Software Entrepreneur Leverages Personal Experience To Help Next Generation Of At-Risk Kids
Posted: February 23, 2012 at 12:47 am
Ripple Effects’ Software Discreetly Gives Children of Alcoholics Personal Support While Preserving Peer Relationships
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) February 22, 2012
In recognition of Children of Alcoholics Week, Ripple Effects’ CEO, Alice Ray opens up about how her personal experience as a child growing up in an alcoholic home inspired her to create Ripple Effects (http://www.rippleeffects.com), the leading digital provider of student social-emotional learning and self-directed mental health guidance tools, and how the software discreetly offers hope and personal support to children of alcoholics today. Motivated by both scientific research and her own experiences, Ray has created a school-based software program that gives children facing discipline and behavioral issues the opportunity to discreetly lookup and define their problems. Once they choose a topic, children can then get professionally vetted answers and solutions through multi-media tutorials with true video stories and games that provide skill building, problem solving and personal guidance. As a result, teachers and school administrators are seeing positive change and lasting outcomes in children that have historically been a challenging group to reach and help.
Over the last 10 years, Ripple Effects has found that when children in discipline settings are allowed to privately use the innovative software program to explore what THEY think are the reasons underlying behavior problems, 18% of students in second to fifth grade lookup the words “alcoholic parent” and 18% lookup the word “beaten.” These same students secondarily lookup the words “angry” and “afraid.” But these same students rarely speak up to trusted adults at school and present behavior problems to offset attention to their home situation. As students get older, the focus on alcoholic parents continues to be high; but they also explore topics such as “dating abuse,” “domestic violence,” and “depression,” as well as “anger” and “fear”.
According to Ray, “Children themselves intuitively know what scientists discovered 15 years ago with the landmark Study of Adverse Childhood Events (ACE): living with alcoholism, domestic violence, and abuse, can result in social-emotional and cognitive impairments that lead to life-long negative health outcomes. Kids also know from their own lives the connection that scientists have only recently confirmed: social-emotional impairments that follow in the wake of adverse child experiences also have a major impact on school performance, both academic and behavioral.”
Childhood trauma has a social and emotional impact that hurts grades and behavior. The ACE Study calls for “an integrated approach to intervene early on behalf of children growing up with alcohol abuse in the home and the abuse, violence, neglect, and the other ACEs that frequently co-occur in these homes.” Emerging educational policy calls for school-based, early intervening services for students who carry these risks. But how can you deliver these services without further stigmatizing children who may treasure school as their only sanctuary from difficult family circumstances? How do you make sure that all kids have access to the most effective strategies for building their resilience, while not compromising their privacy? And how do you make it affordable?
These are some of the questions that prompted Ray to co-found Ripple Effects and develop the social-emotional intervention software that is now listed on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) as a comprehensive children’s mental health intervention, with documented positive impact on both grades and resilience assets of empathy and problem solving.
For Ray, mitigating the impact of adverse childhood experiences has never been an esoteric challenge. She says, “My father’s alcoholism was the trigger for a cascade of awful personal circumstances that nearly swamped me. School was a sanctuary for me. The last thing I wanted was for some well-meaning teacher or counselor to drag my horrible family experiences into the only place that was clean of them. On the few occasions they did, I reacted by acting out to divert attention anywhere else. Still, it would have helped so much to know that my experiences were not so very uncommon, and that I could learn coping skills, including eventually talking to a trusted adult, that would have made things easier.”
“I was a lucky one and thrived despite my circumstance. Others in my family were not so lucky. Seeing the lifelong crippling effects of early emotional injury on a brother has been a continuing motivation to prevent other children from experiencing those outcomes. Efficacy research is showing that we are meeting that goal, at a level beyond what I thought was possible.”
Previously failing students who privately used Ripple Effects, in lieu of math or language arts just twice a week for seven weeks, saw their grades go up more than a full point within a single semester. They stayed in school at higher rates. Discipline problems went down. In addition, students who were exposed to Ripple Effects for universal, social-emotional skill building saw scores for empathy and problem solving (resiliency assets) go up. More than 4000 schools across the US are already using Ripple Effects as a cost-effective, personalized intervention for children with social-emotional challenges.
