans The Maids Instant Win Sweepstakes. Put your feet up, turn on your computer, and enter for a chance to win prizes ranging from free housecleaning to vacation packages, designer glass tableware and more.

The sweepstakes runs through May 31, 2008, exclusively at www.maids.com. Daily instant-win prizes include one-time spring clean gift certificates from THE MAIDS, magazine subscriptions, gift baskets and $25 gift certificates for distinctive enameled fused glass from Peggy Karr Glass. With each game play, contestants are also eligible to win one of the sweepstakes prizes including gift certificates for $2,500 worth of cleaning service from THE MAIDS Home Services, a vacation package anywhere in the continental United States from Southwest Airlines Vacations, or a Peggy Karr Glass gift package valued at $2,500.

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SUNKIST SMILES CONTEST

Everyone is familiar with, and has most likely enjoyed, making an iconic “Sunkist Smile” – a smile that does not reveal a toothy grin, but rather a bright orange peel.

In this contest, Sunkist encourages citrus lovers in nine countries – including the United States – to submit a picture with a “Sunkist Smile.” For each photo submitted, entrants receive a chance to win one of many grand prize packages featuring international travel plus bragging rights of having their winning “smile” flashed at the world-famous Times Square in New York City. Adding to the excitement, each time an eligible submission is received, Sunkist will make a donation from 100 cents to 100 yen to Special Olympics, up to $50,000.

Consumers can submit photos with their Sunkist smiles (and brief caption) at www.sunkist.com, now through May 15, 2008. On-screen instructions will direct participants to the appropriate in-language micro-site for their country. Judging criteria are based on Creativity (40%), Fun Factor (30%) and Quality of Image (30%). One grand prize winner and multiple first place winners will be selected from each of the participating countries. See www.sunkist.com for official contest rules.

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FREE YOPLAIT

Yoplait Kids™ yogurt, available as a portable drink and a spoon-able cup, offers creamy texture and taste, plus nutritional benefits. Yoplait Kids yogurt has 25 percent less sugar than the leading kid’s yogurt and contains no artificial sweeteners or flavors. Not only is Yoplait Kids an excellent source of calcium and a good source of vitamins A and D, it also has protein and Omega-3 DHA, an important nutrient to help support healthy brain development.
 
Yoplait Kids is so confident that its yogurt will bring Smiles All Around™, it is offering moms a free six-pack (value $2.79) of Yoplait Kids yogurt. Parents can request a coupon at www.yoplaitkids.com. The coupons are redeemable at retailers nationwide. Offer good while supplies last.

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EAT WELL, LIVE WELL FOURTH GRADE TOURS

Wegmans Food Markets locations offer Fourth Grade Classes complimentary "Healthy Eating Outings."

Designed especially for fourth graders and taught by a trained store leader, Wegmans Food Markets’ two-hour interactive experience is based on the Food Guide Pyramid. Participants see, taste and learn about healthy eating and good nutrition habits that will last a lifetime. Topics covered include serving sizes, food labeling, vitamins, fat and fiber.

Tours typically run from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and are scheduled on a first come, first serve basis. The program is free of charge for student participants along with their teachers and chaperones. Transportation is not provided. 

Teachers can schedule a “Eat Well, Live Well Fourth Grade Tour” by contacting one of the seven Wegmans Food Markets locations throughout New Jersey:

• Bridgewater Wegmans: 908.243.9600
• Cherry Hill Wegmans: 856.488.2700
• Manalapan Wegmans: 732.625.4100
• Mount Laurel Wegmans: 856.439.7300
• Ocean Wegmans: 732.695.7000
• Princeton Wegmans: 609.919.9300
• Woodbridge Wegmans: 732.596.3200

Learn More at www.wegmans.com/about/