The No. 1 reason millennials are struggling to save for retirementand it’s not debt – CNBC
Posted: September 30, 2019 at 6:47 pm
Most millennials, 66%, don't feel on track when it comes to saving for retirement. That's according to a 2019 TD Ameritrade report, which surveyed 1,015 U.S. adults aged 23 and older with at least $10,000 in investable assets.
When asked why they've fallen behind on their retirement savings, the No. 1 response for millennials (ages 23 to 38), was housing costs: 37% cited it.
Partly because of rising rental prices, young people are spending big chunks of their income on housing. That's especially true for families: 1 in 5 millennial parents reported spending 50-59% of their income on housing, according to a 2016 report from the National Endowment for Financial Education and Parents magazine. And 8% said they're paying 60-74%.
It doesn't leave much room for savings. As a rule of thumb, money experts recommend putting half of your take-home pay toward necessities, which includes things like housing, transportation, food, insurance and childcare. About 30% of your income can go toward "fun" and the remaining 20% should go toward savings for your future self.
Besides housing, 33% of millennials say that "supporting family members financially" has prevented them from saving enough for retirement. And 26% cite "inadequate income" for causing them to fall behind.
About one-fifth (21%) of millennials say that student debt is holding them back from saving for their future. This is a much more common answer among young people: Only 12% of Gen Xers and 5% of boomers feel this way.
The good news is, there are ways to save on housing and free up more room in your budget for retirement savings. Here are three strategies:
When shopping for a place, make sure you're not getting more than what you need, recommends one millennial who saves more than 60% of his income by focusing on cutting back on "the big three" expenses: housing, transportation and food.
"If you're renting, ask yourself whether stainless steel appliances will actually improve your life in any meaningful way," says the Minneapolis-based millennial, who goes by the pen name Sean. "If you're buying, take a long hard look at how much space you really need, and whether a mega huge yard with its mega huge maintenance is really something you want in your life."
It's important to be open-minded in general. If your dream neighborhood is going to break your budget, for example, consider other areas. The biggest mistake first-time home buyers make is not keeping an open mind, CPA Cathy Derus tells CNBC Make It.
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The No. 1 reason millennials are struggling to save for retirementand it's not debt - CNBC
Red Sox Steve Pearce contemplating retirement – The Boston Globe
Posted: at 6:47 pm
I need to get healthy first of all and then Ill decide what I want to do, Pearce said. I dont have any regrets about my career, thats for sure.
Pearce, a free agent after the season, flew to Boston for the weekend to reconnect with his teammates and visit with coaching staff.
I wanted to be around to see everybody together one more time, he said.
Pearce has hit .254 with a .772 OPS, 91 home runs and 303 RBIs for seven teams in his career.
The Red Sox acquired Pearce from Toronto on June 28, 2018, to platoon with Mitch Moreland at first base. He had a .901 OPS in 50 regular-season games then was 11 of 38 with six extra-base hits, nine walks, 12 runs, and 11 RBIs in 13 postseason games.
Peace hit a tying home run off closer Kenley Jansen in the eighth inning of Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium. He added a three-run double in the ninth inning in a game the Sox won, 9-6.
In the Game 5 clincher, Pearce had a two-run homer off Clayton Kershaw in the first inning and a solo shot off Pedro Baez in the eighth.
Best part of my career, what we did last fall, Pearce said. Ill never forget what we did as a team.
The Sox signed Pearce to a one-year, $6.25 million contract 19 days after the Series ended. But he hit .180 with one home run and nine RBIs.
I wish I could have done more this season, he said. Thats baseball, the ups and downs. Well see where it goes; but I got more out of my career than I expected. Baseball treated me great.
Xander Bogaertss two-run homer in the first inning off Orioles starter John Means was his 33rd of the season. The homer brought Bogaertss extra-base hit total to 85, tying him with Nomar Garciaparra for the most by a Red Sox shortstop.
Garciaparra did it in 1997 and 2002. The Bogaerts milestone came just after he reached another one Friday evening, recording the 500th RBI of his career. Hes just the fourth Red Sox player to reach 500 RBIs before turning 27 years old.
Like, Bogaerts, Rafael Devers keeps adding his name to the history books this season. He has 89 extra-base hits, which led the majors. He recently tied Tony Conigliaro for the most homers (32) by a Red Sox before turning 23. After Fridays game, Devers was just three hits shy of 200 on the year. Deverss line-drive single to right in the fifth on Saturday brought him closer to that total. If Devers does reach it, hell be the first American League player to reach 200-plus hits before turning 23 since Starlin Castro in 2007.