ABOUT RIPPLE EFFECTS
Based in San Francisco, Ripple Effects (http://www.rippleeffects) is the leading digital provider of student social-emotional learning and self-directed mental health guidance tools for children and teens. Ripple Effects’ line of award-winning, evidence-based software programs use peer narration and interactive gaming to reach vulnerable students and positively change behavior. These media-rich programs are used in more than 600 school districts, after-school, and community programs nationally, and have garnered 30 major awards.
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Karie Stern
Mill Valley Partners
415-608-9195
Email Information
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Software Entrepreneur Leverages Personal Experience To Help Next Generation Of At-Risk Kids
Success Inside and Out: Program aims to stop the revolving door to prison
Posted: at 12:46 am
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Story last updated at 2/22/2012 - 12:07 pm
By Hanna Sebold | For the Capital City Weekly
JUNEAU - On March 3, Juneau community members will return to Lemon Creek Correction Center for the fifth annual Success Inside and Out program. Participants in the program will offer their experiences, knowledge and a helping hand for incarcerated persons who are facing release from custody.
The program's goal is to help male and female inmates avoid the pitfalls of the revolving jail door and start a new life after serving their time. The program is also designed to help victims. If inmates find work and success after their release, they can pay restitution and child support and can give back to the community they harmed.
The day-long program will include break-out sessions led by community members of different disciplines. These sessions address inmates' questions about personal finances, credit counseling, employment, housing, probation, mental health, addiction issues, family, job skills training, exploring spiritual resources as well as art and personal fitness.
According to past participants, one of the most touching moments each year is a discussion with past inmates who are succeeding on the outside. Besides the courage it shows for them to return to LCCC, they bravely share their stories about what landed them in jail, the struggles they faced once released and how they have managed to succeed.
Despite the hard work, the program also offers fun, including a Dress for Success: Dos and Don'ts presentation, providing insight on how to dress appropriately for a job interview. Local musicians Colette Costa and Scott Burton will perform, as well as Paper Moon, a band including Alan Michael, Gordon Sandy, Kelly Henriksen and Martha DeFreest. Each participant will receive a goodie bag and has the opportunity to win door prizes.
The program is made possible by donations of time, treats and prizes from Subway, Bullwinkle's Pizza, The Island Pub, Coogan Construction, Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, Northern Sales, SERCC, Little Mermaid and other Juneau businesses and individuals.
Only time will tell if this program works to stop the revolving door. There are many factors that contribute to individuals reoffending, but giving people a helping hand is one way to stop the revolving door.
Anyone who is interested in donating items, such as clothes for the Dress for Success program, watches (to get to work on time), stamps or gift certificates, contact Sharon Heidersdorf at 463-4700.
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NCTA Announces CEA’s Gary Shapiro to Speak on Innovation and the Key to Economic Success
Posted: at 12:46 am
RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA), the primary voice of the technology industry in North Carolina, announces its next Thought Leaders event on March 8, 2012. The featured speaker will be Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and author of the New York Times bestseller, The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream. Gary will discuss how great innovators have been the real drivers of America’s unsurpassed economic success and how innovation creates jobs, markets, and new industries where none existed before.
Shapiro has spent 30 years at the forefront of America’s innovative industry, witnessing firsthand the most exciting, groundbreaking innovations the world has ever known. His time in the Washington trenches, fighting for our nation’s innovators, has shown him that when America leads in innovation, America – and the world – moves forward.
“Gary is exactly the kind of national figure we seek to highlight in our Thought Leaders series – provocative, influential, and business-relevant,” said Brooks Raiford, NCTA’s president and CEO. “We are delighted to have Gary visit North Carolina and be our first Thought Leaders speaker of 2012.” NCTA launched the Thought Leaders Series to feature candid discussions with executives, media influencers, authors and motivational speakers.
The event will be held on March 8, 2012 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the RBC Center in Raleigh. Registration includes breakfast and a complimentary copy of Gary's book, The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream. The event’s Leadership Sponsor is Stearns Financial Services Group.
To register or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please visit http://www.nctechnology.org or contact Michelle Calton at mcalton@nctechnology.org, 919.890.0771. Companies and organizations that join NCTA before February 29 will receive two complimentary tickets for the event.
