Hello Leap into Science State Leadership Teams- We are excited to see you all at the National Leadership Institute on March 25-27, 2018. You will find important reminders and updates below. Travel Accommodations and Reimbursement Please refer to the Travel Policy and Process<https://drive.google.com/file/d/19VTrXlttJBXBQfDUfkpBEQxVc28Ll2pc/view?usp=sharing> document for details regarding timeline, allowable expenses, and reimbursement procedures. As a reminder, we will reimburse the travel expenses (as outlined in the Travel Policy and Process<https://drive.google.com/file/d/19VTrXlttJBXBQfDUfkpBEQxVc28Ll2pc/view?usp=sharing>) for up to three state leads per state leadership teams. Each additional state lead is responsible for their travel expenses. For those of you sending more than 3 state leaders, I will follow-up with details about the fee associated with attending the National Leadership Institute. Hotel. Room reservations have been made at the Embassy Suites by Hilton – Philadelphia City Center<http://embassysuites3.hilton.com/en/hotels/pennsylvania/embassy-suites-by-hilton-philadelphia-center-city-PHLDTES/index.html> located at 1776 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19103. It will be paid for directly by the project, excluding room service and incidentals. Check-in begins on Saturday March 24, 2018 at 3:00pm and you must check-out prior to leaving the hotel for the last day of the training on March 27, 2018. Flights. Your flights should be booked so you arrive to attend the training on Sunday March 25, 2018 at 9:00AM and depart no earlier than 6:00PM on Tuesday March 27. Our agenda is full until 2:30PM. If you were unable to find a flight that departs after 6:00PM or later, please contact Casi Herrera at cherrera@ngcproject.org<mailto:cherrera@ngcproject.org>. Reimbursements. The Franklin Institute will process all Leap into Science NLI travel reimbursements. Details are on the Travel Policy and Process<https://drive.google.com/file/d/19VTrXlttJBXBQfDUfkpBEQxVc28Ll2pc/view?usp=sharing> document. The expense report to be submitted is attached. Please review carefully and send questions to Casi Herrera at cherrera@ngcproject.org<mailto:cherrera@ngcproject.org>. Official Leap into Science Public Announcement Please use the following message to announce your participation in the Leap into Science Cohort 1. ------- [State] has been selected as one of six states to participate in the first year of a national Leap into Science<https://www.fi.edu/leap> network initiative. Our state leadership team organizations include: [List the partners here.] The four-year initiative is led by The Franklin Institute<https://www.fi.edu/leap>, the National Girls Collaborative Project<http://www.ngcproject.org>, and the Institute for Learning Innovation<https://www.instituteforlearninginnovation.org>, and will be evaluated by the Education Development Center, with support from the National Science Foundation. Developed by The Franklin Institute, Leap into Science is a nationwide program that integrates open-ended science activities with children’s books, designed for children ages 3-10 and their families. The program empowers educators to offer programs in community settings like libraries, museums, and out-of-school time programs to engage underserved audiences in accessible and familiar settings. This evidence-based program will be made available to a limited number of informal educators in [State] through in-person trainings. Funding for this project allows us to provide reduced cost resources through 2021. Thank you to our partners. [states should feel free to list partners and others here] ------- Please reach out with any questions! We are looking forward to seeing everyone in Philadelphia. -- Casi Herrera Educational Programs Manager Pronouns: she/her National Girls Collaborative Project<https://ngcproject.org/> | The Connectory<https://theconnectory.org/> | FabFems<https://fabfems.org/>