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Archive for the ‘CHICAGO SCHOOLS’ Category

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DATELINE: IRVINE, CA…

Greg Bishop, founder of Boot Camp for New Dads, a non-profit orientation program for fathers-to-be, operating in more than 260 hospitals, clinics, schools, fire stations and churches around North America and internationally, and author of two books on fathering, advises parents who are expecting to prepare a list of items to bring to the hospital, and keep it with the hospital bag to double check before heading out.

Below, Bishop shares the “19 Essential Items” that are listed in his most recent book Crash Course for New Dads: Tools, Checklists and Cheat Sheets:

1. A folder containing important documents including insurance cards, pre-admission forms, birth plan (two or three copies), etc.

2. Baby book (many nurseries will put your baby’s footprint in the book).

3. A watch with a second hand or digital readout.

4. Change of clothes and pajamas for mom (and dad, if staying overnight)

5. Warm shirt because hospital rooms are kept cool.

6. Basic toiletries such as a toothbrush, shaver, shampoo and deodorant.

7. Comfortable shoes, as you may do a lot of walking.

8. Something to read to mom.

9. CD, iPod or other music player with mom’s favorite music.

10. Pain-easing tools recommended at your birthing classes such as tennis balls, hot or cold packs, massagers, lotion, etc.

11. A bathing suit for dad to help mom take a shower which eases labor pains.

12. Something to eat and drink such as sandwich or power bars and juice, in a small cooler. Pack snacks for both of you for after the birth.

13. Cash to have on hand.

14. Pen and pad of paper.

15. Camera (photos and/or video), with extra film, battery, etc.

16. Address book and/or a list of phone numbers to announce birth.

17. Cell phone or calling card.

18. Champagne to celebrate. (Put your name on it and ask a nurse to store it in the fridge.)

19. Childbirth Coaching Guide from Crash Course for New Dads.

According to Bishop, “When you’re trying to get out the door and to the hospital, it’s guaranteed that you’ll forget one or more important items. Being prepared ahead of time is half the battle. In addition to considering our list of 19 Essential Items, expectant parents should talk to staff at the hospital; other attendees in birthing classes or someone they know who recently delivered a baby to get even more ideas for their list. Time is of the essence and you don’t want to have to drop mom at the hospital then rush back home to retrieve insurance papers or something else you must have. Every moment counts.”

Tips, Advice, Instructions and more

Greg Bishop offers strategies from more than 200,000 new dads that have gone through the Boot Camp for New Dads program in his second book, Crash Course for New Dads: Tools, Checklists and Cheat Sheets. His first book, Hit the Ground Crawling, covers work balance, being a dad, caring for a new mom and much more. Both books are available online at www.DadsAdventure.com.

New Dads Learn What to Expect at Boot Camp Workshops

Dads-to-be will be better equipped to face the challenges and opportunities of fatherhood after attending a Boot Camp “hands on” educational workshop. Men attend the class when they are expecting their first baby, and are joined in the workshop by “veterans” who had previously attended and have returned with their two to four-month-old baby in tow. They are able to give the dads-to-be a realistic idea of what to do and what to expect when their first baby comes. For many men attending, it’s their first time holding a baby.

Boot Camp for New Dads

Now celebrating their 18th year, Boot Camp for New Dads is nationally acclaimed as the “Best Practice” for preparing men to be fathers and has been named a U.S. Navy Model Program. Boot Camp for New Dads has prepared more than 200,000 men for fatherhood over the years.

With more than 4.1 million births (National Center for Health Statistics), and approximately 1.5 million men becoming new dads every year, it’s more important than ever for fathers to realize that being a “good provider” is only part of the very central role they have in their children’s lives.

For more information about Boot Camp for New Dads, visit www.bcnd.org, or to visit Dads Adventure, go to www.Dadsadventure.com. To arrange an interview with Greg Bishop, please contact sdubin@prworkzone.com, (781) 582-1061.