About the Keynote:
Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the U.S. trade association for more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies. CEA owns the International CES, the world’s largest annual technology trade show. Shapiro has led the technology industry through seismic shifts, including the transition from analog to digital television, and the move to wireless, personal computers and the Internet. He has received many awards including the Pinnacle Award, the exhibition industry’s highest award, and was recognized repeatedly as one of the 100 most influential people in Washington by Washington Life magazine. A graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center, he is married to Dr. Susan Malinowski, and commutes each week between Virginia and Michigan.
About NCTA
The North Carolina Technology Association’s mission is “Making North Carolina #1 in Technology and Technology #1 in North Carolina.” The organization does this through three main focus areas: executive engagement, public affairs, and knowledge workforce. For more information, visit our website at http://www.nctechnology.org.
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NCTA Announces CEA’s Gary Shapiro to Speak on Innovation and the Key to Economic Success
Hewlett-Packard forecast hurt by Apple's success
Posted: at 12:46 am
Hewlett-Packard Co. forecast fiscal second-quarter profit that missed analysts' estimates as consumers curtail personal-computer buying, doing more computing on smartphones and tablets made by rivals.
Profit excluding some items will be 88 cents to 91 cents a share for the period that ends in April, Palo Alto, California- based Hewlett-Packard said today in a statement. That fell short of 95 cents, the average analyst estimate, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Shares slipped in extended trading.
Sales in the PC group declined 15 per cent in the first quarter, the company said, as consumers held off on buying new machines. The results suggest that Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman's attempts to reverse a sales slump aren't yet taking hold. Rival Dell Inc. yesterday forecast a sales decline for the current quarter amid tepid demand from consumers and governments.
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“All these segments are going to have headwinds,” said Abhey Lamba, an analyst at Mizuho Securities USA Inc. in New York, who began coverage of Hewlett-Packard on Feb. 8 with a “neutral” rating.
Consumers may wait to buy new PCs before Microsoft Corp. releases its Windows 8 software later this year. Hewlett- Packard's printer group also has too many unsold products sitting in dealers' inventory. And shifting to more profitable services will take time, he said.
“It's not going to be a one-year turnaround,” Lamba said.
First-quarter profit
In the first quarter, which ended Jan. 31, profit excluding some items declined to 92 cents a share, compared with analysts' average estimate of 87 cents. Sales fell 7 per cent to $US30 billion. Analysts had projected $US30.8 billion.
Whitman is seeking to halt the missed sales forecasts and strategy shifts that marked the tenure of her predecessor, Leo Apotheker, who resigned Sept. 22.
Whitman has said she will attempt to rebuild Hewlett- Packard's balance sheet and invest in research and development. She also said she'll eschew big acquisitions and strategy overhauls that characterized her predecessor's tenure. Apotheker left in September after a year and a half of management turmoil, falling computer demand and reduced growth forecasts.
Whitman reversed a proposal, floated under Apotheker, to jettison Hewlett-Packard's $US39.6 billion PC business. She's also opted to turn the WebOS operating system into an open-source project, letting outside programmers tinker with the code and use it in their own electronics devices.
Annual forecast
When the company reported fourth-quarter results Nov. 21, it forecast profit for fiscal 2012, which began Nov. 1, of at least $US4 a share; analysts had expected $US4.58. Whitman said she expected a “tough” year ahead and that she would eschew big acquisitions while investing in research and development.
Hewlett-Packard shares dropped to $US28.46 in extended trading after the report. They had fallen 1.4 per cent to $US28.94 at the close in New York. The shares have climbed 12 per cent this year after losing 39 per cent of their value in 2011.
Companies are buying packages of servers, storage and networking gear from Hewlett-Packard and Dell, which are under- pricing competitors, Peter Misek, an analyst at Jefferies & Co., said in a Feb. 15 report to clients. He has a “buy” rating on Hewlett-Packard.
U.S PC shipments declined last year for the first time in a decade and the industry is wrestling with a shortage of hard drives after flooding crippled factories in Thailand last year. Meanwhile, Apple Inc.'s iPad is cutting into PC sales, and Lenovo Group Inc. is gaining market share.
