BOUCAN CARRE, Haiti The people who live in this part of Haitis Central Plateau need more of pretty much everything that makes life safe, comfortable and predictable.

Three-quarters of families do not have enough food and two-thirds do not have access to clean water. Thirty percent of households are headed by women, and 40 percent of children are not in school. One in four children is unvaccinated, and half are underweight. About 80percent of houses do not have latrines, and 60percent of farmers do not own the land they cultivate, according to a survey of 5,200 families in the commune, or county, of Boucan Carre.

Is it realistic for people to make headway against so many problems on their own? Several centuries of poverty would suggest the answer is no.

Would a personal assistant help? An experiment here may answer that.

Half of the communes 10,000 households are being assigned a household development agent a neighbor who will work as a health educator, vaccinator, epidemiologist, financial analyst, social worker, scheduler and advocate all at the same time. With the agents help, a family will assess its needs and come up with a plan to make things better.

The idea is to forge a relationship from the get-go, said Maryanne Sharp, an official at the World Bank, which is overseeing the $4million project. We want the family to say, Yes, we own the plan and we will work on these objectives on this timetable.

The other 5,000 households will function as a control group, continuing as they have, scrounging out a living in one of Haitis poorest and most isolated places.

In two years, the families will be resurveyed and their children and houses reexamined. If those with agents are doing better, then the strategy of coaching people out of poverty may be expanded to the whole country.

The experiment, aided by Haitis Health Ministry and run by two charities, Zanmi Lasante and World Vision, acknowledges several realities of life here.

One is that fixing just one of a poor familys many problems say, access to medical care or substandard housing may not make much difference. The second is that house calls are the most efficient way to reach people in rural areas. The third is that finding help in a place where more than 900 nongovernmental organizations operate and provide 70percent of the health care can be daunting and confusing.

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Personal coaches help Haitian families try to get out of poverty

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire -08/30/12)- The BC Chapter of the American Marketing Association (BCAMA) introduces the new Board of Directors for the 2012/2013 season. The BCAMA, founded in 1955, has been lead by a group of volunteer BC-based marketing professionals who balance their volunteer positions with the already challenging demands of career and personal life. They are dedicated to providing exciting programs and new initiatives that our BCAMA members and supporters value.

The 2012/2013 BCAMA Board of Directors:

Steve Kim - President

Steve is the President of Boilingpoint Group, and has over 13 years of expertise in strategic marketing, communications and business development gained from his experience within the media, entertainment, and technology sectors.

Sarah Clayton - President Elect

Sarah is the Director of Marketing and Communications at Regent College, where she works with an in-house marketing team to forge new innovative marketing paths in a competitive higher education industry.

Darrell Hadden - Immediate Past President

Darrell started Graphically Speaking over 20 years ago. As President, he has seen the company evolve from being the largest presentation graphics company in the Pacific Northwest to the second largest web developer in Greater Vancouver.

Kerry J. Plowman - Vice President Elect

With over 10 years of experience in marketing, Kerry founded WestCoast Internet Marketing to help small and medium sized business expand their reach into target audiences using inbound and outbound marketing technique, with a focus on lead generation and results-driven marketing strategies.

Follow this link:
BCAMA Introduces 2012/2013 Board of Directors

http://www.chinaeducationresources.com

VANCOUVER, Aug. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - China Education Resources, Inc. ("CER") (CHN.V) (CHNUF), a leading technology provider of online learning, training courses and social media for teachers, students and education professionals, announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2012. All figures are expressed in U.S. dollars.

China Education Resources generated gross revenues of $1,824,968 in the second quarter of 2012. This is compared to gross revenue of $1,103,954 for the same period in 2011. The loss of the second quarter was $177,321 as compared to a loss of $398,431 for the same period in 2011.

During the six months ended June 30, 2012, the Company generated revenue of $4,362,780 as compared with $3,271,740 for the same period in 2011. The profit attributable to the owners of the Company for the period was $433,518 as compared to $45,560 for the same period in 2011.

