The weight room gains of dozens of current and future Jayhawks eventually will be traced back to a dog named Hunter.

Years before new Kansas basketball strength coach Ramsey Nijem became the youngest strength coach in the NBA, it was Hunter, a black lab/pit bull mix, whose digging in Nijems Bay Area backyard uncovered a gold chain that Nijem thought was lost forever.

While dozens of classes, three universities and countless hours in weight rooms on the west coast all contributed to the foundation of Nijems career, it was that chain that started it all.

At age 19, fresh out of high school and in search of what would come next, Nijem, now 28, attempted to walk-on to the UC Santa Barbara basketball team but did not land a spot.

After the setback, Nijems brother suggested he become a personal trainer. Thats where the chain came in.

It was a basic braided gold chain and attached was a pendant that said love in a Chinese character with diamonds on it, Nijem recently told the Journal-World of the gift given to him by his mother.

Needing money for his first personal trainer certification test, Nijem took the chain to a local pawn shop. The man behind the counter said he didnt need the diamonds but thought he could melt down the gold and offered Nijem $800.

Done deal, said Nijem, collecting the exact amount he needed for the test. Thats when it took off.

From there, Nijem sought out training internships during his sophomore year at UCSB. None existed. Instead of moving on, he kept asking every couple of days.

I think eventually they realized there were two options that they had say no or say yeah, Nijem recently recalled on the PJF Performance podcast. Either way, I was going to keep showing up.

Just before Year 3 at UCSB, Nijem met sports performance director Jeremy Bettle and the two set up an athletic training internship.

Coaching 20 hours a week and taking 18 hours of classes, Nijem threw himself into the strength training world morning, noon and night.

If the question is, How do you get to be the youngest NBA strength coach, I dont think (the answer) has a lot of Netflix involved, Nijem said on the podcast.

After graduating from UCSB in three years, Nijem went on to Cal-State Fullerton, where he sought a master's degree in sport performance and worked with a man named Jared Coburn.

During one of their first meetings, Nijem asked what it would take to complete the master's program in a single year. Coburn smiled and said it was extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get through it that fast.

Nijem pushed back and asked again, Yeah, but what would it take?

That year set the stage for his first full-time job as the head strength coach at Santa Barbara City College, where he worked two years before joining the Sacramento Kings.

He definitely took the harder route and did it in a shorter amount of time, Coburn told the Journal-World. It was very impressive that he was able to pull that off.

Throughout their time together, Coburn marveled at Nijems drive and desire to carve out his own path.

As a coach, you can just sort of copy what people do, Coburn said. But Ramsey questions things. He has sort of a skeptical approach, hes an innovator and he wants to generate new knowledge.

Nijems thesis, on which Coburn assisted, and his doctoral dissertation, which he successfully defended to earn a doctorate from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in 2018, were geared toward innovation and highlighted his passion for learning.

When I got done with my master's, I bought a backpack just because I felt like that would keep me true to continue learning, Nijem said. Learning encourages growth, and growth is one my core values.

While Nijems rise through the academic ranks was fast-tracked by his determination, it moved at a snails pace compared to the path that led him to Kansas.

On Friday, Aug. 16, one day after news broke that former KU strength coach Andrea Hudy was leaving for Texas, Nijem received a voice message from KU coach Bill Self.

Nijem called Self back that same day and, a week later, was on KUs campus, touring the facilities and talking to Self and his staff about the job.

Seven days after that, on Friday, Aug. 30, Nijem officially accepted KUs offer, and this past Friday the newest Jayhawk wrapped up his first week at KU by closing out Week 1 of boot camp.

It happened fast, said Nijem, whose girlfriend and current dog plan to join him in Lawrence in the near future. I packed two bags, hopped a Southwest flight and got to work. It had to be the right move at the right time, and it came out of nowhere. The fact that my first day was boot camp, I love it. I just want to work.

Nijem is not limiting himself in any way. Rooted in academics and science, Nijem believes character, buy-in and old-fashioned effort are every bit as important as numbers and data.

Well focus on everything, Nijem said. Strength, explosiveness, speed, injury risk reduction, character building, leadership, previous injury history, (NBA) combine preparation, everything. The science is the foundation of everything we should be doing in this. And then at that point it just becomes, OK, who am I training and what am I training for?

The reason the Bay Area native opened his mind to the idea of leaving Sacramento for Kansas was multifaceted. And it started with Self.

For me to be a fly on the wall and learn from a Hall of Fame coach about coaching, and not just coaching basketball but coaching humans and young men, thats an opportunity that I was excited about, Nijem said.

He added that KU was the only school for which he would have left Sacramento, and his interest was piqued further by KUs status as a blue blood in the basketball world.

The tradition of Kansas basketball is definitely like no other, he said. ... So for me to be a Jayhawk and work on Naismith Drive, thats a cool story.

It became even cooler on Day 1, when he received a box of Kansas gear from KU equipment guru Larry Hare.

The contents of the box have become Nijems uniform his scrubs or suit and tie and it did not take him long to embrace wearing them.

To open that up and have that new logo and the colors and be a Jayhawk, it feels good, Nijem said. I dont necessarily have a strong collegiate tie, and I have buddies that have been to Arizona, Arizona State and other schools. So when the tourney starts and they start talking their talk, now I can engage in that and have a good time with it. I look forward to being 50 years old and watching the tournament and cheering for the Jayhawks.

