#localeducators

[knowledgenook]

Local Curriculum Course in Singapore: Master the local curriculum with our specialized courses in Singapore. Whether it's Mathematics, Science, English, or other subjects, Kiya Learning experienced educators provide personalized instruction and support to help students navigate and excel in the local education system.

[tsglexingtonkentucky]

SCOUTED | We are excited to welcome @ekumodel Model Lab School to our @tsglexington family! #DIDYOUKNOW - Model is the only remaining laboratory school in Kentucky, one of the characteristics that has established it as a school of choice throughout the region. . . #DIDYOUKNOW - A laboratory school or demonstration school is an elementary or secondary school operated in association with a university, college, or other teacher education institution and used for the training of future teachers, educational experimentation, educational research, and professional development. . . We are thrilled to work with @ekumodel and increase awareness regarding this unique opportunities for students and teachers. Link in bio for more information! . . . #scouted #tsglexington #modellabschool #kentucky #teachers #schoolmemes #lexington #livelovelocal #localeducators #localeducation (at Model Laboratory School) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2j_sDNAlCC/?igshid=1u0cjxwe2sce8

[instadw]

Elementary school students raise funds for Ronald McDonald House 

[instatrack]

Third grade teacher Shiela Rambo assists student Tanner Doty with a research paper during class at Meridian Elementary School Tuesday. (📷: Jim Bowling, @heraldandreview) #photojournalism #Decatur #LocalEducation #SmartCookies #kids #students #learn #exemplary #welldone #LocalNews #CentralIL #TogetherDecatur https://ift.tt/2CRCCQq

[brevardtoday]

Make & Tell

The Space Coast offers more engineering talent per capita than anywhere else in the United States, which means we get together to solve real problems better than anyone else in the country.

Brevard County residents are invited to test this theory as part of a Make & Tell Sept 13, 6PM to 8PM at Space Coast FabLab. Three generations of makers, hardware, and embedded software designers will share their inventions as part of a kickoff for a new monthly series of meetups.

GRIT Popup and the Space Coast Fablab invite all maker and manufacturing organizations to help lay the groundwork for the 2019 Mini-Maker Faire as part of this series launch. Booths will be made available for free to anyone increasing “maker” awareness in the Space Coast. This is a free event open to kids and adults of all ages.

Members of the Space Coast FabLab say that it is with crowdsourced maker support that the Space Coast may host the most impressive 2019 Mini-Maker Faire in the country. To join the planning team, contact michelle@projectbasedlearning.org to participate.

WHAT: Make & Tell

WHO: Makers & Shakers

WHEN: September 14th, at 6:30pm

WHERE: Space Coast FabLab, 4005 Capron Road Titusville, FL 32780

WHY: Spotlight local innovators and makers by bringing together various generations to educate and celebrate the minds and determination of the Space Coast.

from LocalEducation Blog https://www.everythingbrevard.com/blog/LocalEducation/Make-And-Tell.html

[instadw]

North Hempstead uses parks to display students' 'thank you' artwork to frontline workers

[brevardtoday]

Challenge Gifted Kids With Curriculum

All parents delight in the achievements of their child. They know that selecting a great VPK program is the beginning of their child’s success in school, yet, the task of finding a program that allows your child to soar while still encompassing the joys of childhood, such as daily music, art and outdoor fun, is not an easy one.

A Montessori school fits this parental quest, seeking to find the giftedness in each student through a curriculum that will challenge them. One child may be learning to count to 10 while another has taken out the golden chain and is skip counting by tens to 1,000. Montessori lessons are focused on the individual needs of each student.

Dr. Maria Montessori saw children as having the uncanny ability to absorb the immense knowledge found in their environment when it is available to them. She developed a scientifically proven method preparing specially designed materials that call to the young child to touch and experience, thus grasping the knowledge within the material. The method of sequential material that builds one concept onto the next creates a strong academic foundation.

The concept of mixed age groups, mirroring society, allows the academically accelerated child to stay socially connected with peers while advancing academically. Academically accelerated children are a great fit for Montessori. This pre-school program allows children the opportunity to expand beyond basic VPK standards to curriculum that is found in kindergarten and first grade. These learning opportunities found in a Montessori classroom are presented in a developmentally appropriate way, suitable for your 4-year-old child.