Q2 of 2012 financial highlights include:

Online products revenue of $739,416 generated during the second quarter of 2012 as compared to $303,438 during the same period in 2011;

Text book sales revenue of $1,085,552 generated during the second quarter of 2012 as compared to $800,516 during the same period in 2011.

"We are very pleased with our increasing revenues in our Q2 2012 results, particularly for the digital textbook sales which have started to generate revenue." said Chengfeng Zhou, CEO, China Education Resources. "We are utilizing our internet platform and educational social network together with our existing online/offline products which will provide blended comprehensive education resources and services to teachers and students. Our goal is to strengthen our position as the leading provider of digital educations services to China's K-12 sector."

With the successfully launched digital textbook program, CER is being approached by educational publishers to develop and provide digital supplementary materials to students through our school platform.

In collaboration with China's education administrators and experts, China Education Resources has been helping to transform the curriculum of the world's largest educational system. Recognizing the need to address education reform changes, China Education Resources has created educational tools and curriculum for China's entire kindergarten through twelfth grade system. The Company is playing an integral part in transforming China's educational system through helping to convert the existing educational system from a memory-based learning system to a creative thinking and interactive approach. Presently, China Education Resources has over 1 million kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers registered through its Web portal. For more information, please visit http://www.chinaeducationresources.com or call (604) 331-2388.

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China Education Resources Inc. Reports Q2 2012 Financial Results

67 WALL STREET, New York - August 30, 2012 - The Wall Street Transcript has just published its Education Report offering a timely review of the sector to serious investors and industry executives. This special feature contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs, Equity Analysts and Money Managers. The full issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.

Topics covered: Enrollment and Retention Trends - Regulatory Risks - Chinese Education Growth Catalysts - For-Profit Institutions - Online Content Distribution

Companies include: China Distance Education Holdings Limited (DL) and many others.

In the following excerpt from the Education Report, the CFO of China Distance Learning discusses the outlook for her company for investors:

TWST: Please introduce our readers to China Distance Education with some history and an overview of the company today.

Ms. Wei: China Distance is a company that was founded in 2000. Today, we are the largest online education company in China

based on the number of paid enrollments on a yearly basis.

We were founded by our Chairman and CEO, Mr. Zhengdong Zhu. The year 2000 was the year of the dot-com. He founded a dot-com company, but at that time he did not believe in the free-content model. He thought that if you were to make money on the Internet, you should offer something that people are willing to pay for. His background was in wireless communication, so he has a strong background in technology, which led him to establish the company chinaacc.com. The name in Chinese means China Online Accounting School.

So he founded the online accounting school in 2000 to offer accounting test-preparation courses and continuing education courses for people who want to pass various accounting exams to obtain certificates or designations for career advancement and for people who want to continue to satisfy continuing education requirements to keep their designations.

Apparently he did something right, because by 2003 the company had grown to over 50,000 annual paid enrollments, and we became cash flow positive that year. From that year on, we've never had a year when we either lost money or were cash flow negative.

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Wall Street Transcript Interview with China Distance Education Holdings Limited (DL) Chief Financial Officer Ping Wei

SCRANTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Penn Foster, Inc., a global leader in online education with over 150,000 students, today announces a solution for institutions interested in matriculating students who do not yet have a high school diploma and are interested in post-secondary education. With the dissolution of the Ability-to-Benefit program, thousands of students are not able to pursue higher education and Penn Foster High School is providing the opportunity for these students to obtain their diploma and succeed.

We want students and our school partners to know that, although Ability-to-Benefit is no longer available, Penn Foster provides an answer to achieving higher education, said Peter Ockerbloom, Penn Foster senior vice president of global client management. One school told us they turn away an average of 10 students a week; these are students that could benefit from the Penn Foster High School program if integrated with their institution.

Penn Foster is committed to providing access to education for those students who need it most. A diploma from Penn Foster High School can be earned in as little as three months, depending on how many credits the incoming student has from any previous schooling. The courses are self-paced and online so students can study on their own time and work at their own pace. Penn Foster High School is regionally accredited which is the most respected form of accreditation that a school can earn. It is the same type of accreditation granted to some of America's most prestigious schools, and Penn Foster High School is one of a small group of online schools to achieve this same recognition.