In some ways, Nijem already has been rooting for Jayhawks. Former KU guards Frank Mason III and Ben McLemore were two of Nijems favorites back in Sacramento, and they provided him with a deeper understanding of what Kansas was about when the opportunity arrived.

Both called me and I called them, said Nijem, whose Twitter cover photo is the iconic picture of Mason in a KU uniform, arms spread, eyes up to the sky. Those are my guys, man. We could talk about them all day.

Theres little doubt that both players, along with other Sacramento stars, like Buddy Hield, DeAaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III and more, will come up often as Nijem trains the Jayhawks.

Marvins 20 years old, Nijem said. Weve got players on this roster that are 20 years old. And Ive already had a conversation with certain guys about the things that leave an impression with the GM and trainers and strength coaches. Part of my role is not only to prepare you mentally and physically, but also to prepare you as a leader, for the charisma, too. Its about more than being good at basketball at that level.

Nijem believes the skills that served him best with Sacramentos young roster will continue to benefit him at Kansas. And Self said Nijems age and ties to the NBA were big time bonuses to his candidacy.

Ive never felt like its held me back, Nijem said of his age. Some people will size you up and say, Whos this young guy? But I dont get into the whole ego thing. Im here to help young players and thats it. Being able to relate to players culturally and through social media and Instagram and music and talk the way they talk, those things help create buy-in.

With all of those factors working for him in the NBA, too, the obvious question is why leave? The answer ties in nicely with the way Nijem raced his way to multiple degrees in such a short time: his drive.

I used to have dream jobs, he said. And the NBA was a dream job. But that was part of my decision-making here OK, youve achieved that. Now I think I just have a dream life and purpose... I had to take a step back and say, Wow, this is a great opportunity; for me to turn it down would be stupid.

As Nijem moves through his first month with the program, its all about learning again. Thats why the boot camp beginning was the perfect starting point. Boot camp is most definitely Selfs show. And that fact has afforded Nijem the opportunity to observe and ease into his new gig.

Sit back and take some notes, is the way Nijem explained it.

Ive got a little clipboard on me and Im jotting down notes and its not just how theyre moving, he said. Its attitude, whos talking, how are they talking, whos quieter and things like that. Quiets not a bad thing, but do I need to check in with him a little more because hes not as forward with his thoughts? For the first month Im getting to know all those things, and the rest of the time Im diving into it.

See more here:
Ramsey's road: A dog, a chain and a fast path to becoming the strength coach at Kansas - KUsports

[Sandy Bressner - sbressner@shawmedia.com]

At first, nobody quite knew how to address him.

"I have a little kid," Melvin said. "When all the little kids play sports, [I'll be] 'Coach Brian'. I kept calling him 'Coach Dan'...in an offseason meeting, he's like 'I'm tired of people calling me Dan.'"During a later meeting, Chief made it clear: 'You can call me Chief."

So, Chief it was.

"[Chief] is my sounding board," Melvin said. "Whenever everybody is kind of going crazy and I just need some calm in the storm, I actually go to him...he's just consistent. He's always there. He's always there for all of us coaches, and of course, the kids."

Chief takes it to heart.

"I try to impress upon these kids [that] I'll do anything coach Melvin asks me for," Chief said. "In everything you're doing, if that's your boss, then that's your boss, and you put everything into it.""Nothing is beneath you if you're doing it for the guy on your left and right," Chief continued.

"Nothing is beneath you to serve your brother to your left and your right. If these guys can get into enough rhythm of doing that, the outcomes of the games won't matter."

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After 26 years in the military, 'Chief' gives back again as Burlington Central coach - Friday Night Drive

The Leaf-Chronicle Published 5:00 a.m. CT Sept. 11, 2019

More than 400 Austin Peay State University freshmen will soon have access to "near-peer" mentors to help them navigate university life all the way to completion.

College Possible, a national nonprofit that connects high school and college students with mentors, on Wednesday announced thepartnership with APSU.

Members of APSU's largest freshman class take a tour of campus in August.(Photo: Contributed/Denzil Wyatt, APSU)

Austin Peay State University prides itself on bridging gaps in not just access, but also completion, for students from a wide variety of backgrounds, APSU President Alisa White said in a news release. This partnership taps the potential of one of our most powerful assets, recent graduates, who are uniquely equipped to mentor students following in their footsteps.

The program, called Catalyze, builds on College Possible's 20-year history of training AmeriCorps service members to help low-income high school juniors and seniors enroll in and complete college, according to the news release.

College Possible intends to scale similar near-peer coaching programs to institutions nationwide. Recent results show that 92 percent of program participants who were enrolled in college in fall 2018 returned for the spring 2019 term.

This initiative reflects a spirit of innovation and commitment to equity that has enabled Austin Peay to boost graduation rates for low-income students in recent years, Loretta Griffy, APSU associate vice president for student success and strategic initiatives, said in the release. Its about helping students to build relationships that create stronger connections to our campus community. It is about supporting students as they navigate the transition to university life.

College Possibles Catalyze coaches are recent college graduates. Many have navigated challenges that could have ended their own educational journeys. Each coach is located at the university, maintains a full-time presence on campus, and engages in the university environment alongside their students, the release said.

The College Possible success coaches will join college-focused student success teams under the guidance of Nancy King Sanders, APSU executive director for the Center for Teaching and Learning.