Here is a brief example of how a Montessori VPK program compares to a traditional VPK program:

MONTESSORI   TRADITIONAL

Reading: Knows the sounds of the alphabet letters   Blends sounds into three letter words Reads three-letter-word books Writes a sentence with the movable alphabet 

Reading: Recognizes lower and upper case

Recognizes some letter sounds

Writes his name

Math: Foundation for working with decimal system  Adds and subtracts (units, tens, hundreds, thousands) Counts by 1’s to 100, multiplies and divides, with use of hands-on Montessori materials

Math:

Identifies numbers 1-15

Matches object to numeral 10

Counts by 1’s to 30 with help

Geometry: Identifies different kinds of triangles (isosceles, acute, scalene, etc,)   Identifies polygons Identifies curvilinear shapes

Geometry:

Identifies, circle, triangle, and square

Sorts additional shapes

Geography: Identifies land and water on globe Identifies continents Identifies most states using maps  Identifies countries on different continents Works with flags of the world  Learns parts of a flag Identifies land forms

Geography

Identifies the globe as a model

Learns name of city where he lives 

Recognizes American flag

    Cynthia Thomas founded her first Montessori school in Brevard County in 1983. She now operates five schools throughout Florida. She discovered Montessori’s unique approach when her children attended a school in Hawaii. She received her masters in education specializing in Montessori from Charminade University in Hawaii.

from LocalEducation Blog https://www.everythingbrevard.com/blog/LocalEducation/Challenge-Gifted-Kids-With-Curriculum.html

[brevardtoday]

Eastern Florida State College Seeks Qualified Adjunct Faculty Members

Eastern Florida State College is in need of qualified adjunct faculty instructors to teach in a wide array of high-demand collegiate disciplines on all four of its campuses. 

In order to meet that demand, an Adjunct Faculty Recruitment “Call-in” Event has been planned. Those interested in learning about the teaching opportunities at Eastern Florida are encouraged to call (321) 632-1111 from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, July 12.

Potential instructors are encouraged to find out the educational backgrounds needed to meet the college’s accreditation requirements, certification and departmental requirements in advance by visiting online at easternflorida.edu/go/adjunct.

Online applications can be access easternflorida.edu/go/jobs.

  For more information, contact Dan Capman, Human Resources at (321) 433-7068.

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Eastern Florida State College is committed to engaging our diverse

population in quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities which

successfully meet individual and community needs.

from LocalEducation Blog https://www.everythingbrevard.com/blog/LocalEducation/Eastern-Florida-State-College-Seeks-Qualified-Adjunct-Faculty-Me.html

[brevardtoday]

EFSC Receives Major Grant to Train Aerospace, High-Tech Workers

Eastern Florida State College has received a nearly $3.8 million state grant to train Floridians for jobs in aerospace and advanced manufacturing as part of a major initiative from Gov. Rick Scott.

Scott announced six Florida Job Growth Grant Fund projects Wednesday totaling $10 million, with Eastern Florida receiving $3.79 million in partnership with Daytona State College.

“Florida’s economic growth is continuing to outpace the nation because of our nonstop focus on creating jobs in every corner of our state. When we created Florida’s Job Growth Grant Fund, we knew that this targeted and transparent approach would pay huge dividends for local communities,” said Scott 

“I’m proud to award nearly $10 million more in funding, and look forward to these projects enhancing our ability to meet the growing infrastructure and workforce needs of Florida’s booming private sector.”

Dr. Jim Richey, President of Eastern Florida, called the grant a wise investment in the future that will help provide students excellent career opportunities in fast-growth job fields.

Aerospace, high-tech and advanced manufacturing businesses and industries along the Space Coast will also benefit through a “talent pipeline” of skilled employees into their ranks, he said.

“We’re very grateful to Gov. Scott for this important grant,” said Richey. “It will play a significant role in helping us educate and train a new generation of high-tech workers, including for companies launching a new era of human spaceflight from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.” 

Under the grant, Eastern Florida will receive $2.575 million for advanced technology equipment, computers and related needs. Daytona State will receive $1.214 million.

The funding comes as aerospace and advanced manufacturing industries are rapidly expanding in Brevard County, ranging from small companies to major space firms such as SpaceX and Blue Origin.

Trained employees are key to their sustained growth and success, with Eastern Florida playing a central role in making that happen.

Under the grant, EFSC students can earn a Bachelor’s Degree, Associate’s Degree or College Technical Certificate in more than 25 programs.