Manager Alex Cora said recently that Devers changed his mind-set this past offseason, coming back more in shape by changing his diet. Devers set the bar for himself entering the season, and in many ways hes exceeded it.
I said it in spring training, if you had to pick a guy that would impact this team, I had no doubt in my mind it was going to be [Devers], Cora said. Hes not afraid of the stage. Thats the most important thing. I saw in [2017 with the Houston Astros] we were trying to do everything possible to rattle him. And he looked at us and laughed at us. He doesnt just want to be good. He wants to be great.
If theres something for Sox fans to look forward to Sunday, Devers getting to 200 hits is certainly one of them. But you also have to include Eduardo Rodriguez possibly reaching 20 wins, which has been the topic of conversation for a couple of weeks now.
The Sox players and Cora willed Rodriguez through his last start against the Texas Rangers. He went five innings, giving up 11 hits and seven runs while also throwing 113 pitches. In the fifth inning, the Rangers Delino DeShields attempted to steal but was thrown out by Christian Vazquez for the final out of the frame.
On Sunday, all the Sox regulars will play. Mookie Betts who was the designated hitter Friday had the day off Saturday but will be in back in right field for the finale. If Rodriguez gets his 20th, hell be the first Sox lefthander to do so since Mel Parnell in 1953. Just five Sox southpaws have reached 20 wins: Parnell, Lefty Grove, Babe Ruth, Ray Collins, and Jesse Tannehill.
Rodriguez, who is also at 196 innings, wants to reach 200 for the first time. Hes been the Sox most durable starter, going five-plus innings in each of his 27 outings since the start of May.
Best wishes to Bob Tomaselli, who is retiring after 27 years of manning Camera 5 in the home dugout at Fenway Park for NESN. His colleagues signed a No. 27 from the Fenway Park scoreboard for Tomaselli.
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Red Sox Steve Pearce contemplating retirement - The Boston Globe
6 Great Places to Retire in New England 2019 – Kiplinger’s Personal Finance
Posted: at 6:47 pm
City population: 16,237
Share of population 65+: 20.5%
Cost of living for retirees: n/a
Average income for population 65+: n/a
Community score: n/a
State's tax rating for retirees: Most Tax Friendly
Tiny Laconia offers a big bargain for your retirement destination. The overall cost of living is 1.2% below the national average, according to Sperling's BestPlaces, making it much more affordable than Manchesterabout 50 miles southwhere living costs are 13.2% above average. But local average incomes are still high, averaging $71,605 for residents across all ages. That adds up to favorable odds for a balanced budget. And the Granite State's tax situation for retirees is solid, too.
Tucked between Lake Winnipesaukee and Winnisquam Lake, Laconia has been dubbed "The City on the Lake," home city to New Hampshire's Lakes Region. That means plenty of beaches and water-related activities for you in the warmer months. Other outdoor recreation abounds nearby, too. Gunstock Mountain Resort in neighboring Gilford, for example, offers camping, ziplining and snow sports, as well as fairs, events and dining options. Local crime may be worth noting: While the state sports a low rate of 1.99 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, Laconia's rate is 4.68, even slightly higher than the national median of 4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, according to NeighborhoodScout.com. On the bright side, between 2009 and 2018, there have been only two murders in town, according to the community's police department. The site lists Parade Road-Old North Main Street and Weirs Beach-Lakeport as the safest neighborhoods in Laconia.
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6 Great Places to Retire in New England 2019 - Kiplinger's Personal Finance
This generation is way behind on saving for retirement. Heres how they can catch up – MarketWatch
Posted: at 6:47 pm
The generation closest to retiring isnt yet financially prepared, and they have a few thoughts on how best to catch up.
More than six in 10 adults across all ages say they need to do more for their retirement savings, but 73% of Gen Xers polled feel this sentiment, even more than the 66% of millennials who said so, according to a TD Ameritrade AMTD, -0.57% survey of more than 1,000 Americans 23 and older with at least $10,000 in investable assets. Only half of baby boomers said they needed to catch up.
