Education Talk Radio Launches a Second Education Podcast for Parents and Community
Education in America aims to close the information gap between schools, districts, and the communities they serve
(Boston, MA) March 8, 2017 —Larry Jacobs, host of the long-running Education Talk Radiopodcast for education professionals, today announced the debut of his new podcast, Education in America.
The weekly podcast brings together the voices and opinions of guest educators, authors and members of the community. The aim is to close the information gap between schools, districts, and the communities they serve.
The podcast went live on February 17. The premiere episode, “The Why and How of School Networking,” featured Larry and his guests Keith Krueger, the executive director of The Consortium for School Networking, and LaShona Dickerson, the technology director of Lafayette Parish (LA) Public Schools. They discussed how best to prepare students and the community for a 21st-century America via the use of technology and networking in schools.
Following that first broadcast, shows have delved into the topics of school choice and the inherent value of supporting public education. Future shows will cover social emotional learning, civics and civic discourse in schools, kindergarten readiness, and the parents’ role in special education. Additionally, an ongoing series will highlight the good work of varied districts around the country.
The podcast airs on Fridays and invites influential and noteworthy thought leaders, professional education associations, and authors to step up to the mic and address the key questions surrounding the role and responsibility of educators and the school system in America—as well as the role of community stakeholders, local businesses, and parents.
When approaching these topics on his podcast, Jacobs uses the “real talk” method, avoiding buzzwords and clichés and widening the discussion to the general public. “I believe that the news of education should be both informative and entertaining,” he said.
Jacobs continued, “It is now more important than ever to bring the positive points of education to the community, parents, and public. After all, it is their tax dollars and tuition we spend daily, and it is their children who we educate. Many companies, educators, and thought leaders have told me they want to get the word to the community, and we are now doing that with Education in America. I want to help both sides understand and support the other.”
Education Talk Radio, which gave rise to Education in America, was Jacobs’ first podcast targeted at professional educators. Launched in 2011 and running five days a week with two or three 40-minute shows daily, it now boasts more than 2,500 broadcasted shows and an average 1,700 listens per day, all archived at Education-TalkRadio.org. With Education in America, Jacobs widens the audience for education news, while narrowing his focus to parents and community in order for that audience to understand what goes on in schools and why education must be understood and supported by all stakeholders, both now and in the future.
To suggest discussion topics or under-writing, or to request to appear as a guest on the show, please contact Larry at edutalklarry@gmail.com.
About Larry Jacobs:
Larry Jacobs, M.Ed, has been the host and president of Education Talk Radio since 2011.The daily podcast is recorded live and then archived on iTunes and at BlogTalkRadio.com/edutalk and Education-TalkRadio.org. Jacobs is a former educator and publishing executive who graduated with a BS. Ed from West Chester University and then received his master’s in education from Arcadia University. His long broadcasting experience includes his time as a host on WRKO radio in Boston and at several stations in New Hampshire.
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1 in 4 Girls experience teen dating violence.
159 colleges are under investigation for improperly handling sexual harassment incidents.
When “social media powerhouse” Kelly Oxford tweeted “Women: tweet me your first assaults,” 27 million people responded or visited her Twitter page — overnight.
Young women are in danger — but there’s hope.
A new verbal self-defense course called True Shield teaches teen girls (14-24) to protect themselves and prevent a physical attack. The course covers the 10 most common difficult and dangerous situations a young woman will likely be put in with friends, family, teachers, boyfriends, colleagues and strangers.
“I’ll never forget how I felt after my first Aikido class,” says the founder of the program, Aikido black belt and media trainer Susan Harrow, who is just 5’2”.
“My body was pushed to the limit — and so was my mind. All of my weaknesses were exposed. I realized just how vulnerable I really was. How easy it would be for a big guy — or even a small guy — to overpower me if he wanted to.”
Aikido is an ancient Japanese martial art focused on love and harmony with a simple philosophy: defend yourself from harm, while also protecting your attacker from unnecessary injury.
“Aikido made sense to me the moment I was on the mat,” says Harrow who is a black belt and a former (teaching) tennis pro. “And all I could think was, I wish I’d had these skills when I was a girl.”
But when it comes to keeping girls safe, physical self-defense isn’t enough.
“Most programs focus MAINLY on physical self-defense. But verbal self-defense is just as important — and can prevent an attack. Learning how to say NO. Learning how to diffuse conflict. Learning how to end a conversation and walk away. Verbal self-defense is often what’s missing, for girls. And it’s simple to teach.”