National and International Locations

Boot Camp For New Dads locations include ALASKA (Anchorage); ARIZONA (Chandler, Flagstaff, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sun City); ARKANSAS (Jonesboro, Paragould, Springdale); CALIFORNIA (Apple Valley, Bakersfield, , Fresno, Garden Grove, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Madera, Merced, Mission Hills, , Oakland, Orange, Pomona, Port Hueneme, San Diego, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, , S. Lake Tahoe, Travis, Valley Springs); COLORADO (Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Durango, Fort Collins, Fort Carson, Greeley, Longmont, Thornton, Wheat Ridge); CONNECTICUT (Bristol, Danbury, New London); FLORIDA (Brandon, Clearwater, Hollywood, Jacksonville, North Palm Beach, Orlando, St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach, Sarasota, Tampa); GEORGIA (Atlanta, Elberton, Gainesville, Marietta, Savannah); HAWAII (Pearl Harbor, Schofield); ILLINOIS (Aurora, Carbondale, Champaign, Chicago, East St. Louis, Evanston, Freeport, Geneva, Great Lakes, Highland Park, Libertyville, Moline, Oak Park, Rockford, Springfield, Urbana, Winfield); INDIANA (Anderson, Bluffton, Hammond, Indianapolis, Jeffersonville, Kokomo); IOWA (Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Jefferson, Sioux City); KANSAS (Junction City, Topeka); KENTUCKY (Paducah); LOUISIANA (Covington); MAINE (Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Waterville); MARYLAND (Annapolis) MASSACHUSETTS (Beverly, Ipswich, Lowell, Nantucket, Plymouth, Weymouth, Springfield); MICHIGAN (, Ann Arbor, Bay City, Centreville, Iron Mountain, Ithaca, Kalamazoo, Niles, St Joseph, Ypsilanti); MINNESOTA (Brainerd, Duluth, Robbinsdale); MISSISSIPPI (Tupelo); MISSOURI (Jefferson City) MONTANA (Billings, Helena, Miles City); NEBRASKA (Kearney, Lincoln, Omaha); NEVADA (Las Vegas) NEW HAMPSHIRE (Manchester, Portsmouth); NEW JERSEY (Princeton) NEW YORK (Glens Falls, Little Falls, Mineola, Rome, Utica); NORTH CAROLINA (Burlington, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Concord, Ft. Bragg, Greensboro, Monroe, Raleigh, Shelby); NORTH DAKOTA (Grand Forks); OHIO (Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, East Cleveland, East Liverpool, Garfield Heights, Lima, Lorain, Mayfield Heights, Middleburg Heights, Orange Village, Portsmouth, Toledo, Warren, Westlake, Youngstown); OKLAHOMA (Claremore, Oklahoma City, Tulsa); OREGON (Corvalis, McMinnville, Salem, Silverton); SOUTH CAROLINA (Columbia, Pickens, Walhalla); TENNESSEE (Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis); TEXAS (Amarillo, Dallas, Fort Hood, Longview, Lubbock, Plano, San Antonio, Texarkana, Waco, Webster); VERMONT (Barre, Brattleboro, Middlebury); VIRGINIA (Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Hampton, Richmond) WASHINGTON (Everett, Fairchild AFB, Longview, Olympia, Puyallup, Yakima); WEST VIRGINIA (Wheeling); WISCONSIN (Florence, Green Bay, Madison, Oshkosh, Watertown, Wausau); JAPAN (Atsugi, Yokosuka), ITALY (Sicily); UNITED KINGDOM [a.k.a. Hit the Ground Crawling] (Birmingham, Liverpool)

Steve Dubin
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/preparing-for-birth-boot-camp-for-new-dads-advises-parents-of-19-essential-items-for-the-hospital-727226.html

Cell phones, also commonly known as mobile phones, are electronic devices which are used for communication purposes. Voice or data is communicated through these cell phones over a network of stations. Cell phones have all the features of a general telephone and also have various specialized features.

History and Overview:

Cellular Network was initially proposed by Bell Labs in the year 1947. He was the first person to establish cellular network in the year 1970 in Chicago. After that Japan launched the first mobile phone service in the year 1978. With the advent of time, there has been tremendous improvement in the mobile phone technology and in the year 1996, mobile phone giant Nokia launched its first multi use smart phone Nokia communicator which had the facility of internet connectivity and email services.