See: Money expert Jean Chatzky on how Americans should save for retirement and what you are getting wrong about the FIRE movement
The members of Generation X (who were born between 1965 and 1980) cant be blamed for not starting early. Many blame inadequate income as a barrier to a satisfying nest egg, as well as housing costs, supporting other family members and health care. While more than a third said they started saving or investing early, but 26% said the reason they fell behind is because they started investing too late. Almost a quarter of millennials and Gen Xers said their non-discretionary spending kept them from having enough (and millennials also blamed housing costs, supporting family members financially and student loan debt).
Millennials are more optimistic about retiring by 65 or earlier than members of Generation X, who are the least confident in catching up on their long-term savings goals (still, 65% of Gen Xers said its possible to do so, compared to 68% of boomers and 72% of millennials).
There are various ways to catch-up on savings. Gen Xers, who are approaching traditional retirement age, are working on raising their income (53% said thats how they think theyll be able to catch up), followed by working longer, spending less on non-discretionary expenses and increasing 401(k) contributions.
Boomers were most likely to say spending less would increase savings, followed by raising income and then improving markets. Millennials were more likely to vote for raising income, then spending less, followed by working longer. Others thought they could catch up by learning more about managing their finances, getting a side job, automating their savings and cutting off family members financially.
Also see: Americans get this wrong about retirement saving
People are considering trade-offs to save more. Gen Xers specifically would consider tweaking small expenses, such as packing lunch for work and brewing coffee at home instead of buying food and beverages outside. More than four in 10 also said theyd downsize their housing expenses and cut back on going out with friends. More than two-thirds said theyd reduce spending on vacations too. But many said theyd trim expenses during retirement rather than before retirement (70% versus 30%). And theyd also rather work part-time in retirement (73%) than push retirement back a few years (27%).
Gen Xers are in luck: theres one more tool they may already have. Many employer-sponsored retirement plans, like 401(k) plans, allow catch-up contributions beginning at age 50. The maximum contribution limit is $19,000 in 2019, but workers 50 and older can contribute an additional $6,000, for a total of $25,000.
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This generation is way behind on saving for retirement. Heres how they can catch up - MarketWatch
ETSU College of Nursing online PhD ranked 20th in country for nursing education – Johnson City Press (subscription)
Posted: September 29, 2019 at 5:46 pm
ETSUs program was ranked No. 20 and was one of only two Tennessee schools included in the top 25.
Primarily an online degree, the ETSU Ph.D. program is designed to prepare nurse scientists in developing a better knowledge of research methods, data analysis techniques, and developing analytical and leadership skills.
The program was created with working professionals in mind, offering the flexibility and convenience of online coursework and a limited number of on-campus meetings. A limited number of on-campus meetings and on-campus coursework are required.
Research is a component of the BSN, MSN, DNP and Ph.D. programs in nursing, said Dr. Myra Clark, associate dean and associate professor of graduate programs in the College of Nursing. The Ph.D.-prepared nurse learns and understands how to design and conduct independent research.
Additionally, many graduates complete courses in nursing education within their programs to prepare them for teaching roles upon graduation.
Program faculty members who are experts in their fields guide the students and engage in scholarship that enhances and supports students development as nurse scientists.
The ETSU College of Nursing Ph.D. program started in 2002 as a Doctor of Science in Nursing program. In 2007, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing recommended all research-focused terminal degrees be designated as Ph.D. programs. ETSU petitioned for a change in degree designation, and the change was approved. Since that time, 42 students have graduated, and 20 are enrolled in course work or dissertation.
Using the standards and benchmarks for Ph.D. in Nursing programs set forth by the AACN, the programs mission is to prepare nurse scientists who will conduct research in nursing and engage in scholarship that will improve health care and health care delivery systems.
Ph.D. students are mature adults, working in high-level professional positions, Clark said. To date, students are faculty members in universities or community colleges, academic administrators, nursing and health care administrators and nurses in advanced practice.
The rankings were released by Online College Plan, which was created to assist parents and students in learning about the options available and how to plan ahead for an online college education. Schools that met eligibility criteria were awarded points based on retention, graduate rate and affordability. For more information about the rankings, visit http://www.onlinecollegeplan.com/rankings/online-phd-nursing-education.
To learn more about ETSUs College of Nursing, visit http://www.etsu.edu/nursing.