They include Aerospace Technology, Engineering Technology, Computer Information Technology, Aviation Technology and Robotics.

Still more programs are in Drafting and Design Technology, Machinist-Fabricator, Welding and Mechatronics, a burgeoning field that combines mechanical engineering, electronics and computing concepts for product design and manufacturing processes. 

Students can study in new facilities that include an Advanced Manufacturing Center on the Cocoa Campus and Aviation Center at Melbourne International Airport.

Money from the grant will also be used to ramp-up a new Robotics Lab on the Palm Bay Campus, and a new Mechatronics Lab on the Cocoa Campus.

“We have some of the best facilities of their kind in the state, allowing students to train on the same type of equipment they will find in the workplace,” said Richey.

Other grants announced by Scott include the following:

Baker County: $2.297 million to create an access road to the Woodstock Industrial Park for advanced manufacturing and distribution projects.

Johns River State College: $1,383 millon to expand an advanced manufacturing and robotics training program that will support local manufacturing training, economic development and job growth for Clay, Putnam and St. Johns counties.

Florida Gateway College: $860,000 to enhance current workforce training programs for Aviation Powerplant Mechanics and Aviation Airframe Maintenance to fill a statewide need.

Charlotte County: $800,000 for the Piper Road Extension and infrastructure improvements leading into one of Charlotte County’s largest industrial parks, the Punta Gorda Interstate Airport Park.

Florida State College at Jacksonville: $710,352 to enhance the Northeast Florida Advanced Manufacturing & Logistic Job Growth program, which collaborates with more than 300 employers in the high-growth industries of advanced manufacturing and logistics.

The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, established by Scott and the Florida Legislature last year, provides $85 million for improving public infrastructure and enhancing workforce training in Florida. 

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) has received more than 246 proposals requesting more than $866 million in funding.

Wednesday’s announcement reflects a total of nearly $70 million in funding awarded to 27 communities across the state to promote infrastructure and job training since 2017.

  from LocalEducation Blog https://www.everythingbrevard.com/blog/LocalEducation/EFSC-Receives-Major-Grant-to-Train-Aerospace-HighTech-Workers.html

[brevardtoday]

Language Immersion Students Hosted End of Year Show

Palm Bay Academy’s Language Immersion students hosted an end of the year show at the middle school campus for their families to see what they had learned during the 2017-2018 school year. Palm Bay Academy’s Language Immersion campus is the only school in South Brevard to teach both Chinese and Spanish to students as part of their curriculum.

The Language Immersion students produced an outstanding show for their families by creating a set with multiply creative props and wearing cultural outfits to fit the part. During the hour-long show students from kindergarten to eighth grade performed numerous songs, dances and plays they had learned in either Chinese or Spanish throughout the year. The show started with students reciting the pledge of allegiance in English, Spanish and Chinese and ended with a Chinese dance performance put on by two of the middle school students.

"The recital was an insight into the skills mastered by the students in their chosen language over the past year. Colorful and exciting performances mirrored the dedication and talents of not only the students, but their teachers as well,” said Palm Bay Academy Director and Principal Mahdu Longani. “Palm Bay Academy is so proud and fortunate to be able to offer this unique language immersion program to the community."

Palm Bay Academy will be celebrating its 20th anniversary as a charter school in Brevard County during the upcoming 2018-2019 school year and is looking forward to continuing to bring a unique educational experience to the South Brevard area.

If you’d like to learn more about Palm Bay Academy, any of the three campuses or how to get your child enrolled please go to www.palmbayacademy.org or contact the school at 321-984-2710.

  About Palm Bay Academy

Palm Bay Academy is a K-8 tuition free charter school in Brevard County with three different campuses; traditional(elementary), middle and language immersion. As well as offering a high quality of teaching and extra-curricular activities to students, Palm Bay Academy also has a commitment to ensure that students receive the best guidance and support to insure they feel happy and safe and are therefore able to thrive and achieve academically. 

www.palmbayacademy.org

https://www.facebook.com/PalmBayAcademy/

    from LocalEducation Blog https://www.everythingbrevard.com/blog/LocalEducation/Language-Immersion-Students-Hosted-End-of-Year.html

[brevardtoday]

Southeast Petro and ExxonMobil Support Schools

Southeast Petro Distributors provides nearly $30,000 in grant money to K-12 Schools through the “ExxonMobil Educational Alliance” 

Florida – Southeast Petro and ExxonMobil team up every year to cut checks to local K-12 schools in order to help the educational institutions grow their math and science departments for their students. The Educational Alliance Grant Program is an opportunity for local Branded Marketers like Southeast Petro to support their neighborhood schools. The schools nearest to an Exxon™ or Mobil™ gas station supplied by the company are the ones chosen to receive the grant. 