Read or Share this story: https://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/news/local/clarksville/2019/09/11/austin-peay-state-university-freshmen-get-americorps-mentoring/2278483001/

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Freshmen at Austin Peay State University to get mentoring from AmeriCorps coaches - Clarksville Leaf Chronicle

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What a hockey lifer needs to say about the game before he dies - Sportsnet.ca

He had spent 17 of his 46 years behind bars, locked in a pattern of addiction and crime that led to 16 prison terms. Now, Meko Lincoln pushesa cart of cleaning supplies at the re-entry house to which he had been paroled in December, determined to provide for his grandchildren in a way he failed to do as a father.

Keep on movin, dont stop, Lincoln sings, grooving to the R&B group Soul II Soul on his headphones as he emptiestrash cans and scrubstoilets at Amos House. He passesa bulletin board plastered with hiring notices a line cook, a warehouse worker, a landscaper, all good jobs for someone with a felony record, but not enough for him.

Lincoln, who is training to be a drug and alcohol counsellor, wants those lost years to count for something more.

From 15p 0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.

I lived it, he says. I understand it. My past is not a liability. Its an asset. I can help another person save their life.

Yet because regulations in Rhode Island and most other states exclude people with criminal backgrounds from many jobs, Lincolns record, which includes sentences for robbery and assault, may well be held against him.

Across the country, more than 10,000 regulations restrict people with criminal records from obtaining occupational licences, according to a database developed by the American Bar Association. The restrictions are defended as a way to protect the public. But Lincoln and others point out that the rules are often arbitrary and ambiguous.

Licensing boards in Rhode Island can withhold licences for crimes committed decades ago, by citing a requirement that people display good moral character without taking into account individual circumstances or efforts towardsrehabilitation.

Such restrictions make it challenging for the formerly incarcerated to enter or move up in fast-growing industries such as healthcare, human services and some mechanical trades, according to civil liberties lawyers and economists. These include the very jobs theyve trained for in prison or in re-entry programmes like Lincolns. And without jobs, many of those released could end up back in jail, experts say.

Lincolns hope of getting licensed as a chemical dependency clinician will be a test of how much the system is willing to forgive. His 16 prison terms resulted from charges including narcotics possession, resisting arrest, obtaining money under false pretences, malicious destruction of property and assaulting police officers as well as repeated parole violations for returning to drugs, according to the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.

Lincoln says his crimes were committed while he was intoxicated or high, or trying to obtain heroin and crack cocaine. He would buy drugs, dilute them and resell them to other people with addictions, actions that resulted in robbery charges. He sold fake drugs to undercover police and hit a drug dealers car with a crowbar.

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Only the best news in your inbox

Licensing restrictions are among the many obstacles to establishing a stable economic footing after prison. Incarceration carries a stigma, and many employers are wary of hiring people who have spent time in prison.

But states with the strictest licensing barriers tend to have higher rates of recidivism, according to research by Stephen Slivinski, an economist at the Centre for the Study of Economic Liberty at Arizona State University.

In many states, a criminal record is a stain that you cant wash off, Slivinski says. There is no amount of studying that can take away this mark in your past if a licensing board wants to use it against you.

Meko Lincoln, 46, wants to be a licensed chemical dependency clinician, but his years in prison could work against him

Even Rhode Island, a state on the forefront of sentencing reform, has some of the nations most restrictive licensing regulations, according to separate analyses by the liberal National Employment Law Project and the libertarian Institute for Justice.

For Lincoln, obtaining a licence could mean the difference between the $25,000-a-year (21,000) job as a peer recovery coach hes being trained for at his re-entry programme at Amos House and the $50,000 he could earn a year as a chemical dependency clinician a licensed drug and alcohol counsellor who can treat people with addictions, not just mentor them.

Licensing legitimises us as somebody, he says. Its recognition.

And there is a need for more black counsellors like Lincoln as the share of minorities dying of opioid overdoserises in Rhode Island and across the country.

He has the life experience that would allow somebody else to say, Well, if Meko can do it, I can possibly do it, too, says Amos House chief executive Eileen Hayes, who offered Lincoln the chance to train as a recovery coach after witnessing his progress

Lincoln conducts security checks during his overnight house manager shift at Amos House

In May, as instructors passed out certificates during a ceremony on the last day of his recovery coaching class, Lincoln tried to focus on all that he hadaccomplished in the six months since his release from prison.

He had stayed clean through a 90-day rehab programme. Moved from the bottom bunk in the rooming house he shared with 19 other guys into his own basement apartment nearby. Got a job, making $11 an hour as a custodian.

Soon he would start a paid internship as the weekend night manager of the mens residency at Amos House, where he had lived until February.

Amid his classmates cheers and applause, anxiety crept in: what if this is as good as it gets?

Now Lincoln amblesthrough the crowded Amos House cafeteria dispensing hugs, elbow bumps and compliments in Spanish and English. Bald, clean shaven except for a short goatee, with 18inbiceps bulging beneath his shirt sleeves, Lincoln is unrecognisable from the skeleton he used to be in the depths of his addiction.

I see something nice! You blinging! he shoutsto a woman with a new set of teeth.

He wrapshis arms around a man in his sixties who is recently back from detox and snagsa piece of his cinnamon roll. A guy in line for chilli and Spanish rice who knew Lincoln from prison callsout to him: I just got out. I got no ID. No transportation. No nothing.

The people seeking food, job training, counselling and shelter here are a constant reminder to Lincoln of how quickly sobriety can unravel. This was his second pass through Amos House, a social service agency whose clientele include the homeless, people seeking help with addiction and the formerly incarcerated.

The first time, Lincoln relapsed soon after completing the 90-day programme, availing himself of the drugs being sold just blocks away. He returned to prison for three years for heroin possession, stealing drugs and beating up a drug dealer.

