Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Wednesday, May 13th, 2015
By Colleen Schuler, e-Management
For Memorial Day, thousands visit the famous Iwo Jima statue at the Marine Corps Memorial located outside of Washington, DC. How will you honor the fallen this Memorial Day? Photo Source: https://goo.gl/lh4X3e
“It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on,” President Abraham Lincoln declared. “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us. That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.”
The President, of course, was referring to the Union soldiers who had died five months earlier at the Battle of Gettysburg. It would be another 20 months of fighting before the last general of the Confederate Army surrendered.
Decoration Day Commences.
Three years after the Civil War ended, Memorial Day was created to honor the fallen soldiers on both sides of the conflict. After World War I, it was designated to honor all soldiers who died while serving their country. Originally known as Decoration Day (the soldiers’ graves were decorated) and celebrated on May 30, it wasn’t until 1971 with the passage of the National Holiday Act that it was moved to the fourth Monday in May. In 2000, President Clinton signed the National Moment of Remembrance Act designating “3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day each year as the National Moment of Remembrance, in honor of the men and women of the United States who died in the pursuit of freedom and peace.”
Yes, Memorial Day is in remembrance for the fallen. But I suggest we broaden our view. Let’s honor the memories of those who’ve fallen in service to our country by using the gifts and talents we have to help and serve the living. Everyone can do something.
Twenty dollars.
Perhaps you’ve heard of Myles Eckert, whose father, U.S. Army Sgt. Andy Eckert, died in Iraq when Myles was an infant. Last year, Myles found $20 in a restaurant parking lot outside of Toledo, Ohio. He was going to spend it on himself when he saw a man in uniform—Lt. Col. Frank Dailey of the Ohio Air National Guard. Instead, he gave the money to Dailey with a note: “Dear Soldier – my dad was a soldier. He’s in heaven now. I found this 20 dollars in the parking lot when we got here. We like to pay it forward in my family. It’s your lucky day! Thank you for your service. Myles Eckert, a gold star kid.” That’s a big heart for an 8-year-old.
Clear Water.
In 2007, fresh out of college on a ROTC scholarship, U.S. Army Capt. Benjamin Sklaver was sent to northeast Africa. In Uganda, he saw that clean water was vital for the health of the people, especially those living in small villages, and worked to provide that. When he came back to the States, he set up the to continue helping the Ugandans. Two years later, Sklaver was redeployed to Afghanistan, working in civil affairs doing much of the same work that he had done in Uganda. But he lost his life to a suicide bomber. His parents and friends continued the work of his foundation; eight years later they are still going strong.
Kick for Nick.
U.S. Army Pvt. Nick Madaras inspired many people to honor his memory—with a global reach. Madaras, a soccer aficionado and youth-soccer coach from Connecticut, had been deployed to Iraq. He found that soccer broke down barriers, especially with the Iraqi children. Madaras’ goal was to send soccer balls to the Iraqi children. But he was killed by a roadside bomb in 2006. A Korean War vet, Ken Dartley, read a local newspaper article about Madaras and started a soccer ball drive. That has evolved into the . People from forty-seven states have sent more than 42,000 soccer balls to 19 countries. Cal Holt, an eighth grader from Winston-Salem, N.C., saw a video about Madaras and started his own drive for a school project. He and his friends collected 33 soccer balls. They ended up in the hands of children from the African nation of Djibouti. Seeing pictures of the smiling children, Holt said, “Doing this, I’ll remember this for a long time.”
What a great way to honor Pvt. Madaras—a seemingly small act with a big impact.
What does Memorial Day mean to you?
The beginning of summer? A paid holiday? Great bargains? Blockbuster movies? Cookouts?
Let’s remember the fallen. Let’s resolve that those who gave their lives for our country will not have died in vain.
Let’s make it a day that inspires. What will you do?
Tags: charity, ClearWater Initiative, Colleen Schuler, , Kick for Nick Foundation, Memorial Day, Ola Sage
Posted in Corporate, Entertainment, Family, Leadership, Lifestyle, Travel, Uncategorized | 20 Comments »
Friday, October 10th, 2014
By Dennis Powell, e-Management
A recent National Charter School Study from the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (Stanford University) Suggests public charter schools are effective for low-income, immigrant, and minority students. (Photo credit: Education News - www.educationnews.org)
The late advice columnist Abigail Van Buren (“Dear Abbey”) once said, “True, a little learning is a dangerous thing, but it still beats total ignorance.” Benjamin Franklin believed, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” The late Nelson Mandela asserted, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” The verdict is in! Education means a lot of things to different people.