Hewlett-Packard, Dell and other PC makers are counting on a new crop of thin-and-light laptops called ultrabooks to spur sales.
Bloomberg
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Free Blueprint On Offer For Fitness And Personal Training Marketing Professionals
Posted: at 12:46 am
7 Figure Sam, A Successful Entrepreneur And Fitness Trainer, Is Offering A Free Blueprint To Fitness Trainers
Chino Hills, CA (PRWEB) February 22, 2012
Saman Bakhtiar, popularly known as 7 Figure Sam, is a personal trainer and a successful fitness marketing entrepreneur. His Six-Figures in 67 Days Blueprint manual for success talks about the lessons he learnt on the road to financial independence, and Sam is now offering it as a free download in eBook and audio form on his site Super-Trainer.
Sam is popular among fitness trainers in California as ‘7 figure Sam’ because of his annual returns of more than $2.4 million a year. However, his success in the field of fitness marketing, which is rare in itself, has not come easily. Over the years, Sam has gone from working hard and stumbling to picking himself up and learning how to systematically run his business. Today, his is one of the rare success stories that prove for a fact that the fitness and personal trainer marketing industry does have enormous potential despite the present economic condition.
Sam’s Six-Figures in 67 Days Blueprint describes in detail about how other fitness trainers in the business can get into fitness marketing and implement the systems he used in their own enterprise. It contains all the lessons that Sam learnt through his journey to the top, and it shows how others can also get a 6 figure salary by following certain action plans and other techniques to increase their client base.
As any fitness trainer would know, winning and becoming fit requires a lot of hard work. This applies in businesses as well. However, in any business- including the fitness training business- there must also be a strong level of discipline. Sam’s blueprint for success teaches struggling fitness trainers how to manage their business by incorporating various strategies for hiring, outsourcing, and management. Six-Figures in 67 Days Blueprint also includes marketing tactics and tricks for budding fitness marketing honchos. Apart from this, Sam’s blueprint teaches strategies on time management, power promotion and advertising, and lifestyle design.
Six-Figures in 67 Days Blueprint is not just a free sample that contains tidbits of information. In Sam’s own words, “This report was originally one of the highest priced programs featured (on Super-trainer.com)”. In other words, 7 Figure Sam’s blueprint is for those who are still missing out on the six figure returns they can get from their fitness and personal trainer marketing business.
About Saman Bakhtiar:
Sam Bakhtiar is a successful fitness trainer, entrepreneur, author, weight loss expert, and family man. His ability to juggle all his personal and professional responsibilities and still manage to rake in a 7 figure total every year is a genuine success story. Visit http://super-trainer.com/ to know more about Sam and his coaching programs.
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Sam Bakhtiar
Fitness Concepts
909-393-9075
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Free Blueprint On Offer For Fitness And Personal Training Marketing Professionals
Research and Markets: Why People Fail: The 16 Obstacles to Success and How You Can Overcome Them
Posted: at 12:46 am
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Research and Markets(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e90325/why_people_fail_t) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Why People Fail: The 16 Obstacles to Success and How You Can Overcome Them" to their offering.
An essential guide for mastering failure in order to achieve your goals
Success is often just a momenta goal fulfilled, soon to be replaced with new goals. But failure is the ambitious person's constant companion, often dogging us for months, years or even decades before we finally reach our aim. In the groundbreaking book Why People Fail, Siimon Reynolds, one of the world's most successful entrepreneurs, explores the main causes of failure, in any field, and reveals solutions for overcoming them and creating a successful personal and professional life.
Why People Fail offers strategies and ideas for defeating the sixteen most common failure habits such as destructive thinking, low productivity, stress, fixed mindset, lack of daily rituals, and more.
Key Topics Covered:
Unclear Purpose Destructive Thinking Low Productivity Fixed Mindset Weak Energy Not Asking the Right Questions Poor Presentation Skills Mistaking IQ for EQ Poor Self-Image Not Enough Thinking No Daily Rituals Stress Few Relationships Lack of Persistence Money Obsession Not Focusing on Strengths Conclusion Recommended Reading Acknowledgments The Author
Author:
Siimon Reynolds is a mentor to business leaders worldwide. He has won numerous business awards and co-founded the 15th largest marketing services company in the world, with operations in 14 countries. Today Reynolds travels the world speaking on personal and business achievement, and coaches a select group of executives and business owners. His books have been published in ten countries.