Instead of facing life on its terms, I kind of folded like a lawn chair, he says.

Lincoln plays with his seven-year-old grandson, Jahvon. He wants to provide for his three grandchildren in a way he failed to do as a father

Rhode Island Superior Court justice Kristin Rodgers told Lincoln during his 2016 sentencing hearing that he could not blame his relapse on the pressures of sobriety or his difficult childhood.

The problem with you, Mr. Lincoln, is that when you go to the dark side, you go big, Rodgers said, according to the court transcript. And you have victims that are out there. There are robberies, theres drug dealing. These are not victimless crimes, sir.

Lincoln responded that his crimes were driven by the disease of addiction, committed largely against others in similar situations.

I never take anything from anybody that aint taken something from me, he told the judge. And when Im on drugs, its the people thats using drugs.

Lincoln grew up in a south Providence neighbourhood surrounded by poverty, drugs and violence. His father was in prison for murder and struggled with his own addiction. His mother raised four boys largely on her own.

He says he began drinking and smoking marijuana with older teens at age 12 then started using crack cocaine and selling it, picking up his first possession charge at 14.

He sayshe was talented enough at football that he was approached by college scouts, but that dream evaporated in a string of arrests and stints in juvenile detention. He dropped out of high school his junior year.

He was homeless, high and just 19 when his first daughter, Janelle Hazard, was born. At 21, Lincoln served his first term in prison 14 months for robbing a drunk man of a bottle of liquor in 1994.

Hazard ended up in foster care, begrudgingly getting to know her father in weekly prison visits during a 10-year sentence Lincolns longest for a 2002 robbery conviction. While serving that sentence, he learned he had a second daughter:the two remain estranged.

Lincoln saysthe 2002 conviction resulted from a false accusation by a Providence narcotics detective. Public records show the detective pleaded guilty to charges related to drug dealing in 2010 as part of a larger cocaine operation.

Over his years in prison, an older inmate taught him to read and write. He read the Quran and embraced Islam, a religion he says taught him how to forgive himself and others.

During his last stint, Hazard brought her own two boys for Saturday visits. Her sons developed a bond with their grandfather, throwing mini footballs in the visiting room decorated with Disney characters. Her third child, a girl, was born while Lincoln was imprisoned.

Lincoln and Heath (right)spend time with Lincolns daughter Janelle Hazard and her children at a playground in Hazards housing complex

Lincoln would mail his grandchildren CD recordings of his voice reading them books. He wants to be a model for them, in the way he was not for their mother.

When she was being raised and needed me, I wasnt there, Lincoln says. I wanted to present them with proof that they could one day become something they want to be.

He participated in behavioural therapy and entered a chemical dependency program, which inspired him to consider counselling as a career.

Lincoln met his fiancee, Andrea Heath, shortly after his release from prison:Ive never met someone whos been so motivated and makes me want so much more in life,she says

In his last six months of incarceration, he recallspropping a folded paper name tag on a table in the day room. As guys around him played cards and chess, Lincoln played therapist. I was trying a shoe on to see how it would fit, he says, acting as if I had an office.

Other inmates made fun of him. But some sat down to talk, venting about their cellmates or corrections officers.

In October, two months before he was paroled, Lincoln wrote a letter on a piece of notebook paper to the coordinator of the mens programme at Amos House. If given the opportunity to be released back there, I will not repeat the cycle, he wrote.

When he got out, Lincoln had been sober for three years the longest hed been clean in decades.

Hazard, now 27, picked him up, driving him to his grandsons school. He jumped out of the SUV in his blue prison-issued sweatsuit, yelling, Surprise! Then Hazard and the boys, now eighrand seven, dropped him off at Amos House, hopeful it would be the last time.

Lincoln committed to daily 12-step meetings, workingthrough childhood feelings of abandonment during group therapy, and copingwith feeling insecure, powerless anduseless. Through it all, his urine tests remained clean.

In July, Lincoln embarked on accumulating the 500 internship hours he needs to be certified as a peer recovery coach his first step towards his goal of becoming a licensed drug and alcohol counsellor while holding onto his afternoon cleaning shift.

As Lincoln headsto an afternoon prayer service at his mosque, an unshaven man with matted hair stoppshim on the steps of Amos House.

Ive missed you, man, slursLincolns childhood friend, his face drawn and pupils constricted, as he pullsLincoln in for an embrace. You know how sometimes you feel like youre walking around and youve got no soul?

Lincoln asksif he wantsto get clean. His friend doesnot answer. Instead, he asks:You dont got no five dollars? No bud on you? Lincoln shakes his head no. I love you.

The entirety of Rhode Islands state prison population is confined to one square mile in Cranston, where 2,640 inmates are divided among six facilities surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards.

Rhode Island reduced its prison population by 23 per centbetween 2008 and 2016, in part by giving inmates time off their sentences for participating in academic classes, rehabilitative programmes, paid work or job training.

Lincoln drives past the corner in Providences West End neighbourhood where he was last arrested

Jorge Henriquez shaved more than one year off his five-year sentence for dealing cocaine by taking classes and working in the prison car body shop.

The 32-year-old father of two is halfway through a course in heating and air conditioning, a fast-growing field, and is excited about the prospects of a lucrative and legal career.

When you have a record, theres not a lot of good-paying jobs out there, saysHenriquez, who is scheduled for parole in February.

Rhode Island does not officially bar people with criminal histories from being licensed in HVAC, but under state law, licences in HVAC and other mechanical trades can be revoked or suspended for felony convictions.