ExxonMobil established the Educational Alliance Grant Program in 1999. To qualify for the program, Southeast Petro is required to nominate each of their locations within a very short window of time. The oil giant only grants $2 Million in awards on a first-come-first-serve basis, and once submissions are opened, Branded Marketers nationwide must compete to earn the funds for their network.

Southeast Petro has qualified for the Educational Alliance Grant Program for several years, and despite the stringent criteria, always earns funds for 100% of their ExxonMobil network. Today, the company has 58 Exxon™ or Mobil™ gas stations throughout the State of Florida. Each station was able to cut a local school a $500 check to go toward math or science expenses. The Southeast Petro team hand delivers these checks to the schools personally, where they can meet the Principal and ensure that they know that their local Exxon or Mobil station supports them.

Some schools took to social media to express their gratitude and enthusiasm for being recipients of the program. Oak Park Middle School posted [link] in part, “…Thank you so much…for Oak Park’s selection as a 2017 Educational Alliance Math and Science grant recipient from ExxonMobil #wherepassionmeetspurpose.” While another posted [link], in part, “…Southeast Petro/Exxon Mobil presented…a $500 check for the math and science departments today. Thank you for supporting Destin Middle School.”

Southeast Petro is proud to take part in such a rewarding and beneficial program for our community and the young leaders of tomorrow. Math and science are imperative to the curriculum of our schools and should be afforded the opportunity to thrive in every single one of our educational institutions. With the Educations Alliance Grant, our local schools will be further equipped to expand their programs.

Southeast Petro Distributors, Inc. is one of the largest wholesale fuel suppliers and multi-site convenience store operators in the Southeast. With oil brands BP, Chevron/Texaco, Citgo, Exxon/Mobil, Shell/Motiva, and Sunoco in their wheelhouse, the multi-generational family business, established in 1980, now supplies fuel to 450+ gas stations throughout the Southeastern United States, employing over 200 people across the three states in which it operates.

To learn more about ExxonMobil Educational Alliance and Southeast Petro please visit https://www.exxon.com/en/educational-alliance and www.southeastpetro.com. 

    ###

from LocalEducation Blog https://www.everythingbrevard.com/blog/LocalEducation/Southeast-Petro-and-ExxonMobil-Support-Schools.html

[brevardtoday]

Beyond basic VPK

What every 4-year-old child could learn

Imagine a program that opens up the world to your child right in his or her classroom! The opportunity to learn to read, work with numbers into the thousands using hands-on Montessori materials and explore the world through learning about continents, countries and states. This is just a small example of our VPK classrooms. Imagine the classroom where geography comes alive through cultural celebrations and studies of landforms. And don’t forget geometry. Can you see your child knowing the different kinds of triangles as he or she heads for kindergarten? All of this and more is possible through choosing our Montessori groups VPK programs, which provide these opportunities on a daily basis.

Children at this age love to learn, and when considering a VPK program, these questions must be asked:

Will the program you choose nurture the love of learning or shut it down?

Will the program you choose keep your child’s skills the same as all the other children in the classroom, or allow your child to excel to his or her intellectual ability?

Montessori’s programs provide individual, academic learning experiences. No child is held back waiting for the other children to catch up. It’s a class were young children learn from other children. The 4-year-old always wants to do what the older children are doing; that is the advantage of the multi-year age grouping in the 3-6 classroom. The love of learning and self-discipline is an outcome of the Montessori education.

Montessori is a proven model for over 100 years. It’s a method you can trust, one that doesn’t have to be reinvented — because it works.

As a parent, you will want to choose a program that will unleash your child’s full potential and light his or her path of learning as the child begins the quest for knowledge. We welcome you to tour the school and imagine your child experiencing learning the Montessori way.

  Why Montessori for VPK?

  Comparison of expected outcomes of 4-year-old programs:

MONTESSORI TRADITIONAL

Reading

Blends sounds into three-letter words

Writes a sentence with movable alphabet

  Recognizes some letter sounds

Writes name

Math

Add and subtract (units, tens, hundreds, thousands)

County by 1s to 100, multiply and divide

  Identifies numbers 1-15

Counts by 1s to 31 with help

Geometry

Identifies shapes and all kind of triangles (Isosceles, quadrilateral, scalene, etc.)