In addition, Penn Foster has more than 40 years of experience working with institutional partners. Partnering schools can elect to co-brand Penn Foster's learning management system and allow students to work in a lab setting at their school and electives can be customized to better prepare students for the career training they will complete in the future.

About Penn Foster

Penn Foster is a global leader in online education, providing high school diplomas, career-focused degree and vocational programs in the fields of allied health, business, technology, education, and select trades. Penn Foster has a rich history in distance learning, tracing back to their roots as the International Correspondence School in 1890. The institution today, comprised of Penn Foster High School, the largest high school in the United States; Penn Foster College and Penn Foster Career School, graduates 25,000 annually, and has always been dedicated to educating and training America's working population.

More:
Penn Foster High School Helps Students without a High School Diploma Succeed

67 WALL STREET, New York - August 29, 2012 - The Wall Street Transcript has just published its Education Report offering a timely review of the sector to serious investors and industry executives. This special feature contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs, Equity Analysts and Money Managers. The full issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.

Topics covered: Enrollment and Retention Trends - Regulatory Risks - Chinese Education Growth Catalysts - For-Profit Institutions - Online Content Distribution

Companies include: Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (LOPE) and many others.

In the following excerpt from the Education Report, the CEO of Grand Canyon Education discusses the outlook for his company for investors.

TWST: If you would, please start by introducing our readers to Grand Canyon with a brief history and an overview of the company today.

Mr. Mueller: Grand Canyon University started in Prescott, Ariz., in 1949, stayed there for two years before moving to Phoenix in 1951. We're still on the property that was purchased in 1951 to build the university. It was started by a group of Southern Baptists who wanted to create a private, Christian, nondenominational university in Phoenix. There was a close connection with the Baptist Church for many years, although there were Christians of all denominations that attended Grand Canyon through the years, and it was known as a very strong, private, traditional, Christian liberal arts university. About 1,500 students were on campus typically.

They had really strong programs in teacher education and health care, particularly in nursing. The university eventually developed a business program, a full array of liberal arts programs, majors in sociology and psychology and history, and a fine arts department with a focus on theater and musical performance. GCU also had a pretty strong athletic program that competed at the NAIA level. About 10 years ago, Grand Canyon fell into very serious financial difficulties. In fact, we were $20 million in the red at the end of 2003 and were ready to close the university. Brothers Brent and Chris Richardson stepped in and were willing to take control of the university and also assume that $20 million in debt.

That transaction took place, and they assumed control of the university, but didn't have the total $20 million. Their first choice was to stay as a not-for-profit university and go out and raise the money in terms of donations. But unfortunately Grand Canyon's graduates were teachers and nurses, and - God bless them, they provide great service to society, but - there weren't millions of dollars to get the university out of its financial trouble. So they decided to change the university's status to a for-profit status and to build a business plan that invites investment. The business plan was to mimic the University of Phoenix's online program. They hoped it would extend GCU's mission by offering programs delivered online to working adult students and perhaps make the university profitable. The Richardson brothers developed that online program from 2004 to 2008. They had about 15,000 online students. Most of those students were 32 to 34 years old. That did help the university become profitable and got rid of the debt.

At that point, the decision was made to get another infusion of funds by going public. I was at University of Phoenix at that point as President of Apollo Group, and they asked if I was interested in coming over to GCU. When I looked at this opportunity, I was very interested because there's really no other private, traditional, Christian university in Arizona, which is very unusual. There are 70 such universities in California, and other states like Michigan and Indiana and Ohio have 20 or more. Arizona was really an anomaly in that sense, and I saw a chance to create something very unique here.

So I came over in 2008, and we took the company public in November 2008. We received an infusion of $250 million of funds and started to build out the university.

Read the original:
Fast Growth Education Business Model Combines Online and Traditional Campus: Making a Private University Affordable ...

67 WALL STREET, New York - August 29, 2012 - The Wall Street Transcript has just published its Education Report offering a timely review of the sector to serious investors and industry executives. This special feature contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs, Equity Analysts and Money Managers. The full issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.