Bill Okerholm, the HVAC instructor, says that the union of plumbers, pipe fitters and refrigeration technicians accepts people with records as apprentices on a case-by-case basis. But of the 250 men hes trained at the prison in the past five years, Okerholm cant recall anyone who has been licensed after their release.

Lincoln cleans a bathroom at Amos House, where he works as a custodian for $11 an hour while training to be a peer recovery coach

Guys like Jorge deserve a second chance, saysOkerholm, noting Henriquezs enthusiasm and attention in the course. Theres a great need in these trade jobs for someone like him.

With a quarter of the USworkforce in a licensed occupation, compared with just 5 per centin the 1950s, more than two dozen states have begun to loosen licensing restrictions but Rhode Island is lagging behind.

While opponents say current licensing regulations are ambiguous and inconsistent, supporters of the licensing regime say undoing the restrictions would usurp the authority of state boards and create additional burdens for agencies. More important, supporters say that the regulations are aimed at protecting public health and safety, and that it would be irresponsible to let people with criminal records, especially those involving violent offences, enter certain professions.

An attempt at change with a bill that would have limited licensing denials to people whose crimes directly relate to an occupation died in the Rhode Island General Assembly in June when the house introduced an amendment excluding those convicted of a violent crime. The broad definition, which included robbery, larceny and burglary, would have excluded people like Lincoln.

Some state agencies expressed concerns that were valid and cant be disregarded, Rhode Island house speaker Nicholas Mattiello, a Democrat, says. He adds that the house would revisit the issue when a new legislative session begins in January.

of the US workforce is in a licensed occupation

Criminal justice policy analysts say the licensing barriers discourage people with records from applying in the first place because they are routinely told their convictions make them ineligible.

Few states collect this type of data, but in Texas, 15 per centof prospective applicants to the state Department of Licensing and Regulation in the past four years were deemed ineligible through a criminal history evaluation letter an optional preliminary review of their convictions, the agency says.

In many of those cases, determinations were based on decades-old convictions or crimes irrelevant to the licences being sought, according to letters obtained by the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition. The department says those who wish to be reevaluated may now do so under new criteria established by lawmakers that only crimes directly related to the job can be grounds for denial.

About a dozen states have enacted more modest reforms, according to the Institute for Justice. Californias 2018 bill requires convictions be substantially related to an occupation for licences to be denied. Florida, New York and Iowa recently eased licensing restrictions for a limited number of occupations. Meanwhile, bills introduced this year in South Carolina, Louisiana, Missouri and other states failed to advance.

Partaja Spann-Taylor, one of Lincolns classmates in his recovery coaching course, is a reminder to Lincoln of the barriers to developing a career post-incarceration. The 34-year-old whose criminal record is far slighter than his pursued jobs in health care and social services when she got out of prison a decade ago only to be met by rejection after rejection because of her criminal background.

Partaja Spann-Taylor hugs a client at Amos House. Getting homeless, drug-addicted women off the streets inspired her to pursue a masters in social work

Spann-Taylor was charged with delivering cocaine and reckless driving in 2006 when her then-boyfriend made a drug delivery. She was released on bail after two weeks in jail and got five years of probation and a suspended sentence.

In 2008, when she was four months pregnant, she was incarcerated for 30 days after her friends got into a fight at a nightclub. She was charged with assault, even though she said she did not participate, because her presence violated the terms of her probation.

After her release, Spann-Taylor tried to enrol in a free training programme to become a certified nursing assistant.

She was rejected. Her felony record disqualified her, she was told shutting her out not only from future licensing but from training as well.

A lot of people would say, Well, stick with the retail and the food service industries. Theyre the most forgiving in terms of your background, Spann-Taylor says. But I needed to make a living for me and my daughter.

Inmates at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections in Cranston can shave time off their sentences by participating in job training, but some may encounter licensing barriers upon release

She considered a career in physical therapy. But thattoohas licensing barriers. She saysan admissions officer at New England Institute of Technology told her that she would need to pass a criminal-background check for clinical placement or employment.

So Spann-Taylor waitressed at a steak house while getting her associate degree in human services and then a bachelors degree in social work.

After graduating from college in 2013, she got a job as a court advocate for domestic violence victims, but the offer was rescinded before she could even start when her felony conviction showed up in a background check. A second job offer, a teaching position at a prison, was also rescinded because of her criminal record.

It took five more years of waitressing before Amos House offered her a job getting homeless, drug-addicted women off the streets of Providence.

In May, Spann-Taylor, now a married mother of two, enrolled part time in a masters programme to become a clinical social worker even though her felony record could end up disqualifying her from licensing.

Under Rhode Island law, licensed clinical social workers must be free of felony convictions unless the professional board determines those previous convictions arent a risk to public safety. The state health department says it has no record of anyone with a felony conviction applying for a licence in social work or chemical dependency counselling in the past five years.

Spann-Taylor knows she will struggle to persuade the licensing board to overlook her record. Even if she obtains her licence, some major health insurers will not contract with providers with felony backgrounds. At times, she wonders whether the $40,000 shes accumulated in student loan debt will be worth it. Still, she feels she has little choice.

People lose hope when the door keeps closing in your face, she says. I got frustrated thinking I was just going to be a waitress for the rest of my life. Ill keep trying to bust through these doors until they open.