 Identifies circle, triangle and square

VPK standards can be found at http://www.floridaearlylearning.com/vpk/florida_standards_for_four-year-olds.aspx

Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards

http://flbt5.floridaearlylearning.com/BT5_Uploads/ListofStandardsandBenchmarks.pdf

Cynthia Thomas founded her first Montessori school in Brevard County in 1983. She now operates five schools throughout Florida. She discovered Montessori’s unique approach when her children attended a school in Hawaii. She received her masters in education specializing in Montessori from Charminade University in Hawaii.

 Read more stories like this

    from LocalEducation Blog https://www.everythingbrevard.com/blog/LocalEducation/Beyond-basic-VPK.html

[brevardtoday]

Building a Bridge Among Generations

The workforce is changing at a rapid pace. Gone are the days of archaic paper filing, typewriters, library research and data analysis. Hello Google, high-speed internet and wifi, and remote work stations! A major shift is taking place in the workplace as the Millennial generation takes over half of the U.S. workforce and 20 percent of the country’s leadership positions.

With all this change, and multiple generations working under one roof, the need for proper communication among these generations is crucial. A bridge needs to be built by the entire team — leadership included — to ensure proper communication.

It’s important to get all generations on the same page in three major areas:

formality in the workplace

communication

drive to succeed

When the Baby Boomers entered the workforce, a standard suit and tie were practically issued to them. It was seen as disrespectful to not have your jacket buttoned when meeting with leadership, let alone not wear one. These days, a more business casual style has been widely adopted, a move that many Boomers see as too casual and disrespectful. But that’s basically all that Millennials have ever known. Getting your team on the same page with regard to formality in the workplace is key to building a bridge of acceptance among the generations.

Another crucial aspect of bridge building is communication style. It’s important to offer multiple communication avenues in an office with multiple generations because generally speaking, boomers grew up with rotary dial phones and no computers, encouraging face-to-face communication. Millennials, on the other hand, had cell phones before they could drive, had access to computers at home and school, and now our cell phones are our computers.

This encourages an environment of calling, emailing or texting as opposed to in-person meetings. While technology has all but eliminated the necessity for face-to-face communication, an important component in business and in leadership is encouraging it. However, offering various mediums of communication is important for cohesion of an office filled with different age groups.

Last but not least, what drives each generation to succeed? Motivating factors vary from generation to generation. Members of older generations are used to coming in and getting the job done, no matter what, while the youth entering the workforce is motivated by praise and guidance. We are all products of our environment, and no one environment is incorrect. They are just different. I once had a supervisor come to me with a light bulb looming over her head after reviewing my pitch for a marketing campaign, exclaiming, “I realize now that young people aren’t wrong for their way of thinking, they’re just different!” What a concept.

The key to building a sturdy bridge among the generations in the workplace is to lay the foundation brick by brick. Provide employees with the tools to succeed no matter what generation they belong to, while always keeping their motivating factors in mind. This ultimately allows the team to achieve the bottom line, and they will walk side-by-side along that sturdy bridge.

Jennifer Sugarman, President and CEO of the Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce, is a busy working Millennial mom to son, Emmett. She formed the Cocoa Beach Chamber’s Young Professionals Group in 2016, currently serves on the board for United Way of Brevard and is an active member in Brevard County’s business community.

Read more stories like this

from LocalEducation Blog https://www.everythingbrevard.com/blog/LocalEducation/Building-a-Bridge-Among-Generations.html

[brevardtoday]

Digital Generation: Efficient Multitaskers

They may be staring at phones, but they are getting things done

Multitasking has been around since the dawn of humanity. Today, we lead busier lives than ever. Working moms and dads, more than one job, school. But the Millennial generation in particular — the last of the 20th century — is the first to be raised around computers, cell phones and high-tech video games with the graphics of a movie. Many Millennials weren't even out of high school yet when the social media craze started, and even those channels have expanded, morphed and changed direction. Facebook once was a platform for college students only, requiring a college email address to sign up. Now the demographic of Facebook users has shifted older — not only do my parents have an account, but my grandma, too!