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ETSU College of Nursing online PhD ranked 20th in country for nursing education - Johnson City Press (subscription)
Health and Wellness Education Office expands staff, programming – Middlebury Campus
Posted: at 5:46 pm
MAX PADILLANew Health and Wellness team (from left to right) Erin Goodrich, Emily Wagner, Madeline Hope, Kevin Karackas and Barbara McCall will focus on violence prevention, holistic wellness and mental health, amongst other health topics.
The Office of Health and Wellness Education has recently expanded its staff from one full-time employee to four full-time employees and one part-time employee. This expansion will help the office further develop existing programs, as well as focus on new initiatives.
Previously, the office focused primarily on Green Dot trainings, running the MiddSafe program and offering education for students with alcohol and drug infractions.
Barbara McCall, the director of Health and Wellness Education, said this restructuring occurred as part of Workforce Planning.
I had been laying the groundwork through conversations and program tracking to increase the number of staff in the office for a number of years, she said. Every time I had to turn down an opportunity to facilitate a training or participate in an event, I logged it.
The new positions in the office include a violence prevention and advocacy specialist, an alcohol and other drug education specialist, the assistant director for the office.
The job descriptions for all of the health educators in the office were built around the existing programs and the unmet needs that students, faculty, and staff had expressed over the last five-six years, McCall said.
With the additional employee-power, the offices will take on new initiatives intended to promote health, prevent illness and reduce personal, campus and institution-wide health risks.
Before this expansion, McCall was solely responsible for running the office, and has been since she took on the practitioner-director position in 2013.
McCalls role will now focus on institution-wide initiatives, such as the JED Foundation collaboration, a non-profit which partners with colleges to improve mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention initiatives. She is also planning on expanding Health and Wellness Education to the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, various summer programs and in the Schools Abroad.
McCall said she is excited to promote health topics that Middlebury has not previously focused on, such as the importance of sleep and flu prevention.
A challenge that I think we are overcoming is a cultural and workforce shift to prioritize proactive, preventative work, McCall said. It is very easy to only focus on responding to problems as they arise, even though we know that providing early support, skill-building opportunities, and health information can help members of our community reach out earlier and more effectively for help.
In the past, the majority of the offices resources have been dedicated to Green Dot, a prevention-focused bystander education initiative, and MiddSafe, a student-operated crisis hotline.
We have developed some flagship programs, like Green Dot and MiddSafe, but know that theres plenty of room for additional programming to truly approach violence prevention holistically, McCall said.
Emily Wagner, the colleges first violence prevention and advocacy specialist, will start hosting events for students in October, which is Dating/Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Kareckas is focused on expanding the scope of wellness education. In his new role, Kareckas will work with students to create proactive initiatives to normalize substance-free activities. This differs from the offices former approach, which focused primarily on education for those who had already received an infraction for substance abuse.
New staff members were also brought on to focus on mental health, including Madeline Hope, the offices assistant director
We have heard loud and clear that students need mental health support beyond counseling services, McCall said Madeline Hopes new portfolio within her role as the assistant director is to engage programs and supports to do just this.
Hopes role will include shifting the scope of the suicide prevention program to include training for faculty in assisting students in distress. According to McCall, the goal for this new position include increasing stress-management programming, which will now occur throughout the whole year, as opposed to just during finals weeks.
Hope will also be involved in the Peer Support Training Skills program, a J-term workshop aimed at building student empathic listening skills to support friends who might be struggling with mental health challenges.
The final employee included in this expansion is Erin Goodrich, a full-time Middlebury employee who spends half her time with Health and Wellness and the other half with Student Activities. Goodrich will be supporting the office administratively by creating a new online education software program, as well as helping with general planning and support.
Overall, McCall hopes her offices expanded potential will help increase healthy living habits on campus and give students the resources they need.
Health is the capacity of individuals and communities to reach their potential, McCall said. Health promotion and prevention is essential to students community engagement, participation in immersive learning, and development of skills as global problem solvers in support of Middleburys mission.
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Health and Wellness Education Office expands staff, programming - Middlebury Campus
Learning With Experts Raises 800k To Disrupt Online Education – Education Technology
Posted: at 5:46 pm
Learning with Experts has just completed its latest funding round above target, raising 800k with an impressive group of High Net Worth (HNW) Angels. The investment followed an investor showcase pitch to The Oxford Opportunity Network (OION), at Rathbones. New investors joining this round via OION include Rupert Pennant-Rea, Learning with Experts new chairman, former editor of The Economist and deputy governor of The Bank of England.
