School’s Out South Carolina

May 272010

School’s Out is an education-based charitable organization that tries to enhance our educational offering so that children can climb out of poverty and pursue opportunity, and present more pathways for parents and caregivers to support children along the way.

Schools Out! focuses on two goals to address our challenges in our public elementary schools: (1) that children are better prepared physically, emotionally, and mentally for the next school day, and (2) that parents and care-givers more intensely invest themselves in the well-being of the children.

Schools Out! seeks to achieve these goals through implementing and operating Community Learning Centers at Mary Ford Elementary, Stono Park Elementary, and James Simons Elementary in the Charleston, South Carolina area.

A Community Learning Center provides robust after-school academic, recreation, health, and enrichment components to the enrolled children while creating educational opportunities for the childrens parents and care-givers. A Community Learning Center embraces partnerships with people and organizations that can provide services at the school. A Schools Out! Community Learning Center reinforces the reality that, as the nucleus of every neighborhood, the public elementary schools should be where the community comes together.

To find out more, visit http://www.schoolsoutsc.org/.

Duration : 0:3:40

Read the rest of this entry »

U.S. Critically Short of Civil Engineers

May 122010

The Transportation and Civil Engineering (TRAC – http://www.trac.net) Program is the hands-on education program of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). TRAC is made available to secondary schools (high schools and Junior high schools) through regional centers where the Departments of Transportation (DOTs) work in partnership with other government organizations, universities, non-profit organizations, and private industry. At it’s most basic level, TRAC is a program designed for integration into science, math, and social studies classes.

In actual practice, TRAC sends volunteer Transportation professionals into secondary schools with TRAC PAC. This consists of a computer, electronic data collection and analysis instruments, hands-on modeling materials, and more than three dozen activities based on real-world transportation problems.

By engaging students in solving real-world problems, TRAC connects kids to the work world of transportation. And TRAC’s specific focus of improving work force diversity helps resolving one of the most pressing problems faced by this predominately white male profession: how to draw talented women and minorities into the field of transportation.

Duration : 0:3:53

Read the rest of this entry »

Larsen Music Monday

May 82010

Our Song’ by Dala

Dala’s beautiful song called, ‘Our Song’, will unite the country once again in Music Monday this year 2008.

Music Monday is a very special demonstration of our love of music – in our lives and in our schools. On the first Monday of May each year, students and teachers take their music programs outside into the open air of their school grounds or into their communities, to perform a short concert. There are outdoor concerts right across the country from the elementary level right through to secondary schools – some small celebrations, some large. Some will perform on their own; others will collaborate with local schools and organizations. Many community and professional organizations and ensembles are also involved, along with musicians and artists across the country.
Now approaching our fourth year, each year the event grows larger as Music Monday is celebrated in schools and communities throughout Canada. In 2007, more than 1500 schools and organizations participated representing more than 650,000 students, teachers, parents and music lovers everywhere. Music Monday drew 17.5 million measured media impressions and drew upwards of 25,000 visitors to our website each month as we counted down the days.

Duration : 0:4:0

Read the rest of this entry »

Daniel Burrus – Futurist

May 22010

Daniel Burrus is one of the world’s leading technology forecasters and business strategists, and is the author of six books, including the highly acclaimed Technotrends, which has been translated into over a dozen languages.

In 1983, Burrus was the first and only futurist to accurately identify the twenty technologies that would drive two decades of revolutionary change. Since then, he has established a worldwide reputation for his exceptional record of predicting the future of technological change and its direct impact on the business world. He has helped hundreds of clients develop successful competitive strategies based on the creative application of leading-edge technologies, and has delivered over 2,000 keynote speeches to corporations, associations, and professional organizations worldwide.

The New York Times has referred to Daniel Burrus as “one of America’s top three business gurus in the highest demand as a speaker.”