Spotlight on Education
For this government spotlight, e-Management wanted to examine the federal government and its role in education. To begin, we had to take a closer look at the U.S. Department of Education (E.D.). After all, more than 4,400 employees support the department’s mission “to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.” The agency has only been around since 1980 following President Jimmy Carter’s signing of the Department of Education Organization Act. Today, the agency has a $68 billion budget, which goes toward collecting data on schools and leading education research; calling attention to the most pressing issues in education; ensuring equal access to education and ending discrimination; and finally, driving the policies that shape federal financial aid for students.
4 Gold Stars for E.D.
The department clearly has its hands full. So, we had to narrow down E.D.’s good work to four stellar initiatives for students.
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School Improvement: Locating the Dropout Crisis (2004) reveals that more than half of the nation’s 1.2 million dropouts come from fewer than 15% of schools. To address this surprising statistic, the Department of Education administers the School Improvement Grant (SIG) program, which provides grants to states. Since 2009, more than $4.5 billion has gone to support the SIG program. SIG grants provide better resources to underserved public schools in rural and urban areas. The goal of this program is to increase achievement among students of all ethnicity who attend low-performing schools.
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Financial Aid: The average annual tuition cost for private and public colleges is about $24,000. Naturally, many students use scholarships, grants, and loans to subsidize their college expenses. The Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) is here to help. FSA provides $150 billion each year in tuition support. Through FSA programs, students qualify for work-study funds, grants, and low-interest loans.
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Arts Education: In our National Endowment for the Arts blog spotlight, we talked about the challenges around arts education. E.D. supports arts education through grants. Earlier this week, the agency announced its awarding of $13.4 million to 34 organizations around the country. Specifically, these educations grants will support arts educators. The grants will also have the added benefit of being tools for educators around the country to share best practices for improving student achievement.
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Public Charter Schools: Public Charter Schools are controversial organizations. Advocates for those learning institutions point to a recent National Charter School Study from the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University. The report suggests that these schools are effective for low-income, immigrant, and minority students. The Department of Education seems to agree. This week the agency awarded nearly $40 million in grants for the expansion and creation of new “high quality” public charter schools. The grants will help build on the formulas of successful and high achieving charter schools and will affect students of underserved communities in 12 states. Overall, the department has invested more than $220 million over the last 12 months for “high quality charter schools and the dissemination of their successful efforts.”
What can E.D. do for you?
The Department of Education’s 35-year history isn’t without controversy. The department has come under fire for No Child Left Behind and the Common Core—even though the latter is a National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) initiative. Speaking of , (1) do you think the new standards are good for students? (2) What do you think the Department of Education should be doing more of when it comes to education policy? (3) How would you grade the Department of Education?
Tags: charter school, Dennis Powell, Department of Education, , FSA, Government, Ola Sage, School Improvement Grant
Posted in Uncategorized | 20 Comments »
All We Are Saying Is Give Peace a Chance
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014
By Dennis Powell, e-Management
“Give Peace a Chance” is a pop song written in 1969 by John Lennon of the Beatles as an anti-war anthem. Today, the song is considered by many to be as relevant as it was 45 years ago; yet the reality of military conflicts still exists. Why is peace so hard to come by? I don’t have a simple answer. But what I can say is that everyone seems to want peace. Beauty pageant hopefuls, faith leaders, school yard kids, and even the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills want peace.  Plus, there is at least one government agency that exists for the sake of peace.
Peace Corps volunteers working in an Ethiopian community to promote food security and tackle hunger issues. (Photo Source: http://passport.peacecorps.gov)
Do you know which one?
It shouldn’t be hard to figure out that the Peace Corps fits the bill. The Corps’ overarching mission is “to promote world peace and friendship.” The organization has three goals: (1) Helping people in other countries meet their training needs; (2) promoting “a better understanding of Americans” around the globe; and (3) promoting a better understanding of people in other countries. As the “preeminent international service organization of the United States,” the Corps is comprised of more than 7,200 volunteers and trainees. Since 1961, more than 215,000 people have served. Volunteers and trainees live and work within the communities and with the people they serve. The Corps’ work deals with creating solutions in the areas of education, healthcare, economic development, youth development, agriculture and more. According to the Corps, volunteers only provide assistance in countries that request their support.