Lincoln, a convert to Islam, prays in his basement apartment. He says the religion taught him how to forgive himself and others

Lincoln knows that with his lengthier prison sentences, he faces even higher career hurdles. So he focuses on what he can control learning as much as he can about counselling, piecing together as many internship hours as possible, staying clean and making things right with his family.

His training ground as Lincoln calls it was the red three-storey house where he spent the first three months after his release, learning how to abide by rules and routine outside prison walls and how to feel the emotions he buried while he was incarcerated or high.

Once you put the drugs down, all those feelings you were trying to numb come rushing back you sold yourself short, neglected your family, the guilt, Lincoln says. I didnt know how to be a dad. I didnt even know how to be a human. I just existed. I breathed. I ate.

View post:
'A stain you can't wash off': Legal hurdles make normal life impossible for former convicts - The Independent

The start of the Mystics' first playoff series won't be marred by the semi-regular travel woes that plague the league's playersduring the regular season.

WNBA commissionerCathy Engelbert announced on Sunday that the league will cover the cost of charter flights for Connecticut and Washington's opponents in both Game Onesinthe semifinals round of the WNBA playoffs.

With both second-roundWNBAplayoff games taking place in the Pacific Time Zone on Sunday and WNBA semifinals set to tip-off on Tuesday in Connecticut and Washington, D.C., the league has arranged and will cover costs for charter flights for the winners of Sundays games," she said in a statement released by the league."We believe it is in the best interest of the players to provide them with an opportunity to arrive expeditiously in the city of the first game of the WNBA semifinals and have a full day on-site to practice, rest and prepare.

WNBA players, who fly commercial flights, have often voiced concern about their travel arrangements.

Earlier this season, Elena Delle Donne wrote on Instagram that she was "sick of" taking commercial flights cross-country, citing a fellow passenger's derogatory remarks made while the Mystics were on a flight to Las Vegas.In 2018, the Mystics game against the Aces was canceled after the Las Vegas-based team's travel woes resulted in them traveling for reportedly 24 hours and arriving only a few hours before game time.

The issue alsowas one of the central points in WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike's essay on The Player's Tribune in 2018 after players opted out of their CBA. Players have to renegotiate a deal before the 2020 season.

"This is not purely about salaries. This is about small changes the league can make that will impact the players," she said in the essay."This is about a six-foot-nine superstar taking a red-eye cross-country and having to sit in an economy seat instead of an exit row. Often with delays. Imagine the last time you took a red-eye business trip and you sat in the middle seat with your knees all cramped up, and how shook you were for that entire rest of the day."

The top-seeded Mystics, who clinched a double-bye to the semifinals, start their postseason on Tuesday at home.

MORE MYSTICS NEWS:

Originally posted here:
Mystics semifinals opponents to get travel help from league - NBCSports.com

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3.1 Global Market by Region

3.2 Global Market by Company

3.3 Global Market by Type

3.4 Global Market by Application

3.5 Global Market by Forecast

Part 4 Asia-Pacific Market Status and Future Forecast

4.1 Asia-Pacific Market by Type

4.2 Asia-Pacific Market by Application

4.3 Asia-Pacific Market by Geography

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4.3.2 Southeast Asia Market Status and Future Forecast

4.3.3 India Market Status and Future Forecast

4.3.4 Japan Market Status and Future Forecast

4.3.5 Korea Market Status and Future Forecast

4.3.6 Oceania Market Status and Future Forecast

4.4 Asia-Pacific Market by Forecast

Part 5 Europe Market Status and Future Forecast

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5.2 Europe Market by Application

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8.3.3 South Africa Market Status and Future Forecast

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Online Program Management in Higher Education 2019 Market Estimation, Dynamics, Outllook, Research, Trends and Forecasts to 2025 - NewsStoner

It all started one spring-time afternoon in 1964, when Paola City Manager Jim Austin and physician Robert E. Banks took an interest in the idea of a mental health facility in Paola. The idea caused them to visit with the late Mother M. Charles McGrath at her office in the Ursuline Academy, where they asked for help from the Ursuline Sisters.

The Sisters were at a point of transition in their mission, as their work in the regions parish schools were dwindling. The new mission was a welcome, refreshing thought to McGrath.

The facilitys best hope originally came from an act signed into law the year before by former U.S. President John F. Kennedy the Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Mental Health Center Construction Act.

When the founders were deterred by the proximity of the Osawatomie State Hospital, they diverted their attention to the possibility of a center for the mentally retarded, which transitioned into a school specifically for children with mental retardation.

A need for such a facility had been expressed by parents and educators in the community before special education was available in public schools.

The entire idea was spawned from a group of nine mentally retarded children who were being educated in a class under the stage at the Ursuline auditorium in 1959.

The class was moved to the Osawatomie State Hospital in 1963 so the children could take advantage of the recreational facilities, including a swimming pool.

At this time, a group of parents spoke out about the need for a facility specifically for these children. This group eventually became known as the Miami County Association for Retarded Citizens.

After McGraths visit from the city officials, she took the reins and contacted the president of Citizens State Bank, L.M. Schwartz. The two eventually envisioned a medical complex to be built on Ursuline property east of Paola. The facility would include a nursing home, hospital, medical office building and the future Lakemary Center.

At this time, Austin had left Paola for a city manager position in Arizona.

Federal funds became available for the school and McGrath and others from the Ursuline Academy looked to Schwartz for help cutting through miles of red tape.

McGrath named the corporation Lakemary Center for the lake on the same property and for the Virgin Mary.

The Lakemary Board of Directors met for the first time on May 3, 1966, when they voted to submit the application for federal funding. The obstacle they faced at this point was raising money to match the grant.