In the changing digital world, Millennials sometimes can take a lot of heat from other generations for "not being able to talk to one another" and for "just staring at their phones" all the time. There is something to be said for these complaints as it's important to always keep your interactive and personal skills sharp.However, what if all of this digital world multitasking isn't a bad thing? What if Millennials are getting more done more efficiently than ever? Cell phones are now basically small, portable computers. We have access to the entire world at our fingertips, which can be both a blessing and a curse. Email, calls, texts, voice-to-text, to-do lists, and apps for everything all on one device!

As a busy working Millennial mom who is blessed to work from home every so often, I can feed my son while talking into my phone to send an email, without skipping a beat! I can work from literally anywhere and keep my priority timelines on track.

Rapid global shifts, social media and instant access to information have molded how Millennials work, forcing companies to fundamentally change the way they do business in order to stay relevant. Having the flexibility as a company to allow this generation to utilize current technology to work on their own time, at their own pace, while still meeting deadlines is a must for employers that will soon have over 75 percent (globally) of their employee base in the Millennial category by 2025.

Multitasking takes on new forms when you were raised in this era, and employers will only benefit from this new shift in their workforce when it comes to efficiency and output. So buckle up and enjoy the digitally enhanced multitasking ride, because the Millennials are coming! Many are already in the office next to you.

The Generations

These date ranges represent variances provided by multiple sources. No one entity is considered the authority to declare the Western generational boundaries, although all seem to agree on the Baby Boomers. There are overlaps.

Greatest Generation/GI Generation, born 1890-1924

Silent Generation, born 1925-1945

Baby Boomer Generation, born 1946-1964

Generation X, born 1965-1979

Xennials, born 1977-1985

Millennials/Generation Y, born 1980-2000

Generation Z, born 1996-2010

Generation Alpha, born 2013-2025

Read more stories like this

  from LocalEducation Blog https://www.everythingbrevard.com/blog/LocalEducation/Digital.html

[brevardtoday]

Local workers and employers find work-life balance in flexible scheduling

The days of the standard job with a 40-hours-per-week schedule from an office are waning. In the U.S., 3.9 million people have a job that allows them to work from home at least half of the time, according to Global Workplace Analytics data. That number is rising each year, with telecommuting jobs growing by 115 percent from 2005 to 2015.

From full-time freelancers to people working traditional schedules with some from-home hours, an estimated 2.9 percent of the U.S. workforce has a flexible schedule. The benefits of flexible scheduling are many and range from tangible financial boosts to intangible work-life balance improvements.

Consider this: Full-time telecommuters save an average of $4,000 on commuting costs per year. Part-time telecommuters save an average of $2,677 on commuting costs per year. Remote workers also report loving their jobs 87 percent more than in-office peers.

The benefits for the worker are many — but employers see gains, too. A study commissioned by software company PGi found that businesses could save as much as $10,000 per employee per year when items like real estate, janitorial services, utilities and office supplies are taken into account.

Locally, jobs with flexible options abound, from small businesses to large global organizations.

Bob Duffy is senior vice president of human resources and administration at Harris Corporation, which employs 6,400 people in Florida — 6,000 of which reside in Brevard County. The company leaves flexible scheduling and from-home work determinations up to the individual departments and teams, but encourages a company culture that fosters work-life balance.

“Employees who can successfully maintain a work-life balance that fits their personal lifestyle tend to be more productive, creative, loyal and motivated,” Duffy said. “This ultimately enhances Harris’ ability to innovate and better serve our customers, so it’s a win-win for all.”

Meet some Space Coast residents who share how working flexible schedules has positively impacted their ability to balance their lives.

Anne Mitchell Industry: Engineering Lives in Suntree Works for Harris in Melbourne, FL

“I have been on a reduced work week schedule for about 12 years. As a mom and professional, I feel like I have the best of both worlds. I am not missing out or feeling guilty about not being there for my kids because of work and I continue my working career as a productive employee at my program and company. I work 30 hours per week. When necessary, I have the ability to work from home. I am able to pick up my kids from school, get a head start on homework, and be able to enjoy my family in the late afternoons/evenings. Additionally, I am very fortunate to have great bosses and work on a program that allows me to be able to work from home if the kids are sick or have appointments.”