As a media trainer and martial artist, Harrow knows the power of a well-chosen word – and a well placed strike. And in her new verbal self-defense course for girls, True Shield, she shares communication techniques that girls can use in 10 of life’s trickiest scenarios.
Harrow has created a 6-hour course including a facilitator’s guide and support materials that can be delivered by anyone — even without any martial arts or self-defense training, that is available to license to schools, colleges, organizations and female empowerment companies.
Harrow’s motto is, Speak your mind. Stand your ground. Sing your song.™ She says, “These techniques inspired by Aikido principles are grounded in everyday reality and proven communication skills. A girl might not be able to perform Kotegaeshi on a school bus, but she can learn how to slam her book shut and move to another seat if she’s being harassed by a bully. Same principle. Different power-move.”
3 power-moves girls can use now adapted from the course.
1. The stop-sign NO.
“If you’re being harassed or groped by a creepy guy, put your hand in a stop-sign position, directly out in front of you,” says Harrow. “Simultaneously, in a loud voice, say ‘Do NOT touch me’.”
“Then immediately move to a safer location. Most bullies will be stunned, and leave you alone. At least, long enough to get away.”
2. The book-slam.
“If someone is bothering you on a bus, or while you’re reading a book at school, do not engage them in a conversation. Slam your book shut and move to another seat, far away,” says Harrow. “This is called a pattern interrupt which creates the time and space to redirect a potentially dangerous situation. Do not chat. Do not apologize. Bullies want to rattle you, to stir your emotions, to connect. If you refuse to engage, the game is over.”
3. The non-negotiable.
“If someone is pressuring you to take drugs, have sex, or do anything you don’t feel comfortable with, start by saying ‘No’,” in a clear, strong, neutral tone,” says Harrow. “If they push back, look them straight in the eye and say…nothing. “No” is the end the conversation, not the beginning of a negotiation.”
“With my course I’m keen to teach girls in their teens and twenties that ‘No’ is a complete sentence, and that verbal self-defense — combined with physical self-defense — is what will keep you safe and strong. Not just in high school and college. But for life.
To become a facilitator or to license the course for your organization go here.
Each license is $1000, renewable yearly, to teach unlimited participants. Bulk savings available for school districts and organizations with numerous chapters.
Susan Harrow has been featured, quoted or profiled in: The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, The Christian Science Monitor, Inc.com, CNN, Advertising Age, Woman’s Day, Ladies’ Home Journal, Women’s Wear Daily, Entrepreneur, Salon Magazine, Pink, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Orlando Sentinel, and Investor’s Business Daily, and on CNBC, NPR, national / syndicated TV and radio.
Harrow is a world renowned media trainer and the creator of the acclaimed communications training program, Your Signature Sound Bites and the bestselling book Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul (HarperCollins). She has run a media consultancy for 27 years and trained thousands of people in verbal communications, holds a high school teaching degree, and is a certified TSI Interviewer. Her latest offering is the verbal self-defense course for teens and twenties, True Shield.
To read: 10 embarrassing, extraordinary and true things about Susan that might make your jaw drop, for more information, or to book an interview, please contact Susan at 510.912.0107 or publicist@prsecrets.com. Media images are HERE.
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Michael J. Devitt announces release of ‘Divide by Two Wheels’
BOISE, Idaho – Spanning 2,700 miles from Banff, Alberta, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route annually serves as the host for the Tour Divide Bikepacking race. With no awards or prize money for the winners and no entry fee, the Tour Divide is the ultimate athletic test of endurance and self-sufficiency.
“Divide by Two Wheels: Racing a Mountain Bike Unsupported, 2,700 miles from Canada to Mexico on the Continental Divide” (published by Lulu) is the story of one man’s experience in racing the 2016 Tour Divide. Author Michael J. Devitt’s journey is one of adventure and self-discovery, written to inspire readers to reach beyond their perceived limits and achieve the exceptional. The book also pays reverence to the beauty of the Continental Divide.
“It is a story of epic adventure, a story of personal struggle, of triumph over adversity, of friends made and stunning scenery,” says Devitt.
An excerpt from “Divide by Two Wheels”:
All in all, a good day. I had stretched my concept of what was possible: I had ridden 110 miles through challenging conditions, and I was sharing a bed with a complete stranger. I am not sure which one surprised me more.