Topics covered: Enrollment and Retention Trends - Regulatory Risks - Chinese Education Growth Catalysts - For-Profit Institutions - Online Content Distribution

Companies include: Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (LOPE) and many others.

In the following excerpt from the Education Report, the CEO of Grand Canyon Education discusses the outlook for his company for investors.

TWST: If you would, please start by introducing our readers to Grand Canyon with a brief history and an overview of the company today.

Mr. Mueller: Grand Canyon University started in Prescott, Ariz., in 1949, stayed there for two years before moving to Phoenix in 1951. We're still on the property that was purchased in 1951 to build the university. It was started by a group of Southern Baptists who wanted to create a private, Christian, nondenominational university in Phoenix. There was a close connection with the Baptist Church for many years, although there were Christians of all denominations that attended Grand Canyon through the years, and it was known as a very strong, private, traditional, Christian liberal arts university. About 1,500 students were on campus typically.

They had really strong programs in teacher education and health care, particularly in nursing. The university eventually developed a business program, a full array of liberal arts programs, majors in sociology and psychology and history, and a fine arts department with a focus on theater and musical performance. GCU also had a pretty strong athletic program that competed at the NAIA level. About 10 years ago, Grand Canyon fell into very serious financial difficulties. In fact, we were $20 million in the red at the end of 2003 and were ready to close the university. Brothers Brent and Chris Richardson stepped in and were willing to take control of the university and also assume that $20 million in debt.

That transaction took place, and they assumed control of the university, but didn't have the total $20 million. Their first choice was to stay as a not-for-profit university and go out and raise the money in terms of donations. But unfortunately Grand Canyon's graduates were teachers and nurses, and - God bless them, they provide great service to society, but - there weren't millions of dollars to get the university out of its financial trouble. So they decided to change the university's status to a for-profit status and to build a business plan that invites investment. The business plan was to mimic the University of Phoenix's online program. They hoped it would extend GCU's mission by offering programs delivered online to working adult students and perhaps make the university profitable. The Richardson brothers developed that online program from 2004 to 2008. They had about 15,000 online students. Most of those students were 32 to 34 years old. That did help the university become profitable and got rid of the debt.

At that point, the decision was made to get another infusion of funds by going public. I was at University of Phoenix at that point as President of Apollo Group, and they asked if I was interested in coming over to GCU. When I looked at this opportunity, I was very interested because there's really no other private, traditional, Christian university in Arizona, which is very unusual. There are 70 such universities in California, and other states like Michigan and Indiana and Ohio have 20 or more. Arizona was really an anomaly in that sense, and I saw a chance to create something very unique here.

So I came over in 2008, and we took the company public in November 2008. We received an infusion of $250 million of funds and started to build out the university.

Read more from the original source:
Fast Growth Education Company Lowers University Tuitions with No State Tax Subsidies: Business Model Combines Online ...

By Erin Haggerty August 29, 2012

On Labor Day weekend, yoga studios across the Island will host the third annual Martha's Vineyard Yoga Festival. Studios will open their doors to visiting teachers from around the country, giving local yoga practitioners a chance to experience something and someone new.

The Chilmark Community Center is where much of the festival's action will take place. To make the center a little more yoga-like, co-producer Mollie Doyle and festival founder Kathy Bega enlisted local architect, Peter Breese to revamp the space.

"We reworked the vibe of a very dreary entry space," said Mr. Breese. "We made it more comfortable, finished and welcoming we activated it."

The custom-designed Community Center will not only host classes but will feature a pop-up yoga clothes shop and health food caf. Chris Fischer of Beetlebung Farm is in charge of everything edible at the festival, including Friday night's vegan feast to be served at the Beetlebung Greenhouse. During the day, there will be smoothies, salads, Chilmark coffee, and snacks from Not Your Sugar Mama's available at the Community Center.

The festival kicks off on Thursday when FLY Yoga presents Saul David Raye at the Chilmark Community Center from 9 am to noon and 1pm to 4 pm.