Shawn Burns Industry: Contract Manufacturing Lives in Suntree Works for company in Baltimore, MD

“Since I don’t have the one-hour commute into the office, I fill up my gas tank once a month versus three times per week. It eliminates the need for ‘work clothes.’ I’m much more productive in my sweats and T-shirts. I find that working in an office is easier for distractions and taking focus off of work. I am able to keep up on household chores. I don’t have to spend my Saturdays doing laundry — now it is quick to throw it in and keep up with it during my workday. I’m also able to enjoy dinner with my family at 6:30 p.m. every night. That almost never happened when I worked in the office.”

Joel Davila Industry: Information Technology Lives in Viera Works for company in Melbourne, FL

“The concept of being tied to a physical office/location is not as important as getting the work accomplished. Although I usually report into the office on most days, having the flexibility of working from home at times allows me to do things like having lunch with my kids at school and attending school functions, especially since the school is within walking distance to our house. The flexibility also allows me to drop my kids off at school in the morning and pick them up if I happen to be working from home that day, or if I must leave early for any other reasons, I can usually make up the time after hours. For me, I value the flexibility mostly as it pertains to my growing family and being able to be there for them when needed.”

Katie Wilson Industry: Recipe Testing Lives in West Melbourne Freelance, most clients located in Seattle and Orlando

“I get to work from home and decide which projects I do or don't want to take on. I also basically get paid to make dinner or share food with friends, which is pretty cool. We are a homeschool family, so this allows us to continue homeschooling. I can take a vacation any time I want, without worrying about having to ask for time off. I just say ‘no’ to projects with deadlines close to our family vacations. Since it's only part-time work, I'm less exhausted than I was working 40 hours a week outside of my home.”

Read more stories like these

from LocalEducation Blog https://www.everythingbrevard.com/blog/LocalEducation/Local-workers-and-employers-find-worklife-balance-in-flexible-sc.html

[brevardtoday]

Backpack Basics

#BeThatFamily equips foster kids, families with necessities

On Nov. 18, thousands of foster children will be adopted by their forever families on National Adoption Day, celebrated annually the Saturday before Thanksgiving. According to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, 4,600 foster children were adopted during the national celebration in 2016.

In Brevard County, the foster child statistics are humbling. At publication, there were 141 licensed foster homes in Brevard and 280 children in need of out-of-home care, according to Brevard Family Partnership. Children most in need of homes are teenagers and siblings.

A local nonprofit initiative is working to ease the transition to new homes for foster children and foster families. #BeThatFamily started just before the holidays in 2015, a few months after founders Jamie and William Russell started fostering children in their home.

“We saw that many times the kids in the foster system will arrive with all of their belongings in a trash bag,” Russell said. “We wanted to change that.”

They started collecting basics to fill age-targeted backpacks. Baby backpacks include diapers; toddler backpacks have a toy and book. Young ‘tween and teen girls receive new undergarments and hygiene products.

“These kids show up and through no fault of their own, they don’t have what they need. Sometimes it’s too late to run to the store for things like diapers or underwear,” Jamie Russell said.

As donations grew, #BeThatFamily became an official outreach service of the 501© nonprofit organization Space Coast Foster and Adoptive Families Alliance and operates completely through volunteers and donations.

In the nearly two years since she started raising awareness, Jamie Russell says #BeThatFamily has donated 400 backpacks locally.

“People love to help. You just have to ask for what is needed,” she said.

All of the donated items, including backpacks, are sorted and assembled at a storage unit. From there, some are given to the Brevard Family Partnership, the county’s foster parent licensing agency. Others go to the Department of Children and Families, and others are stored at the Brevard County Courthouse in Viera and given to children immediately following court proceedings.

“Children are required by law to attend the first court hearing regarding their welfare. We have a room in back of the courtroom that the children are able to visit and pick out their backpack. Something so small, such as a backpack with a blanket, snacks and other personal items makes a difference and provides comfort to our kids,” said Regina Adair, a Brevard County court liaison.

West Melbourne Police Department is an official donation drop-off location for those wishing to contribute.

Equipping foster kids with necessities is a start — but Jamie Russell’s passion lies in reaching families with the big-picture message of fostering. She holds meetings at her home for families interested in learning about obtaining a foster care license.

“We have a great need in Brevard. I want to share my story if it inspires others,” Russell said.

Learn more about #BeThatFamily and how to contribute by visiting Facebook.com/bethatfamily or emailing Bethatfamily@gmail.com.

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from LocalEducation Blog https://www.everythingbrevard.com/blog/LocalEducation/Backpack-Basics.html