CEO/founder Elspeth Briscoe, formerly eBay, The Guardian, and Skype Mafia explained: The raise is enabling us to execute on our hiring plan, to scale our B2B, tech development and marketing teams and to hire new A-list tutors for our consumer product. We intend to drive the next education revolution beyond the MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), with our unique approach to community-based, trusted, high-quality, global, interactive online learning.MOOCs have 80% dropout rates. Learning with Experts has 80% course completion rates.
MOOCs have 80% drop out rates. Learning with Experts has 80% course completion rates. Elspeth Biscoe, CEO/founder
Were seeing rapid growth both in the B2C and B2B sectors. We already have 55 experts teaching consumers, including Shane Connolly, florist and Royal Warrant holder, BBC Good Food and BBC Gardeners World Magazine, Paula Pryke OBE, Antiques Roadshow Experts, World Class Landscape Designers with many other household names in the pipeline. Business clients are also partnering at a pace, enabling us to offer serious accredited vocational qualifications including The Royal Horticultural Society Level 2 training, and courses from The Goldsmiths Centre, part of The Goldsmiths Company.
Pennant-Rea commented: I love the education space, and Im a great believer in lifelong learning, having just completed a GCSE in science aged 71. I believe Learning with Experts has the right combination of people and product, and will be capable of disrupting online adult vocational learning. Im excited to have joined at this stage.
Jens Tholstrup, managing director, OION, commented: Congratulations to Learning With Experts on completing its current fundraising. This follows a very impressive pitch by Elspeth Briscoe at the OION Investor Showcase event held at Rathbones Head Office in May. We are delighted that Rupert Pennant-Rea has been appointed chairman following our introduction
Christine Hayes, editor in chief, BBC Good Food, said: For 30 years weve been showing Britain how to cook, making it easy to create good food every day. Our partnership with Learning with Experts facilitates an even closer relationship with our audience, allowing food enthusiasts across the world access to our knowledgeable, approachable food editors and the opportunity to interact and learn in a virtual classroom.
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Learning With Experts Raises 800k To Disrupt Online Education - Education Technology
Duchess of Sussex reunites with Prince Harry to talk female education in Malawi – via Skype – Telegraph.co.uk
Posted: at 5:46 pm
The Duchess of Sussex has joined her husbandvia Skype for a meeting aboutfemale education in Malawi, greeted by songs as she told young women she is "incredibly proud" of their "vital" work.
The Duchess danced and clapped along to her musical welcome via on online video link toNalikule College of Education in Lilongwe.
She went on to pay tribute to the valuable and vital work thousands of women are undertaking to support schoolgirls through their education.
Meghan praised the advocates of theCampaign for Female Education via a video conferencelink from Johannesburg to the capital of Malawi.
The Duke, who was at the collegein person,introduced his wife and during the Skype call she joked about their four-month-old son, who has joined them on their 10-day tour of Africa, sayingArchies taking a nap.
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Duchess of Sussex reunites with Prince Harry to talk female education in Malawi - via Skype - Telegraph.co.uk
Where MBA Demand Is Exploding – Forbes
Posted: at 5:46 pm
A live Internet class in one of five studios at the University of Illinois' Gies College of Business
Youve no doubt read the endless stories about the decline of the MBA. Those stories will tell you that interest in the degree by young professionals has been falling for years. Some give unjustified credence to claims that the degrees value is questionable and that schools are teaching antiquated ideas locked in the Industrial Age.
Truth is, applications to full-time, two-year MBA programs have declined for five consecutive years. More schools are shuttering their MBA offerings and actual enrollment in many more programs has fallen. But there is another surprising side to this story: MBA demand is also exploding.
Consider the University of Illinois Online MBA program at the Gies College of Business. Enrollment in Gies iMBA program has grown to more than 2,500 MBA degree-seeking students this fall from a debut cohort of just 114 students three and one-half years ago (see Gies iMBA: The Fastest Growing MBA On The Planet).
And in the two months since Boston Universitys Questrom School of Business announced a new online MBA program, nearly 600 applications are now in progress for the offering which will debut next fall. Even though the school only opened its application three weeks ago, 43 candidates have completed their apps. And that is without Questrom spending a penny marketing the program.