Schwartz and parent Jim Clemens worked to convince the city to issue $800,000 in industrial revenue bonds to accompany the $540,000 grant to get close to the $1,345,000 goal.

The bonds were successfully sold despite doubts from the underwriter.

The project was ready by Oct. 9, 1967, when groundbreaking ceremonies were held by many heavily involved individuals. Construction began a few weeks later and was complete in under two years in May 1969.

The center officially opened on March 21, 1970. U.S. Senator Robert Dole of Kansas attended the dedication ceremonies, in addition to then-Governor Robert Docking.

The centers progress has been extensive in the 50 years since its official opening.

In 1974, the centers special purpose elementary school and high school became accredited and were approved by the Missouri State Department of Education. A deaf education program was also added to the curriculum.

The center was accredited for a further two years in 1975. The center was the first of its kind to be accredited in the three-state area of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri.

An on-the-job training program began in 1980, which was one of the first steps taken toward the new adult program.

The athletics program was expanded in 1982 with the dedication of the Hartley Memorial Softball Field. That same year two adult community residences were approved for construction on Peoria Street as part of a new residential area called Sunrise Acres. The buildings opened in 1983, followed by two more in 1986.

The Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities Services met at Lakemary for the first time. The councils existence was mandated by federal legislation. Paola resident Viola Davidson was appointed to the council.

After some grants were allocated, the vocational program turned into job coaching and training services.

The Ursa House on Lakemarys property opened in 1988. The residential facility increased the number of housed students from 32 to 38. Two more group homes opened in Olathe two years later, followed by the construction of a new swimming pool. The pool was funded by money received from the centers golf benefit.

The center was licensed in 1991 by the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services for its new adult living skills and supported employment programs.

One year later, the Kansas Special Olympics chose Lakemary as the best facility of the year.

New leadership was also seen in 1992, when Bill Craig took over as president when Patrice Schmitz Hall retired. Hall had been president for most of Lakemarys first 22 years.

The number of residents living in the community versus residential group homes doubled in 1993 and again in 1994.

Lakemary Center adopted a new logo and was accredited to serve behaviorally disordered children in 1994. And in 1995 the Johnson County Service Center was opened as a satellite office.

The center celebrated its 25th anniversary in May of that year, when Lakemary students, staff and their families, in addition to some of the original founders, enjoyed music from the Kansas City Symphony.

The center has since enjoyed an explosion of growth and expansion. The past 25 years have been a time of exponential advances in technology.

The childrens program was approved by the state of Kansas as a dual diagnosis services provider in 1996, which means they are licensed to treat children who have both a developmental disability and a psychiatric disorder. Many children with this disorder were already receiving attention, but the new designation means a higher reimbursement rate and enhanced services.

A greenhouse was built to provide a horticultural therapy program, also in 1996.

A Snoezelen Room was added to the school. The special room allows children with severe disabilities to control breezes, lights, aromas, sounds, textures and colors. The project was funded by the Ronald McDonald Foundation in 1997.

Computers were added to each classroom in 1998. A Sensory Garden was also installed for therapy purposes.

The Infant Toddler Program served 32 children in 1999, quadrupling the number served by the previous provider.

The number of children served at Lakemary increased by 22 percent in 2000, and a behavior management specialist and technology specialist were hired to work with the children.

A new effort called Child Find in 2001 increased the amount of children served by the Infant Toddler Program by 104 percent.

Parents and Lakemary staff began a campaign to raise $1.4 million to build a new gymnasium.

Three years of effort and preparation earned the center Missouris Level IV certification for the Residential Treatment Program in 2002.

A new data system was also applied in 2002. It is designed to track student progress and develop treatment plans.

It was a progressive year, as the school was awarded the School of Excellence certificate following its accreditation in 2002.

In 2003, the school received the same award for the third consecutive year.

A new program initiated in 2003 allows treatment through art therapy.

The Founders Fieldhouse was constructed in 2004 in honor of the founding families of Lakemary. The gym was dedicated in December that year.

The Lakemary Center and Endowment founding families are Jim and Bev Clemens, Gus and Frances Huber, Loren and Viola Davidson, Steve and Ann McGreevy, Bill and Jean Dunn, Bob and Barbara Metzler, Bill and Helen Fagan, Clyde and Gail Mock, Carl and Beth Gump, Clark and Peg Murray, Patrice Schmitz Hall, Harold and Pauline Schroeder, Dub and Pat Hartley, Jim and Elsie Wilson and Katherine Woolsey.

Lakemary students state assessments met the Standard of Excellence in seven curricular areas in 2005. It was also the year the classroom computers began receiving Internet access.

In 2007, two classrooms received a digital makeover and were fitted with computer smart boards. Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius appointed Lakemary president Bill Craig to chair the Kansas Autism Task Force Committee the same year.

The Lakemary Adult Day Services facility opened in 2009. The building provided expanded service options for adults.

A two-day 40th anniversary celebration in honor of the Ursuline Sisters and the Lakemary founding families was also held in 2009 at the Paola main campus.

In 2011, the Craig Center opened on the Paola campus, expanding the childrens residential program.

Lakemary Center got a brand new look in 2014 after completing a $3.3 million renovation and expansion project. The project included updated classrooms, as well as the addition of the Discovery Center and the Bob Dole Family Center, which created a new front facade by filling in the gap that previously existed between the administrative and school buildings.