So what do they really do?
Contrary to the notion of “tree hugging” members with no sense of direction, the Peace Corps consists of dedicated people who sacrifice a great deal to make the world a better place. Here are examples of how the Peace Corps is improving lives and communities, one volunteer at a time.
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Peace through food security. The Peace Corps supports the U.S. Feed the Future global hunger and food security initiative. Working with other U.S. agencies, the volunteers help communities resolve issues around water accessibility, food cultivation, and food shortages. For example, volunteers are “teaching improved agricultural practices, food processing and agroforestry.” According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), agroforestry is the “integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits.” In 2012, nearly 1000 volunteers supported food security efforts to reduce hunger in 23 countries.
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Peace through equality. The Peace Corps fosters gender equality and empowerment around the world. Case in point, Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) is a Corps program that helps to foster gender equality in 60 countries. Volunteers facilitate events that allow girls and women to exchange ideas, share their dreams, develop leadership skills, and build confidence. In addition, the Peace Corps efforts target men and young boys to “think beyond traditional gender roles.”
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Peace through disease prevention. Peace Corps volunteers are active in communities around the world to help reduce the incidence of serious and infectious diseases. More than 3,000 volunteers are working throughout Africa to stop malaria, which kills more than 660,000 people every year. Want to find out more about this program? Check out the Stomp Out Malaria social media .
Who is right for the Peace Corps?
The Peace Corps has an impressive list of alumni/alumnae including Former U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd, Founder and CEO of Netflix Reed Hastings, University of Miami President Donna Shalala, NBC’s Hardball Host Chris Matthews, and Habitat for Humanity Co-Founder Donald Mosley, among many others. Throughout its history, the Corps has built a reputation for instilling a sense of purpose among its volunteer force. In addition to participants’ devotion, there is the cross-cultural understanding that comes with living in a foreign land. So it is understandable that the Corps attracts many young people who are starting their careers. Still, the service organization is more diverse than many believe. A quarter of volunteers are ethnic minorities. Additionally, Americans older than 50 are also joining the Corps at higher rates than ever.
Reality Check
It’s time for a reality check. Remember, the Peace Corps’ duty is “to promote world peace and friendship” around the world. (1) Do Peace Corps events, programs, and initiatives bring us any closer to peace? (2) Do you think the Corps is doing a decent job at promoting American values abroad? (3) What do you think the organization could be doing more of to advance its mission?
Tags: Chris Matthews, Christopher Dodd, Dennis Powell, , equality, food secuirity, Government, Healthcare, malaria, Ola Sage, Peace Corps, , Reed Hastings
Posted in Entertainment, Government, Healthcare, Leadership, Lifestyle, Social Media, Uncategorized | 30 Comments »
Wednesday, April 9th, 2014
By Dennis Powell, e-Management
The politics around global warming ain’t pretty. All jokes aside, being more conscious of our energy consumption and searching for cleaner forms of energy are not liberal, moderate, or conservative ways of thinking. Energy efficiency, conservation, and renewal forms of energy are global considerations and perhaps better ways of doing things to ensure a more ideal future.
The EPA says energy efficiency saves us money!
Why?
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Energy efficiency is good for the environment! As many of you know, e-Management supports causes and campaigns that focus on education, energy, and the elimination of poverty. Currently, we are wrapping up yet another successful ENERGY STAR campaign for 2013-2014. A voluntary program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ENERGY STAR has had a real impact on reducing “significant” greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the pledges and actions of millions of people. Why is this important? Well, excessive greenhouse gases may lead to significant increases in temperature, which could result in more severe weather conditions including more frequent and destructive storms, as well as longer and harsher droughts.
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Energy efficiency is good for business! Energy efficiency leads to a better economy according to the EPA. How? The Alliance to Save Energy points to hundreds of thousands of jobs that have been created through energy-efficient building projects and the new jobs that are being created from innovations developed to improve energy consumption and efficiency.