The secret at Illinois and BU? Its the price. The price tag on the Gies MBA is just $22,000, while the cost of the forthcoming online MBA at BU will be a mere $24,000. These programs are booming because they are highly affordable options that allow young professionalsmany of them already carrying undergraduate student debtto get an MBA without having to quit their jobs. And roughly half of the more than 2,500 students in the Gies program are getting some sponsorship from their employers, making the MBA even cheaper than the $22K price might indicate.
It underlines concerns that the more traditional two-year, on-campus programs have become way too expensive, far beyond the reach of many would-be students after a quarter of a century of MBA tuition increases that have outpaced the rate of inflation.
Were selling a Tesla for the price of a Hyundai, insists Jeffrey Brown, dean of the Gies College of Business. While thats clearly an exaggeration, Gies is delivering significant higher educational value for the $22,000 it charges for the degree and that is why demand has exploded, even in the absence of a ranking because Brown has so far decided against putting the program into online MBA rankings.
Brown wont provide any concrete clues about his iMBA enrollment goals, maintaining that growth is dependent on the quality of the applicant pool. The program is now cash positive, he says, though the school is a long way from recouping its investment. We could get up to 3,000 or 5,000 steady state or the worlds population, he says. Its all dependent on quality. We dont need to grow. Its already financially viable.
Over at Boston University, which is partnering with edX, the education platform founded at Harvard and MIT, administrators see similar upside to their offering. The MBA is still one of the most if not the most coveted degrees out there, says Questrom Dean Susan Fournier. There are still a lot of quality people out there who wish they could get this crediential.
In fact, the most requested degree at edX, says Fournier, is the MBA.There have been 10,000 inquiries for an MBA before we partnered with them. Thats 10,000 latent requests for the degree at an affordable price.
BU is hoping to tap into that pent-up demand for its inaugural Online MBA cohort. About 37% of the potential applicants who have begun filling out Questroms lead form for the program have come directly from edXs database.
No less impressive is the quality of the students signing up for these low-cost MBA options. We thought we would see older, working professionals from great companies that we dont typically see outside the Northeast, says JP Matychak, associate dean of student experience and services at Questrom. And that has been true. After Massachusetts, the second largest source (of applicant interest) is coming from California and the tech field.
But one surprise is that nearly half of the applicants already have a masters or PhD degree, he adds. We are seeing the backend of the rise of the specialty masters programs. These are people who want to move into leadership roles but who dont want to spend $120,000 and come back to campus. That was a shock to me.
The big takeaway? The demand for these low-cost MBA options show that the MBA is very much alive and well. Sticker shock on the price of the traditional MBA experiences may be having far more impact on the business than anything else.
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Where MBA Demand Is Exploding - Forbes
Digital Schools Awards help pupils in Northern Ireland stay safe online – Education Technology
Posted: at 5:46 pm
The new Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety badge is available as a standalone qualification
A Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety (CR-IS) badge has been developed by Digital Schools Award NI to help schools keep pupils safe online.
The badge is backed by tech companies HP, Microsoft and RM Education, with support from ICT in schools network C2K, and the Department for Education.
You might also like: First nurseries in Scotland receive Digital School status
CR-IS will be available to all schools that demonstrate a strategic approach to cyber-resilience and internet safety.
Digital Schools Awards validator, Dr Victor McNair, said: Schools are ideally placed to provide progressive and relevant activities that help pupils build enduring and adaptable cyber-resilient skills.
Teachers will instantly recognise the language used in the self-review framework and they will benefit from the local and national resources provided to help them develop classroom activities, partnerships and professional learning opportunities.
Schools are ideally placed to provide progressive and relevant activities that help pupils build enduring and adaptable cyber-resilient skills. Dr Victor McNair, Digital Schools Awards
Karen Irwin,UICT co-ordinator at Ballyclare Primary School, said, Pupils are very much at the heart of our internet planning and strategy and we encourage an open dialogue between pupils, teachers and parents.
Our Digital Leaders group which meets weekly is represented by pupils from each year group and together we work on creative projects and ideas to help everyone stay one step ahead in an ever-changing cyberworld.
You might also like: Welsh government pledges 50m to expand Hwb edtech programme
The Digital Schools Awards programme launched in Northern Ireland in 2015 and has been completed by over 70 nursery, primary and secondary schools.
The programme is free for all schools to participate. For more information and to register for the new CR-IS badge, visit http://www.digitalschoolsawards.co.uk
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Digital Schools Awards help pupils in Northern Ireland stay safe online - Education Technology