“Divide by Two Wheels”
By Michael J. Devitt
Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 194 pages | ISBN 9781483464022
E-Book | 194 pages | ISBN 9781483464015
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Michael J. Devitt lives and rides his bike in Boise, Idaho, where he is a physical therapist. “Divide by Two Wheels” is his first book.
Lulu empowers people of all ages to explore and express their interests, passions and expertise through books, photography and art. Since introducing self-publishing in 2002, Lulu has empowered creators in more than 225 countries and territories to produce nearly two million publications. Lulu Jr. allows children to become published authors, encouraging creativity, strengthening literacy and building self-esteem. Picture.com offers professional photography of collegiate and professional sports, memorable and historic events, fine art and home décor. For more information, please visit www.lulu.com.
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The Arbor Day Foundation is making it easy for everyone to celebrate the arrival of spring by planting trees.
Join the Arbor Day Foundation in March 2017 and receive 10 free white pine trees or 10 white flowering dogwood trees.
“White pine trees or white flowering dogwoods will add beauty to your home throughout the year,” said Matt Harris, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Dogwoods are known for their showy spring flowers and red berries that attract songbirds during winter. White pine trees are fast-growing landscape trees that will break heavy winds, making them an ideal addition to any yard.”
The free trees are part of the nonprofit Foundation’s Trees for America campaign.
With planting instructions included, the trees will be shipped at the right time for planting, between March 1 and May 31. The 6- to 12-inch trees are guaranteed
to grow or they will be replaced free of charge.
Arbor Day Foundation members also receive a subscription to Arbor Day, the Foundation’s bimonthly publication, and The Tree Book, which contains information about tree planting and care.
To become a member of the Foundation and receive the free trees, send a $10 contribution to TEN FREE WHITE PINE or 10 FREE DOGWOOD TREES, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410, by March 31, 2017. Or join online at arborday.org/march.
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Sweet Relief Musicians Fund Presents
"Strange 80s"
Inaugural Annual Benefit Concert
On May 14th At The Fonda Theater
**Tickets On Sale Friday, March 10th @10am PT**
Hosted by Finn Wolfhard of Netflix's "Stranger Things"
With Performances By:
Tenacious D
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Sarah Silverman
Members of: OK Go, Goldfinger, Sugarcult, Anberlin, Anthrax, Velvet Revolver, Taking Back Sunday & more!
Los Angeles, CA - March 7, 2017 - Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is proud to announce "Strange 80s," the inaugural annual benefit concert set to take place on Sunday, May 14th at the Fonda Theater. Hosted by Finn Wolfhard of the Netlfix hit "Stranger Things," "Strange 80s" will feature performances by Finn and a rotating cast of rock stars & celebrities covering the timeless anthems of the 80s! Tickets for "Strange 80s" will go on sale to the public on Friday, March 10th at 10am PT, with VIP tickets being sold at a later date via CrowdRise. All proceeds will go to Sweet Relief Musicians Fund to provide financial assistance to career musicians and music industry workers in need due to illness, disability or age-related problems. For more information, please visit: http://sweetrelief.org/.
Performers include: Tenacious D, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and Sarah Silverman, plus members of OK Go, Taking Back Sunday, Velvet Revolver, Steel Panther, Filter, Anberlin, Goldfinger, Sugarcult, Anthrax, Precious Kid, Filter, and Honey Honey, plus TV stars: Dylan Minnette, Braeden Lemasters, Hayley Orrantia (from The Goldbergs), and Chelsea Telmadge (from Stranger Things), with additional performers to be announced over the next few weeks!
In addition to a full concert of musicians and actors covering anthems of the 80s, "Strange 80s" will feature a Silent Auction offering exclusive, big-ticket items and experiences. Plus, 250 lucky winners will continue the festivities with a rooftop after-party featuring Rain Man from Krewella and more to be announced.
With excitement towards the upcoming festivities, Artist & Global Ambassador Matthew Leone explains, "As a career musician, Sweet Relief came to my rescue a few years back when I was severely injured in an attack. Knowing intimately, the paramount value of this work, we are humbled and grateful for the caliber of artists enlisted to participate in what will unquestionably be the best party and show of the year."