Cell phone handsets:

Cell phone handsets are the devices which are used for communication purposes. There are a wide rang of handsets with varying features which are being produced by manufacturers worldwide. Currently, Nokia is holding the largest chunk of market share of cell phones and is regarded as world`s largest manufacturer of mobile phone handsets.

Other major names in the list of cell phone manufacturers include Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG etc. These cell phones work on rechargeable batteries which obtain power from electric current, solar, dynamo, car battery charger etc. Before using a handset it needs to be activated with a SIM card provided by a mobile phone service provider who will also allot a unique number for your phone.

Features of Cell Phones:

Apart from having almost all the features of a normal telephone the cell phone also has various other unique features which make them very useful in today`s busy life schedule. These features include music, mp3 player, in built high pixel still and movie camera, personal organizer functions, Internet connectivity with browsing and emailing facility, different ring tones both inbuilt and with a facility to download, blue tooth and infra red connectivity etc.

Cell phones are also able to receive and send faxes if it is connected to a computer. Apart from Short messaging service (SMS), Cell phones are also enabled to send pictures and videos through Multimedia messaging service (MMS).

Uses of Cell Phone:

Cell phones are now widely used by both civilians and government agencies. Government agencies use mobile phones extensively for law enforcement, military purposes, disaster management etc. In the usage of cell phones, you must be particular about maintaining the culture and customs.

It is not decent to use your mobile phone while sitting in an important meeting. It is desirable that you switch off your phone when in any funeral or libraries or cinema halls etc. Most schools and colleges have restricted the use of mobile phones in their premises.

Beliefs about health and environment hazards and safety concerns:

Several concerns regarding human health resulting as an impact of mobile phone usage has been raised from time to time. There have been dermatological concerns such as occurrence of rashes on ears and cheeks of the users, hearing problems in the ear, heart problems concern etc.

Environmental hazards such as electronic waste and safety hazards in usage of the cell phone have been of great concern. There has been an increase in accidents by drivers while talking on cell phones. Road accidents while using a cell phone are on an increase. High rise towers of the cellular networks are also a cause of concern to flying aircrafts and birds.

The tremendous benefits of connectivity in all locations wherever you are have outshined the disadvantages and health concerns of cell phone and the number of cell phone users is rising day by day.

Roberto Sedycias
http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/the-amazing-world-of-cell-phones-708138.html

Have you ever been asked, “How can you possibly do what you do?” I have been asked that question scores of times. Friends, colleagues and even family members will say. “How on earth can you ask people for money?” “It’s easy,” I reply, when you believe in the cause.” Last fall at their annual meeting, Funeral Service Foundation (FSF) trustees went through an important exercise in planning. Trustees began to hone in on priorities for our grants program.

This is an exercise that they will continue to go through as our funds grow and our grant making capabilities build. And it is an exciting productive time. It is a time when trustees can discuss how to make a difference in funeral service and on behalf of funeral service. Acting within the framework of the foundation’s four-point mission-career and profession development, the support of profession, public awareness and education, and improving children lives-the trustees began discussing what was particularly troubling or concerning to funeral service. In the area of “improving children’s lives,” FSF choose teen suicide prevention as one of the foundation’s interest areas. As our chair, Chris Barrott of Aurora casket, said “Funeral Directors in particular know how devastating the suicide of a young person can be.” No further comment needed. Researching the topic of teen suicide prevention led me to uncover some compelling facts. More than 20 percent of high-school students surveyed in 2001 had considered attempting suicide during the previous year.

As the priorities of our country’s public-health system have shifted, making suicide prevention goal 1.1 of the 2003 President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, it is time to get to the bottom of what is troubling our youth and, as a first step, to identify those who might be at risk. Early this summer, based on last fall’s decision, FSF trustees selected the Teen Screen Program of Columbia University as the recipient of this year’s Children’s Fund award. Teen Screen needs our help. A handful of private foundations have supported this effort. Teen Screen receives no government funding and, importantly, no support from pharmaceutical companies. I am proud to see funeral service contribute to working on a critical cause on a nation level.