The Discovery Center features a variety of sensory learning tools, and the family center gives students and family members a place to reconnect and even spend the night if need be. It also provides a location for therapists to meet with children and family members.

Also in 2014, former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole visited Lakemary Center during a tour of his home state of Kansas, and Lakemary President Bill Craig announced his retirement after 22 years in the position.

Gianna Gariglietti became the third president in Lakemarys history in 2015.

In 2016, Careers & More program launched in cooperation with MidAmerica Nazarene University, providing adults with opportunities for college-level classes and job training.

Lakemary Ranch opened in 2017 featuring a barn, chicken coop, rabbit hutches, goat paddock, sensory and play garden, koi pond, pig pen, greenhouse, raised garden beds and an Outdoor Wildlife Learning Site (OWLS), all on the grounds of the Paola campus.

In 2018, the clinical team added two therapeutic dogs to the program.

Now, in 2019, the Lakemary team is preparing to celebrate the organizations 50th anniversary with an open house event scheduled to take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Paola campus located at 100 Lakemary Drive.

There will be guided and self-guided tours of Lakemarys campus and ranch.

Another anniversary celebration is set to take place from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, at the Johnson County Lakemary Headquarters at 15145 S. Keeler St. in Olathe.

Original post:
Looking back on 50 years of Lakemary history - Miami County Republic

Welcome to the latest edition of Education Technology.

In this issue, we look at how edtech can be employed across the world for good causes, especially widening educational access in the developing world, and encouraging learning equality for SEND students.

Read the mag for free here

Our long reads this month include:

Our monthly deep-dive, The Report, explains the Crown Commercial Services new edtech procurement framework, and what it means for educators and suppliers. Read all about it on page 41.

We also have an exclusive interview with the CEO of education non-profit Hello World, Katrin McMillan. We hear about how the Hello World team are working to bring engaging educational content and internet connectivity to disadvantaged communities around the world, and hear inspiring stories of students reaching their amazing potential with the help of tech. Hear what Katrin has to say, and why something called a Hello Hub can make such a difference to peoples lives on page 59.

In our Diary and Last Word this month we get the scoop from Encyclopedia Britannicas Caroline Kennard, and Econocoms Chris Labrey about how video can deliver an education revolution, and how to ease those budget worries. Read what they have to say on pages 5 and 62 respectively.

Were celebrating our 50th edition of ET this month. To mark this occasion, our timeline hits on the highlights from the last 50 years of edtech, and the incredible changes that weve seen in this short space of time. Check it out on page 56.

Were also still bringing you all the latest news from the schools, HE and international sectors, starting on page 8.

Read the mag for free here

As always, if you have any comments on this months issue, or a story youd like to share with us, Id love to hear from you. You can reach me at charley.rogers@wildfirecomms.co.uk

Thanks for reading,

Charley Rogers

Editor

Read more:
ET October is now online - Education Technology

Ben Finley, Associated Press

Liberty students protest in wake of reports about Falwell

Students at Liberty University in Virginia gathered Friday to protest in the wake of news reports containing allegations that school president Jerry Falwell Jr. improperly benefited from the institution and disparaged students in emails.

Students joined together at the private evangelical university known for being an influential hub in conservative politics and held up signs calling for accountability and an investigation.

Elizabeth Brooks, a junior majoring in politics and policy, told The Associated Press by phone that a recent Politico Magazine story as well as a Reuters report prompted the protest at the school in Lynchburg. She said about 35 students were involved.

"I couldn't stay silent anymore," the 20-year-old said. "I would like to see President Falwell address this himself and for there to be an investigation into the allegations to see whether or not they're true."

At least one student held a sign that read: "I TRUST JERRY."

The Politico story contained allegations that Falwell "presides over a culture of self-dealing" at Liberty that has improperly benefited him and his family. The story cited unnamed sources described as current and former officials or Falwell associates.

Falwell told The AP on Tuesday that he wasn't going to "dignify the lies that were reported" in the Politico piece, calling the reporter for the story a "little boy."

Falwell said he would ask the FBI to investigate. He also said Liberty has hired "the meanest lawyer in New York," whom he declined to identify, to pursue civil cases.

Brooks said student protesters were particularly upset about quotes of emails in the Reuters story posted Thursday in which Falwell allegedly referred to one student as "emotionally imbalanced and physically retarded."

David Corry, Liberty's general counsel, told Reuters that Liberty wouldn't respond "without knowing the details or seeing email chains in their entirety."

Brooks grew up in Lynchburg and said she remembers when Falwell's father, Jerry Falwell Sr., died in 2007. She referred to the elder Falwell's often-used quote about the school: "If it's Christian, it ought to be better."

"I am a Christian," Brooks said. "And that quote from Jerry. Sr. really does embody our mission. We didn't come out here to be angry or militant. We honestly just wanted to show the student body that there are people like them who care and who want to see this place be the best it can be."

Following Friday's protest, Falwell Jr. tweeted that he was "so impressed with how @LibertyU students conducted themselves today at the protest!"

"The ones who had concerns and the ones who supported me were both respectful and not angry - very Christ-like in their behavior," he continued. "Our students are an example the world can learn from!"

Liberty was founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. with just 154 students. It now boasts an enrollment of more than 100,000, including those in its massive online education program.

Falwell Jr.'s early and ardent support of President Donald Trump created a rift on campus during the presidential campaign and has sparked controversy since.

____

An earlier version of this report had an incorrect spelling of Elizabeth Brooks' last name.

The rest is here:
Liberty students protest in wake of reports about Falwell - The Advocate