Sweet Relief was founded by singer-songwriter Victoria Williams in 1993. Victoria, while on a career-making tour with Neil Young was forced to drop off mid-schedule after experiencing unexplained debilitating symptoms. A long and painful diagnostic process revealed she had multiple sclerosis. After her diagnosis, a group of friends assembled an all-star album of Victoria's songs, Sweet Relief, which alleviated much of her medical debt. Vic, knowing that there were many musicians like her - unable to afford medical expenses and compromised in their ability to work - donated some of her proceeds from the album to found Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. The name of the fund derives from a song of Victoria's, Opelousas (Sweet Relief) and the fact that we do provide sweet relief in the form of financial assistance to many musicians who would otherwise be in untenable predicaments.
EVENT DETAILS:
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund Presents "Strange 80s"
DATE: Sunday, May 14th 2017
VENUE: The Fonda Theater | 6126 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
TICKETS: On Sale March 10th @10am PT | All Ages
TIME: Doors - 6pm | Show - 8pm
Follow Sweet Relief Musicians Fund:
Website: http://sweetrelief.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetreliefmusiciansfund
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sweetrelief
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetreliefmusiciansfund/
About Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems.
In 1994 Sweet Relief was incorporated as a 501C3 nonprofit charity and for the past 18 years has been offering vital assistance to professional musical artists in need. Many prominent musicians, professionals and music fans have contributed enthusiastically to Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Benefits have been performed in venues from Miami to Seattle, with performances donated by many established and emerging artists. Nightclubs, concert halls, radio stations, internet sites, restaurants, clothing and shoe companies, music retailers, athletes, actors, corporations, foundations and music fans have all participated with Sweet Relief to assist struggling musicians.
Music has made all of our lives, and the events in our lives special and memorable. While few find fame and fortune, most musicians remain in the field for their love and passion of music. The choice an individual makes to be a professional musician is one of sacrifice. The average income across the various employment options while accounting for the part time nature of most opportunities is less than $25,000 annually. Over 65% of professional musicians do not have health insurance. Since the mid 1960's (Post Beatles) the number of individuals choosing music as a career grew exponentially. Previous to this time most professionals were either orchestra and classical players or jazz and blues artists. The explosion of pop, rock and country career musicians over a 20-year period in the U.S. represented an artistic and cultural revolution.
While the financial hardship a musicians faces when dealing with illness or disability may be a constant, we now face a burgeoning elder population of artists with little or no resources available for such emergency situations.
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March 7, 2017
DENVER—Following a vote last month by the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate today used the Congressional Review Act to undermine the Bureau of Land Management rule known as Planning 2.0. Rescinding Planning 2.0 means that Western communities will be stuck with 1980s-era planning rules that are outdated, inefficient, and fail to account for local input, often becoming held up by years of expensive litigation.
The Center for Western Priorities issued the following statement from Deputy Director Greg Zimmerman:
“At the urging of oil and gas lobbyists, politicians in Washington have voted to undermine a policy whose central goal is increasing public participation in public lands management. Led by key Western Senators, including Cory Gardner and Dean Heller, Congress passed a bill that guts long-overdue reforms to how land managers balance development and protections on public lands.
Public lands across the West will now be guided by antiquated planning rules that frequently shut out public participation.”
The Planning 2.0 reforms found support in all corners of the West, including from the Lewis & Clark County Commission in Montana and the Park County Commission in Colorado, who recognized that early public input from communities helps to avoid conflicts that have historically bogged down planning.
Here are two key ways Planning 2.0 improved the BLM’s planning process:
Provided opportunities for stakeholders to engage earlier in the process to identify potential conflicts up front—something that prevents lengthy and expensive legal delays later on;
Allowed planning across administrative boundaries. Since wildlife and natural resources don’t adhere to arbitrary lines on a map, neither should planning professionals who are managing game species for hunting, water resources for downstream communities, or lease applications for resource extraction.
Planning rules are absolutely essential to land management agencies, guiding the creation of planning documents that provide the foundation for virtually each land management decision made on America’s public lands. We can and should have debates about the specifics of planning on our 245 million acres of public lands managed by the BLM.
Using the Congressional Review Act—an incredibly blunt instrument—to dismantle Planning 2.0 is nothing short of bad government. The politicians who voted to undermine Planning 2.0 may be permanently sticking Western communities with an ineffective, outdated planning rule.
For more information, visit westernpriorities.org. To speak with an expert on public lands, contact Greg Zimmerman at 720-279-8038 or greg@westernpriorities.org.