Burrus began his career in research even before graduating from college when he became one of the first undergraduates in the nation to direct a federal research grant. He has founded and managed five businesses, two of which were national leaders in their first year. As a highly successful entrepreneur, he knows how to translate research findings into practical business advantages.

Burrus’ client list encompasses a wide range of industries and includes many Fortune 500 companies such as GE, Lucent Technologies, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, DuPont, AT&T, Toshiba, American Express, Northwestern Mutual, Bell Atlantic, Exxon, and Sara Lee

Duration : 0:6:32

Read the rest of this entry »

Students Combat Violence with Community v 1.0

April 172010

Be a part of the solution! WWW.HEALPHILLY.COM
Youth unite to heal their city! The Philadelphia Student Union joins with determined educators, administrators and the community in a campaign to end violence of all forms in Philadelphia Schools. This is just the beginning, join the movement! www.HealPhilly.com

(CORRECTION – Philadelphia Regional Superintendent “Benjamin Wright,” not “White”!) Our apologies, to Mr Wright and Mr White, both amazing men, updates pending!)

Duration : 0:5:9

Read the rest of this entry »

In Defense of Opossums – A TWRC Education Video

April 142010

As a wildlife rehabilitation and education facility, we see and hear every day how the public is misinformed, or uninformed, with respect to the opossum. Designed for children and adults, this video has been created as an education tool to show the opossum as it truly is, present facts, and to dispel some of the myths about this wonderful creature. TWRC is an urban wildlife emergency and rehabilitative care facility serving the Greater Houston area. Established in 1979, TWRC focuses on conservation, public education, and wildlife rehabilitation, and is operated by part-time staff and volunteers who are permitted rehabilitators and animal lovers. TWRC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which receives no federal or state funding. Because of this, we rely on individual, corporate, and foundation contributions to continue our efforts in preserving and caring for Texas wildlife. Visit us at www.twrc-houston.org or call 713-468-8972 to learn how you can become a volunteer or donate to our organization.

Duration : 0:2:46

Read the rest of this entry »

Why Teach For America Works – Michelle Rhee

April 82010

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/07/05/Transforming_the_System_An_Interview_with_Michelle_Rhee

Michelle Rhee, Chancellor of D.C. Public Schools, shares some prominent moments in Teach For America and how they have affected her reform ideals. She describes her personal experience discovering and participating in the program.

—–

Transforming the System: An Interview with Michelle Rhee with Eli Broad. – Aspen Institute

Michelle Rhee is chancellor of DC Public Schools, a district with 50,000 students and 144 schools. She is also the founder of The New Teacher Project, a nationally recognized leader in developing innovative solutions to the challenges of hiring new teachers.

As president and CEO of TNTP, Rhee partnered with school districts, state education agencies, nonprofit organizations, and unions to transform the way difficult-to-staff schools recruit, select, and train highly qualified teachers.

Her work resulted in widespread reform in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Miami, New York, Oakland, and Philadelphia. Rhee’s commitment to excellence in education began in a Baltimore classroom as a Teach-for-America teacher. Rhee currently serves on the advisory boards for the National Council on Teacher Quality, the National Center for Alternative Certification, and Project REACH of the University of Phoenix’s School of Education.

Duration : 0:5:3

Read the rest of this entry »

Self-Organization: The Secret Sauce for Improving your Scrum team

March 242010

Google Tech Talks
September 4, 2008

ABSTRACT

High performance depends on the self-organizing capability of teams. Understanding how this works and how to avoid destroying self-organization is a challenge. Until you understand complex adaptive systems and how Toyota works it is difficult to improve team velocity. Jeff will discuss three core topics:

1. Shock therapy as a strategy for booting up teams.
2. The Cosmic Stopping Problem, otherwise known as the choice uncertainty principle.
3. Punctuated equilibrium – how software systems evolve

Take advantage of these concepts and you may find a way to achieve the ultimate potential of a team. This session will be a “Deep Agile” presentation keying off topics presented to engineers at MIT.