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Energy efficiency saves you tons of money! Taking energy conservation seriously can save you tons of money. Did you know ENERGY STAR appliances can help American households cut electricity costs by nearly a third? Additionally, getting rid of conventional incandescent light bulbs can help you save up to 80% in energy costs, according to the Alliance to Save Energy.
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Energy efficiency could save lives. Livescience, an online tech and science publication with more than 8 million readers, report that reducing greenhouse gas emissions “could prevent up to 3 million premature deaths annually by the year 2100.” Those figures are based in part due to low air pollutants, which may lead to serious illnesses.
Becoming an “energy star.”
According to the EPA, energy efficiency reduces concerns around “the challenges of high energy prices, energy security and independence, air pollution, and global climate change.” Becoming an “energy star”—doing your part by being more energy conscious—is one of the best contributions you can leave for future generations. So, (1) are you concerned about issues around energy creation, consumption, or the impact energy has on the environment? (2) What policies, if any, would you enact when it comes to energy? Finally, (3) do you have any energy saving tips to share?
Tags: blog, conservation, Dennis Powell, , energy efficiency, ENERGY STAR, EPA, Ola Sage, renewable
Posted in Energy, Lifestyle, Uncategorized | 26 Comments »
I.C.E. Breaker
Friday, January 17th, 2014
By Dennis Powell, e-Management
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are known for immigration related initiatives. But many are surprised to learn about the agency’s work protecting citizens from cyber crimes, human trafficking, and child exploitation. (Photo Credit: Philip A. Dwyer/AP)
Let’s go back to 2003. It was around this time the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) evolved out of the investigative and federal enforcement functions of the former U.S. Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Conversations around immigration and law enforcement in this country can become passionate quite quickly. But, there’s more to ICE than public opinion on how to deal with issues surrounding immigration. When many think of ICE’s mission, they typically assume the agency is about the removal of undocumented persons or the enforcement of immigration laws. But a lot of folks are surprised to learn about its investigative programs such as the Cyber Crimes Center (C3).
Did you know about ICE’s role in ending online exploitation?
The C3 Child Exploitation Section (CES) is responsible for busting production and distribution of explicit images of children and persons who travel in the U.S. for the expressed purposes to abuse, assault, or exploit children. C3 CES uses the latest Internet technology to investigate and catch adults who try to sexually exploit minors. Only a few weeks ago a man was arrested in California thanks to the work of agents for ICE. The man later admitted to Internet-media crimes involving children.
Did you know about ICE’s role in catching predators?
Similar to its CES program, ICE runs Operation Predator, which as the name suggests, is focused on investigations into people who prey on minors. The scope of Operation Predator is wider than CES’ online mission. ICE works with the Department of Justice, the U.S. Secret Service, and even the U.S. Postal Service to carry out its goals. There’s even an Operation Predator App available on iTunes. The app allows users to report suspicions of unlawful behavior directly to ICE. Last month, the app was credited in helping law enforcement in Louisiana arrest a man believed to be a predator and producer of illegal media involving children.
Did you know about ICE’s charge to investigate a variety of online crime?
If you have ever been a victim of online fraud, you may be happy to learn ICE has a program that focuses on perpetrators using the Internet to break immigration and other jurisdictional laws. The Cyber Crimes Section (CSS) program is responsible for tracking online money laundering, sales of illegal drugs, and even identity theft. CSS is responsible for shutting down pirate websites that exploit corporate intellectual property including media files for copyrighted music and videos. According to IT Law Wiki, CCS initiatives also protect Americans by putting organizations who sell counterfeit pharmaceuticals and other merchandise out of business!
Criminals Are Walking On Thin I.C.E.
With so much focus in the news on local enforcements’ issues with undocumented people living in the USA, it may be easy for ICE’s work fighting against human trafficking, protecting children from predators, and getting in front of cyber crimes to be overlooked by news agencies and the general public. So, (1) what’s your take on immigration and customs issues affecting the USA? (2) Did you know about ICE’s role in fighting Internet crime and child exploitation? (3) What other things would you like to see ICE focus on in the coming year?
Tags: C3, children, crime, customs, Cyber security, Dennis Powell, DHS, , exploitation, Government, human trafficking, ICE, immigration, law enforcement, Ola Sage
Posted in Government, Information Security, Leadership, News, Uncategorized | 28 Comments »
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