The selection of Teen Screen as the 2005 Children’s Fund grantee was a careful process overseen by committee and board members of FSF. Children’s Fund recipients are highly credible national children’s organizations focused on alleviating pain or conflict, currently supported by a national organization with interests similar to or that complement the interests of FSF, and with the ability of opportunity to publicly acknowledge the funeral service community. “The supporters of the Funeral Service Foundation have a unique insight into the suffering that undiagnosed mental illness can cause a family that losses a loved one to suicide,” responded Laurie Flynn, director of Teen Screen. “We are touched by your interest in helping to prevent youth suicides through screenings and happy to partner with you to share knowledge about the importance of early identification of mental disorders. “ The goal of the Columbia University Teen Screen Program is to ensure that all parents are offered the opportunity for their teens to receive a voluntary mental health check up.

The program’s primary objective is to help young people and their parents through the early identification of mental health problems, such as depression. Parents of youth found to be at possible risk are notified and helped with identifying and connecting to local mental health services, where they can obtain further evaluation. No child is screened without parental consent. The results of the screening are confidential. Mental health screening can take place in any number of venues, including schools, clinics, doctors’ offices, juvenile justice facilities-in short, anywhere that a group of teens is present.

The President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health recognized Teen Screen as a model program. Most importantly, mental health screening finds youth with depression and other emotional disorders before they fall behind in school, end up in serious trouble or, worst of all, end their lives. The Children’s Fund is supported by $100 gifts during an annual fall campaign. To kick-start this year’s fund drive, FSF will make its own promise to Children’s Fund donors. The first 50 donors of $100 to this year’s Children’s Fund will have their names prominently spotlighted during the 2005 NFDA Convention & Expo in Chicago, Illinois, and immediately highlighted on the FSF Website. Titled “50 Forward to 5,” details of the web based campaign can be found at www.funeralservicefoundation.org.

Joshua Johnson
http://www.articlesbase.com/time-management-articles/cremation-tackling-teen-suicide-1207365.html

Get your beautiful, unique and affordable Barack Obama Gifts here!

Even before it was announced on November 4th that Barack Obama would be the 44th President of the United States, vendors were lining the streets of Chicago and metropolitian cities around the world, with ready-to-use Obama buttons, t-shirts, mugs and anything else that the likeness of the Obama family could be displayed on.  Not only is Obama a hot commodity, he is, but he has become that and so much more… and icon and the face and symbol of change in America .  In the face of such a movement, one has two choices:  watch it or join it.  We opted to join it.  Here’s how!

Now you can give your loved ones a gift that will never lose its value!  Celebrate this moment in our nation’s history with your very own commemorative calendar bookmarkers depicting beautiful photographs of President-Elect Barack Obama and America’s First Family.  Each calendar-bookmarker captures a different aspect of the 44th President of the United States of America and his family on the front, with another picture and little known facts on the back.  It’s like getting TWO bookmarkers for the price of one!

These unique keepsake bookmarkers have been printed on superior quality high gloss 14 pt card stock with UV coating for protection.  For even more protection, you can purchase our laminated version!  Whatever your choice, you cannot go wrong with these beautiful calendar-bookmarkers.   They make the perfect gift for any occasion: Christmas, Inauguration events, African-American History Month, birthdays, graduations, schools, students and more!  Capture history!  Get your Commemorative Obama Keepsake 2009 Calendar-Bookmarkers today!  They are not only beautiful, but uniquely affordable too.

Wholesalers!  Bookstore owners! Gift shops, novelty stores and more!  These bookmarkers will be an invaluable addition to your Barack Obama Presidential collection!   By ordering 100 or more and you can get bulk order pricing!

Regina Osei
http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/barack-obama-now-represents-gifts-for-all-seasons-beautiful-unique-affordable-681527.html

Get your beautiful, unique and affordable Barack Obama Gifts here!

Even before it was announced on November 4th that Barack Obama would be the 44th President of the United States, vendors were lining the streets of Chicago and metropolitian cities around the world, with ready-to-use Obama buttons, t-shirts, mugs and anything else that the likeness of the Obama family could be displayed on.  Not only is Obama a hot commodity, he is, but he has become that and so much more… and icon and the face and symbol of change in America .  In the face of such a movement, one has two choices:  watch it or join it.  We opted to join it.  Here’s how!