Speaker: Jeff Sutherland
Dr. Jeff Sutherland is one of the co-creators of the Scrum software development process. He and Ken Schwaber invented Scrum in 1993. Since then he has worked with many software companies and IT organizations to extend and enhance this process.

For more info please Google Jeff or visit his web site.

Duration : 1:33:20

Read the rest of this entry »

Cerebral Palsy – A Brief Overview / Educational Video

March 62010

Video courtesy of the Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy.
http://www.ofcp.on.ca

The Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy is a non-profit, charitable organization with a mandate to address the changing needs of people in Ontario with cerebral palsy. The OFCP goes about accomplishing its mission by way of three core activities:

(1) Assisting individuals and member groups in the development and provision of services and programs including accommodation in all parts of the province of Ontario.

(2) Advocating and promoting awareness, understanding and acceptance of persons with cerebral palsy.

(3) Encouraging and supporting research, education and programs related to cerebral palsy.

Vision Statement
The Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy is an organization committed to supporting independence, inclusion, choice and full integration of all persons with cerebral palsy.

Values Statement

CORE VALUES

To our Consumers:
To provide solutions, through service, advocacy and research, which further equal opportunity, self-sufficiency, dignity and quality of life.

To our Employees:
To create an environment that nurtures, recognizes and rewards excellence.

To Society:
To demonstrate leadership through innovation and initiative.

To our Stakeholders:
To be accountable and responsible as financial stewards, quality service providers and advocates.

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a term used to describe a group of disorders affecting body movement and muscle co-ordination. The medical definition of cerebral palsy is a “non-progressive” but not unchanging disorder of movement and/or posture, due to an insult to or anomaly of the developing brain. Development of the brain starts in early pregnancy and continues until about age three. Damage to the brain during this time may result in cerebral palsy. This damage interferes with messages from the brain to the body, and from the body to the brain. The effects of cerebral palsy vary widely from individual to individual. At its mildest, cerebral palsy may result in a slight awkwardness of movement or hand control. At its most severe, CP may result in virtually no muscle control, profoundly affecting movement and speech.

Depending on which areas of the brain have been damaged, one or more of the following may occur:

(1) muscle tightness or spasms
(2) involuntary movement
(3) difficulty with “gross motor skills” such as walking or running
(4) difficulty with “fine motor skills” such as writing or doing up buttons
(5) difficulty in perception and sensation

These effects may cause associated problems such as difficulties in feeding, poor bladder and bowel control, breathing problems, and pressure sores. The brain damage which caused cerebral palsy may also lead to other conditions such as: seizures, learning disabilities or developmental delay. It is important to remember that limbs affected by cerebral palsy are not paralysed and can feel pain, heat, cold and pressure. It is also important to remember that the degree of physical disability experienced by a person with cerebral palsy is not an indication of his/her level of intelligence.

Duration : 0:15:35

Read the rest of this entry »

NSA FOUNDATION-The Charitable arm of the National Speakers Association.

February 282010

NSA Foundation

Overview

The NSA Foundation is the charitable arm of NSA. The Foundation serves members and the public through:

Financial help for NSA members and their families who are facing health or natural disaster emergencies;
Grants to NSA members who need help with their dues or meeting registration fees;
Scholarships for speech/communications students;
Provide funding for research related to the speaking profession; and
Grants to help charitable organizations communicate through technology.
Thanks to the generous contributions of NSA speakers like you, many worthy people have received financial support when they need it most.

Contributions come from three basic sources:

Major gifts donated to establish various funds;
Memorial and other contributions from individual NSA members and chapters; and
Fundraising events such as seminars, receptions and parties at NSA conventions and workshops.

For more information about the NSA Foundation please contact Diane Paradise at diane@nsaspeaker.org our call (480) 968-2552. You can also visit Mynsa.org for more details on the NSA Foundation.

Duration : 0:7:55

Read the rest of this entry »