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e90325/why_people_fail_t
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Research and Markets: Why People Fail: The 16 Obstacles to Success and How You Can Overcome Them
STORIES TO TELL: Firehouse Partners with Author Solutions to Launch Responder Media at Firehouse World
Posted: at 12:45 am
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
With the advent of social media and blogs, personal storytelling is becoming part of the American conversation with an audience of thousands willing and eager to follow the lives of once unknown authors. Today, Cygnus Business Media’s Public Safety group launched Responder Media at Firehouse World, a targeted publishing imprint created specifically to serve the First Responder community. The company plans to roll out Responder Media to its entire public safety audience which includes law enforcement, EMS, security and the fire service industries.
“Self-publishing is a great way to produce a book, because it allows the author more creative control,” says James Capo, director of digital development for Cygnus’ Public Safety group. “Partnering with Author Solutions gives authors access to experts who can not only help to guide the process, but also provide access to distribution channels.”
Several opportunities are available for public safety professionals interested in self-publishing through the Responder Media imprint at special negotiated rates. Packages include:
Personal Histories - Responder Media’s Tribute Book and Video offerings are the best way to memorialize the life of an individual. Responder Media offers interview, editorial and production services to create a timeless keepsake that can be cherished by family and friends. Group Histories – With Responder Media’s group interview options, it’s easy to capture the legacy, traditions and camaraderie of an entire unit or department. DVDs and collectors books make great private memoirs or fundraising tools. Book-2-Screen Development Services – Responder Media can assist in developing a treatment to present to various studios. This service also includes guidance on submission for film or TV development consideration.
To begin publishing your manuscript or to schedule an interview with a Responder Media consultant, visit http://www.respondermedia.com.
About Responder Media
Responder Media is a strategic self-publishing alliance between Cygnus Business Media’s Public Safety group, and indie publishing world leader, Author Solutions, Inc. (ASI). Through this partnership, authors in the public safety field benefit from direct access to Cygnus’ targeted audience of millions of readers and the speed-to-market advantages of the ASI self-publishing model. For more information about Responder Media, please visit respondermedia.com. For the latest news, follow us @respondermedia on Twitter or “Like” us on Facebook.
About Author Solutions, Inc.
Author Solutions, Inc. (ASI) is owned by Bertram Capital and is the world leader in indie book publishing. ASI’s leading self-publishing imprints—AuthorHouse, AuthorHouse UK, iUniverse, Palibrio, Trafford Publishing and Xlibris—have helped more than 140,000 authors self-publish, promote and bring to market more than 175,000 new titles. Through strategic alliances with leading trade publishers, ASI is making it possible to develop new literary talent efficiently and provide authors with a platform for bringing their books to market. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, ASI’s global reach includes imprints developed specifically for authors in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit http://www.authorsolutions.com, and follow @authorsolutions on Twitter for the latest news.
About Cygnus Business Media
Cygnus Business Media’s Public Safety group reaches more than one million professionals each month through Officer.com, Firehouse.com, SecurityInfoWatch.com, EMSWORLD.com, Law Enforcement Technology, Law Enforcement Product News, EMS WORLD, Security Dealer & Integrator and Security Technology Executive. As one of America’s top business-to-business media companies, Cygnus is leading the way in providing targeted content to top decision-makers and organizations. The company’s corporate initiatives and organizational architecture are built with one goal: fully engaging audiences in aviation, building & construction, public safety & security, and agriculture vertical markets, as well as diversified industries such as transportation, printing, accounting, and vending.
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STORIES TO TELL: Firehouse Partners with Author Solutions to Launch Responder Media at Firehouse World
Cupids in Second Life: A 3D Online Virtual Learning Environment – Video
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Cupids in Second Life: A 3D Online Virtual Learning Environment - Video
Aspira Music Education – Video
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Aspira Music Education - Video
CE-Select Online Training Subscription Update – Video
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CE-Select Online Training Subscription Update - Video