Now you can give your loved ones a gift that will never lose its value!  Celebrate this moment in our nation’s history with your very own commemorative calendar bookmarkers depicting beautiful photographs of President-Elect Barack Obama and America’s First Family.  Each calendar-bookmarker captures a different aspect of the 44th President of the United States of America and his family on the front, with another picture and little known facts on the back.  It’s like getting TWO bookmarkers for the price of one!

These unique keepsake bookmarkers have been printed on superior quality high gloss 14 pt card stock with UV coating for protection.  For even more protection, you can purchase our laminated version!  Whatever your choice, you cannot go wrong with these beautiful calendar-bookmarkers.   They make the perfect gift for any occasion: Christmas, Inauguration events, African-American History Month, birthdays, graduations, schools, students and more!  Capture history!  Get your Commemorative Obama Keepsake 2009 Calendar-Bookmarkers today!  They are not only beautiful, but uniquely affordable too.

Wholesalers!  Bookstore owners! Gift shops, novelty stores and more!  These bookmarkers will be an invaluable addition to your Barack Obama Presidential collection!   By ordering 100 or more and you can get bulk order pricing!

Regina Osei
http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/barack-obama-now-represents-gifts-for-all-seasons-beautiful-unique-affordable-681527.html

Racing, Hockey, football, basket ball and baseball are some of the very popular games in America. It is the dream of many a young boy to grow up and join professional teams in one of these games. However, there are some athletes who prefer to become coaches in these fields rather than players of the games. Maybe they would also have wondered how they could become coaches instead of professional players.

What does it take to become a coach

To start with you have to have the talent and the skill of playing th game, and then you have to have a thorough knowledge of the game and all the rules and regulations too. Initially most coaches would start at the high school level of coaching and then go on to become coaches for the upper grade teams. Some of the coaches are retired basket ball players, who after their days of playing active basket ball are over, go in for coaching. Professional players of any games often turn to becoming coaches or analysers or sports reporters as they have a complete knowledge of the game and what it involves.

Phil Jackson a well known coach
Phil Jackson started out playing football, baseball and basket ball while he was in high school in North Dakota. His abilities at the game were spotted by some scouts who passed the information on to Bill Fitch who was going to be the future coach for NBA. It was Bill Fitch who gave Phil Jackson a break into the field and when he retired in 1980 he came to be the assistant head coach and later the head coach of the basket ball team called Chicago Bulls. Prior to retiring Phil had played for several teams in Dakota.

Phil Jackson found being the coach of the Chicago Bulls to be very stressful and so he took a years time off and later became the coach for L.A. Lakers. He succeeded in making them the great team that they are today. Phil is considered to be one of the finest coaches in the history of the game by NBA. Now he is a counselor for other players who would like to become coaches. He asks them to undergo counseling from coches who are handling high school and college teams. They direct these young enthusiasts towards the proper schools and college teams that would eventually further their careers as coaches.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/building-basketball-coaching-career-hot-tips-to-get-started-703261.html

When you are choosing a school to study food courses at, knowing what to look for in culinary schools means that you will make the right choice the first time. Asking around in the industry to see which schools employers favor is a good way to get an idea of the most respected and highly thought of schools. If location is a factor for you, then you will need to ask around within your city or at least state (unless you don’t mind traveling).

It is believed that these schools have the most success when it comes to job placement after study, with many employers taking students as soon as they graduate.

Cooking is growing in popularity as a career choice due to TV shows and online sites which have shown people how fun it can be to be involved in a culinary career. It’s also reasonably paying and there is plenty of room for advancement as chefs can work their way up within a particular restaurant. In addition, there is also room for advancement in better restaurants and other cooking establishments. Usually the better restaurants pay their chefs higher salaries.

Some of the best culinary schools around the world include:

USA
The Culinary Institute of Canada (Charlottetown, PE)
California School of Culinary Arts Pasadena
Orlando Culinary Academy
Texas Culinary Academy’
Pennsylvania Culinary Institute
The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago
Lincoln College of Technology
The Culinary Institute of America
Le Cordon Bleu College Of Culinary Arts – Las Vegas, Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Miami and Dallas
The Restaurant School, Philadelphia

UK
School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology, DIT, Dublin, Ireland

Oceania
North Shore International Academy, Auckland, New Zealand

Other locations
International Centre for Culinary Arts, Dubai
Culinary Academy Of India

The above schools are all highly regarded in the culinary industry and a qualification from any will result in an outstanding looking resume. But there are many others. And even beyond the school you go to, the cooking establishments you work in and receive further training from will help your resume as well.