Claire Parkhurst, owner of Tapas Hot Yoga in Vineyard Haven, said she was thrilled to collaborate with Ms. Bega and Ms. Doyle. "They've worked so hard to bring such great teachers, and they really wanted to involve the already-existing yoga community," she said.

Michelle Boullion a yoga teacher, Lululemon Ambassador, and owner of Wild Tiger Yoga in Baton Rouge, Louisiana will teach two classes at Tapas Hot Yoga. Ms. Boullion, a participant in the past two festival's, is looking forward to escaping the Louisiana heat and returning to the more forgiving late summer in New England. She will teach a "power hot" class in Ms. Parkhurst's heated studio.

Ms. Boullion stresses the importance of a balanced workout. "Strength plus flexibility equals functionality," she said. "I don't just want my students to be able to do a headstand; you should be able to carry your kids around, walk to work, etc." Before class, Ms. Boullion will discuss the method and benefits of self-massage and myofascial release using foam rollers and tennis balls to release tension and relieve pain. Ms. Boullion will teach at the Chilmark Community Center on Friday, August 31, at 8 am, and at Tapas Hot Yoga on Saturday and Sunday at 10 am.

Lindel Hart, owner of Hart Yoga in Shelburne Falls, is also a veteran of past festivals. He said he is excited about returning to the Island and called the last two festivals "phenomenal experiences."

Original post:
Annual Martha's Vineyard yoga festival is a feast of activities

September is the time for fresh starts the end of vacation for many and the start of a new season for all so it's no surprise that it also marks National Yoga Month.

As the sun sets on summer, put your focus on achieving wellness, peace and bliss with a series of yoga-centric events in New Jersey and New York. Want to learn more? Visit yogahealthfoundation.org.

Elyse Toribio

Evolve Fest

The four-day outdoor celebration includes sessions with expert yoga instructors, energizing dance parties and, thanks to a long list of vendors, a wide offering of organic foods. A healing sanctuary and ascension temple will also be on site for those seeking inner peace during the festivities.

WHEN: Friday to Monday.

WHERE: 1350 Stryker Road, Phillipsburg.

HOW MUCH: Limited camping and day passes available, starting from $80. Admission free for children under 12, adults over 65 and those with special needs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 973-896-9312 or evolvefest.com.

Yoga in the City

Continued here:
Yoga and music events during National Yoga Month

Hundreds of people toting their rolled-up mats gather in McKinley Park on Saturdays for yoga sessions. Storefront studios brag that they offer "hot" yoga. There even are "mommy and me" yoga classes out there.

Seems everyone's into yoga.

According to a "Yoga in America" market study released by Yoga Journal in 2008, Americans spend $5.7 billion a year on yoga classes and products (equipment, clothing, DVDs, books, etc.). That's an 87 percent increase from 2004.

This Labor Day, yoga studios around Sacramento and in cities around the country will offer free yoga classes as part of a loosely organized event called Free Day of Yoga.

It started in Austin, Texas, in 1999 as a way to raise awareness of yoga. It's since spread to cities including Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston and Philadelphia. It's celebrated in Guam.

And this year, Sacramento.

Before you start posing like a crane or a cat or a dog or a plank, though, it's important to find the type of yoga that's right for you. Different styles have different benefits and degrees of difficulty, and finding the right fit can be the difference between enjoying yoga and hating it.

Here's a quick breakdown of some of the most popular styles of yoga:

Hatha yoga does not refer to a specific style of yoga, but rather is a general term that encompasses all forms of physical yoga. Other forms of yoga are derivatives of Hatha yoga. This particular style of yoga focuses mostly on the individual poses rather than on the flow between poses. "Hatha" literally means "forceful," and nowadays, most yoga studios use the term to refer to their most basic yoga classes that focus on teaching the main poses, making this the perfect option for beginners.

Vinyasa is another general description for many different types of yoga. This style tends to be slightly faster-paced than Hatha yoga, and it focuses on synchronizing movements and breathing techniques.

Read more:
Sacramento yoga studios offer free classes for Labor Day