First Step Towards Career Sucess:
Degree Completion

Picture
          Earning a bachelor’s degree can be a valuable step toward career success. Fewer than 5 percent of bachelor’s degree-holders over the age of 25 are unemployed, compared to a national unemployment rate that is over 9 percent.
          Despite the benefits of degree programs, many students do not complete the process due to perceived barriers, such as a full-time job, family commitments or worries about achieving a balance between their personal and professional lives. Others are eager to start a career and make money.

America's Youth Fitness Test Gets a Makeover

Picture
More than two decades after its last update, the physical fitness test many of us did in school is getting a makeover. Just in time for the new school year, the President's Council on Fitness, 

Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN) announced that the former Physical Fitness Test is now the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, and that it will focus primarily on assessing health versus athleticism for America's youth.

Since less than one in five youth get the exercise they need and high rates of childhood obesity are sweeping the nation, PCFSN and its partners recognize the importance of motivating children to 

get active, whether through sports or physical activity on the playground, in the park or in the backyard. Research shows nearly one in three children are overweight and one in six are considered obese. These numbers can have a major effect as youth grow into adults. Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults.

As a school district administrator in one of the largest school districts in the country, the move from recognizing athletic performance to health-based standards is a crucial step forward. These standards provide a guide for what a healthy student should be able to do based on age and gender. They emphasize personal fitness goals and minimize comparisons between children. It isn't about 
who is the fastest or the strongest. It is about healthy kids and lifelong physical activity.

Since 1966, the Youth Fitness Test has been used to assess physical fitness. The updated program will now provide training and resources to schools for assessing, tracking and recognizing youth health-related fitness. Support available to all schools includes Web-based access to test protocol, standards for testing, calculators for aerobic capacity and body composition (BMI), promotion of the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA+), online training, school recognition programs and more. Schools and districts can also purchase additional resources, such as data management, reporting software and testing aids, to enhance the program.

Changes to the Presidential Youth Fitness Program were developed in partnership with experts in health promotion and youth fitness including the Amateur Athletic Union, the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Cooper Institute.

To learn more about the Presidential Youth Fitness Program visit www.presidentialyouthfitnessprogram.org.  This article appears on behalf of the President's Council of Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, which resides within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  By: Dr. Jayne Greenberg, district director of physical education and health literacy for Miami-Dade County Public Schools (Fla.) and President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Council Member

Connecticut Higher Education Trust Celebrates Third Annual Book Bag Donation 

HARTFORD, Conn., Aug. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Connecticut State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier joined state officials today for the Third Annual Book Bag Donation sponsored by the Connecticut Higher 

          Education Trust (CHET), where more than 1,529 book bags and school supplies were collected for distribution to students in need who will be entering kindergarten through sixth grade across the State.
          Treasurer Nappier, who serves as Trustee for CHET, has partnered with the State Department of Children and Families and the Salvation Army of Southern New England to distribute book bags that contain notebooks, pencils, rulers, water bottles, folders, markers, and more. In addition, the Department of Economic and Community Development worked with the Office of the State Comptroller and the State Department of Consumer Protection to organize a collection of back packs and school supplies from their employees, to add more back packs stuffed with a variety of school supplies to the donation.
          "Gearing up for back-to-school is always hectic, and can be particularly challenging for families that may not have the means to purchase everything that their child may need.  The CHET Book Bag Donation helps get basic supplies to students so that they have a good start to the academic year," said Treasurer Nappier.  
          Comptroller Kevin Lembo added, "Every child deserves to begin their school year fully equipped for academic success, regardless of their family or financial circumstances. I am incredibly grateful and proud that so many employees from the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) and other state agencies generously donated truck loads of book bags and supplies, helping to ensure that children in Connecticut start their school year on the right step."
          In addition to school supplies, CHET included information about the importance of saving early for higher education expenses. 
          The Department of Children and Families will distribute book bags to its area offices located in Bridgeport, Danbury, Hartford, Manchester, Meriden, Middletown, Milford, New Britain, Norwalk, Norwich, New Haven, Stamford, Torrington, Waterbury, and Willimantic.
          The Salvation Army of Southern New England will distribute book bags to its Connecticut Corps Community Centers in Ansonia, Bridgeport, Bristol, Danbury, Hartford, Manchester, Meriden, Middletown, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Norwalk, Norwich, Stamford, Torrington, Waterbury, and Willimantic.

About CHET: The CHET 529 direct-sold college savings plan was established in 1997 and as of July 31, 2012, has grown to more than $1.6 billion in assets and more than 81,000 individual accounts. Connecticut State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier serves as Trustee of CHET. The plan manager is TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing Inc. For more information about CHET, visit www.aboutchet.com or call the customer 
service center at (866) 314-3939.
​
SOURCE State of Connecticut Treasurer's Office

PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1lqRE)
Word of the Day

Article of the Day

This Day in History

Today's Birthday

In the News

Quote of the Day

Spelling Bee
difficulty level:
score: -
please wait...
 
spell the word:

Match Up
Match each word in the left column with its synonym on the right. When finished, click Answer to see the results. Good luck!

 

Hangman

Working Adults are Going
​Back to School

Picture
          Excitement and opportunity abound as children and teenagers get ready to go back to school. But the enthusiasm—and pressure—of this season are also affecting more adults. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), higher education enrollment of students age 25 and older rose 43 percent between 2000 and 2009. From 2010 to 2019, NCES projects a 23 percent rise in college enrollments of students age 25 and older.
           Many adults are striving to find the balance between work, family and education; others feel they are too overwhelmed by responsibilities to even consider pursuing a higher degree.

Education-Related 501(c)3, 501(C)4, and 501(c)7 Corporations


Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
a.k.a. Greater Waterbury Area Alumnae
P.O. Box 170, 06720
501(c)3