At culinary school you will learn about cooking, baking, nutrition, food standards, food identification, food hygiene, recipes preparation, menus and much more. Most schools have outstanding and experienced culinary chefs as teachers.

Culinary schools such as those listed above are equipped with full scale kitchens that replicate those found in the industry. This gives students the chance to gain experience in a real environment as well as utilize all utensils and equipment that would be found in a job situation.

Some culinary schools specialize in particular aspects of the subject such as baking and pastry, fine dining, corporate and event dining and others. There are also more and more online culinary schools where students can study at their own pace and complete practical exercises at home.

Becoming a chef or other professional through completing a certificate or degree at culinary schools is an excellent way to form a solid and exciting career. There are countless opportunities for advancement and there is a lot of money to be made in an industry that is growing more every year.

J. Charleston
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/what-to-look-for-in-culinary-arts-schools-681711.html

When you are choosing a school to study food courses at, knowing what to look for in culinary schools means that you will make the right choice the first time. Asking around in the industry to see which schools employers favor is a good way to get an idea of the most respected and highly thought of schools. If location is a factor for you, then you will need to ask around within your city or at least state (unless you don’t mind traveling).

It is believed that these schools have the most success when it comes to job placement after study, with many employers taking students as soon as they graduate.

Cooking is growing in popularity as a career choice due to TV shows and online sites which have shown people how fun it can be to be involved in a culinary career. It’s also reasonably paying and there is plenty of room for advancement as chefs can work their way up within a particular restaurant. In addition, there is also room for advancement in better restaurants and other cooking establishments. Usually the better restaurants pay their chefs higher salaries.

Some of the best culinary schools around the world include:

USA
The Culinary Institute of Canada (Charlottetown, PE)
California School of Culinary Arts Pasadena
Orlando Culinary Academy
Texas Culinary Academy’
Pennsylvania Culinary Institute
The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago
Lincoln College of Technology
The Culinary Institute of America
Le Cordon Bleu College Of Culinary Arts – Las Vegas, Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Miami and Dallas
The Restaurant School, Philadelphia

UK
School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology, DIT, Dublin, Ireland

Oceania
North Shore International Academy, Auckland, New Zealand

Other locations
International Centre for Culinary Arts, Dubai
Culinary Academy Of India

The above schools are all highly regarded in the culinary industry and a qualification from any will result in an outstanding looking resume. But there are many others. And even beyond the school you go to, the cooking establishments you work in and receive further training from will help your resume as well.

At culinary school you will learn about cooking, baking, nutrition, food standards, food identification, food hygiene, recipes preparation, menus and much more. Most schools have outstanding and experienced culinary chefs as teachers.

Culinary schools such as those listed above are equipped with full scale kitchens that replicate those found in the industry. This gives students the chance to gain experience in a real environment as well as utilize all utensils and equipment that would be found in a job situation.

Some culinary schools specialize in particular aspects of the subject such as baking and pastry, fine dining, corporate and event dining and others. There are also more and more online culinary schools where students can study at their own pace and complete practical exercises at home.

Becoming a chef or other professional through completing a certificate or degree at culinary schools is an excellent way to form a solid and exciting career. There are countless opportunities for advancement and there is a lot of money to be made in an industry that is growing more every year.

J. Charleston
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/what-to-look-for-in-culinary-arts-schools-681711.html

As the spring semester of high school resumes in Chicago, many students begin to have prom on their minds.  Prom committees have usually formed at this point and a lot of the necessary steps to plan the event have already taken place.  Planning a Chicago prom can be quite a task and can often go unrecognized and unrewarded.  Often times if the prom dance is a flop the members of the committee will take a lot of the heat.  So to help avoid some of those unnecessary negative comments we’ve created a step by step guide to help aid you in the planning of your Chicago Prom.

So where do we begin?  When is the right time to start thinking prom?  The correct answer would one year prior to the date. There are several things that will need to be taken care of that time.  Listed below are a few steps you’ll want to take one year prior to your Chicago Prom event……

• Choose prom committee members and create sub-committees.  Without the prom committee there would be no prom, so having the right leaders on the committee can often make or break your event.  Your Chicago Prom committee should be made up of advisors and various student volunteers.
• Set a realistic budget.  Creating a realistic budget is a very important step in planning a prom.  You’ll want to begin by collecting the most detailed information on how much each element will cost.  This will give you a good idea for how much to budget for.  You’ll then want to take things into account like how much money will be coming from fundraising and from sponsors.   From there you can then determine how many tickets you’ll need to sell to break even for the event.
• Set the date.  Setting a date for your event can be very difficult.  You’ll want to take things into account like holidays, school activities, sporting events, and even neighboring school’s prom dates.  You’ll want to choose a date that coincides with all of those things.  Nine times out of ten you probably you won’t be able to please everyone with the selected date. 
• Choose you location/venue.  You’ve successfully created a budget and selected a date now it’s time to book a venue.  When choosing a venue you’ll want to find a facility that will be able to hold your crowd comfortably.  You’ll also want to look into food and catering options at those venues.  If you’re planning on having entertainment and dancing, will the venue be able to accommodate those needs?  As you search for venues you’ll notice a lot of reception halls prefer not to host school proms on Saturday evenings because they can conflict with their high priority wedding dates.  Make sure you confirm your venue early as the longer you wait the harder it’ll be to settle on the right place.

After you’ve done all the steps above you’re well on your way to creating a successful Chicago prom, you can now relax and have the next couple months off before the next batch of planning begins.  Around 8 months before your prom you’ll want to pick up with the committee meetings again and begin the next stages.

• Choose a theme.  Choosing a prom theme often can be one of the most important decisions your prom committee will make.  Choosing the right theme can make your prom stand out from others in the past and can be that key component in creating a memorable night.  When choosing a theme you’ll want to think of the mood you’d like to portray that night.  You’ll want to take into consideration whether you’d like to portray a fun mood, romantic mood, or even a mysterious mood.  A good Chicago prom theme should revolve around an innovative title, unique decorations, and a treasured song.  This is when you’ll want a lot of input from your committee members.
• Discuss fundraising opportunities.   Fundraising is very important in planning a Chicago prom and should never be overlooked.  After adding up the total expenses and dividing it by the number of students attending the event the cost per ticket can many times be rather expensive.  Students are usually aware that prom isn’t cheap so fundraisers are often appreciated.  There are hundreds of fundraising ideas available on the internet and you should utilized them when planning your event.
• Book your Disc Jockey.  This is another crucial and overlooked step that many don’t spend a lot of time on.  The success of your event a lot of times rides on the music that’s to be played and the DJ that’s playing it.  There are hundreds of Chicago DJ companies and only a handful of good ones.  Make sure you spend some time when selecting your entertainment.  Prices can vary greatly; most Chicago Prom DJs are priced around $1,000 and go up from there.  You’ll want to hire an experienced disc jockey that specializes in prom entertainment, not just your average wedding DJ.
• Begin discussing decoration ideas.   Now is the time when you’ll want to start talking decorations.  You’ll want to choose decorations that revolve around your theme for the evening.  As you plan for you Chicago Prom you’ll be surprised as to all the decorations available out there.  You can always buy pre-assembled decorations, but they’ll cost you.  Talk with your committee members and see what they can come up with on their own.  This can help save on the decoration costs.  A lot of schools in Chicago have actually cut back on their decorations and have invested their money into the dinner and the entertainment.  This may be an route you’d like to take.

You’ve now completed most of the important steps towards planning your Chicago Prom.  We recommend waiting about 2 or 3 months prior to your prom before you begin with the next steps. 

• Order invitations, programs, party items, and tickets.  Now is the time when you’ll want to send out for these important items.  It can sometimes take a few weeks to get things printed so be sure to get your final work to the printers before it’s too late.  You’ll also want to order your royalty party items like crowns, sashes, tiaras, and etc.
• Begin your advertising campaign.   You’ll want to start hyping the excitement of your Chicago prom.  You may want to consider hanging posters, placing ads in the school newspapers, hand our flyers, and/or even run commercials on your student radio station.
• Book a photographer.  At this time you’ll want to finalize your photographer.  You’ll want to decide how pictures will be taken that night and where in the venue will they run their operation.  Often times schools will use their yearbook photographers for the miscellaneous photos and then hire another professional photographer for portraits.  You’ll want to consider several options with your prom committee.

The time has finally arrived and it’s now 2 weeks prior to your event.  It’s crunch time and there are a few other details that’ll need to be taken care of….

• Send out your invitations and start selling your tickets.  Choose a central location in your school to setup a ticket sales booth.  Make sure the kids are aware of this location.  You may want to sell tickets at normal prices for the first week and then raise the price as the event draws nearer.  This will encourage immediate ticket sales and will prevent students from holding off until the last day to purchase their tickets.
• Confirm your vendors.  Now is the time when you should finalize all the details with your venue, DJ, caterer, and photographer.  You’ll want to make sure everyone’s timeline is laid out the same and there aren’t any conflicting schedules.  You’ll also want to confirm your theme song with your Chicago Prom DJ.  Don’t forget to call your chaperones as too!
• Setup a schedule for decorating your venue.  You’ll want to assign committee members the task of decorating the venue.  Make sure you confirm times with the venue and they are ok with you hanging decorations.  You’ll want to take time and read through any instructions kits that came with your decorations.  Make sure all the pieces are included in your kits and figure out the estimated time it’ll take to set them all up.
• Hold nominations for prom court.  This job usually falls under your job description as well.  You’ll want to decide how nominations will be made and who will conduct them at the event.

After you’ve completed the above steps you should be well on your way to create a successful Chicago Prom.  As you can see a lot of work and time goes into planning a big event like this.  When it’s all said in done though, the students you work with will remember this night for the rest of their lives.

Stevie Dee
http://www.articlesbase.com/teenagers-articles/planning-your-chicago-prom-event-706688.html

Pokagon Fund hands out money for projects

By H-P STAFF
Published: Thursday, January 29, 2009 1:09 PM EST

NEW BUFFALO – The Pokagon Fund’s board has granted $183,301 for new projects ranging from scouting to sports programs.

Getting grants in the December-January funding round are:

– St. Mary of the Lake School and New Buffalo Area Schools, $8,965 for the Girls on the Run Program, a national program aimed at building confidence in girls in third through fifth grade. It’s a 12-week course and they train for a 3.1-mile competitive run in May.

– LaSalle Council of Boy Scouts of America, $6,600 for an after-school scouting program.

– Harbor Country Chamber of Commerce, $4,500 to underwrite formation of a strategic plan.

– New Buffalo Sports Inc., $7,750 to support its 2009 season and an unsolicited grant of $500 to provide scholarships for youths whose families find it hard to pay registration fees.

– New Buffalo Township, $3,500 for additional work on amending its master plan.

The fund is also continuing to loan New Buffalo Township $136,486 to pay for police protection in January, February and March. The fund has supported the township’s police force since January 2008, and the loan will be paid back with proceeds from the Local Revenue Sharing Board when those funds are released.

The fund is also taking steps to ensure that organizations that get grants can deliver services. Executive Director Mary Dunbar said the fund is entering a $15,000 agreement with Executive Service Corp. of Chicago toward that end.

“We want very much to see our grantees succeed in delivering their programs and their mission.” Dunbar said.

Executive Service Corps will survey all organizations getting grants to assess strengths and any weaknesses, then hold workshops on any areas that need help. Workshops could include such topics as board development, finance, fund raising, and marketing.

The Pokagon Fund began funding grant proposals in November 2007, and since that time has provided over $3.4 million in funding. Grant funding supports initiatives in the fields of health, human services, art, education, recreation, and environment.

The fund supports municipalities and non-profit groups in New Buffalo, Chikaming, and Three Oaks townships, and in and around Pokagon Band land trusts in Dowagiac, Hartford and North Liberty, Ind. The fund is a private foundation supported by 2 percent of electronic gaming revenue from the Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo Township.

dimoffer
http://www.articlesbase.com/causes-and-organizations-articles/pokagon-fund-hands-out-money-for-projects-751765.html