President Obama has won top honors for his children’s book, Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters, illustrated by Loren Long and published by Random House Children’s Books. The National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA), now in its 21st year, today announced the winners of its 2011 Children’s Products Competition. The president received a NAPPA Gold award in the books category.

“This is an exquisite celebration of women and men who have made significant contributions to our country’s social and cultural greatness,” said Rubin Pfeffer, NAPPA book judge. “Stirring illustrations accompany concise, moving text to make this an inspiration for all children.”

NAPPA’s top honor, the Gold award, was bestowed upon 75 children’s toys, games, books, DVDs, CDs, and virtual media. Each winner was selected by NAPPA’s team of independent expert judges, along with parent and kid testers, to be among the most entertaining, appealing, safe, educational, age-appropriate, and enduring products. The NAPPA seal has come to symbolize innovation, usefulness and high quality that parents trust.

A complete list of all 75 Gold and 93 Honors award recipients, as well as 13 Rising Stars, can be found at NAPPAawards.com. 2011 NAPPA Gold winning products include:

TOYS
Hexbug Nano Hive Habitat Set—Innovation First Labs, LLC, $34.99; Hexbug.com; ages 3 +
Meon Deluxe Animation Studio—Skyrocket Toys, $29.99; MeonGlow.com; ages 5+
Perplexus Epic— PlaSmart, Inc., $29.99; PlaSmartToys.com; ages 8+
Little Green Money Machine—DelVisionaries, $199; LittleGreenMoneyMachine.com; ages 9+

VIRTUAL MEDIA (Video games, Apps, Software, Websites, etc.)
Pat the Bunny for ipad, iPhone and iPod Touch—Random House; $3.99; RandomHouse.com/kids/apps; ages 2 to 6
Fooz Kids—Fuhu; free; FoozKids.com; ages 2 to 11
Disney.com/Create—Disney Interactive Media Group; free; Disney.com/create; ages 5 to 15
MLB 11: The Show—Sony Computer Entertainment America; $59.99; Us.Playstation.com; ages 10+

BOARD AND CARD GAMES
Richard Scarry’s Busytown Busy, Busy Airport—Wonder Forge, $19.99; TheWonderForge.com; ages 3+
Color Stix—MindWare, $19.95; MindWare.com; ages 5+
Joe Name It—Gamewright, $9.99; Gamewright.com; ages 12+
Reverse Charades—RETROPlay, $23.99; ReverseCharades.com; all ages

BOOKS
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star—Written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011; $16.99; LB-Kids.com; ages 0 to 2
Bailey—Written by Harry Bliss, Scholastic Press, 2011, $16.99; Scholastic.com; ages 3 to 5
Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters—Written by Barack Obama, illustrated by Loren Long, Random House Children’s Books, 2011; $17.99; RandomHouse.com/kids; ages 6 to 8
One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street—Written by Joanne Rocklin, Abrams, 2011; $16.95; AbramsBooks.com; ages 9 to 12
Klutz Guide to the Galaxy—Written by Pat Murphy and the Scientists of Klutz Labs, 2011; Scholastic Press, $19.99, Klutz.com; ages 12+

MAGAZINES
ChickaDEE—Owlkids; $5.25 an issue; $29.99 for a one-year subscription (10 issues); OwlKids.com; ages 6 to 9
Highlights Puzzlemania—Highlights for Children; $5.95 an issue; $2.67 an issue plus postage for subscriptions; Highlights.com; ages 7+
Discovery Girls—Discovery Girls, Inc.; $4.99 an issue; $19.95 for a one-year subscription (6 issues); DiscoveryGirls.com; for girls ages 8+

DVDs
Toddler Favorites: The Movie—Independent Production: Music for Little People, 2011; 35 min.; $9.99; MFLPdistribution.com; ages 1 to 5
Debbie and Friends Story Songs and Sing Along—Independent Production: Debbie and Friends, 2011; 50 min.; $14.98; DebbieAndFriends.net; ages 2 to 5
Families of Philippines—Independent Production: Master Communications, 2011; 30 min.; $29.95; Master-Comm.com; ages 5 to 8

MUSIC
Acoustic Dreamland—Putumayo Kids, 2011; CD, $14.98; PutumayoKids.com; ages 0 to 5
Singin’ and Groovin’—Music for Little People, 2010; CD, $13.98; MusicForLittlePeople.com; ages 1 to 2
Chicken Joe Forgets Something Important by Trout Fishing In America—The Secret Mountain, 2011; Storybook and CD, $16.95; TheSecretMountain.com; ages 4 to 10
My Name Is Handel—Performed by Yadu, Bonnie Ward Simon, Stephen Simon and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Maestro Classics, 2011; CD, $16.98; MaestroClassics.com; ages 9+

AUDIO BOOKS
Once Upon a Bethlehem Night: Christmas Stories told by Renee Englot—Renee Englot, 2011; $15; ReneeEnglot.com; ages 4+
Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs—August House, 2011; $18.95; AugustHouse.com; ages 8+

About NAPPA
For more than 20 years, the National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA), a division of Dominion Enterprises, has been the go-to resource for the best products for families. NAPPA’s team of independent expert judges, along with family and child testers, selects the most innovative and enduring products to be NAPPA Gold and Honors winners in two annual competitions—Children’s Products and Parenting Resources. Far more than a seal of approval, a NAPPA award signifies that a product has been rigorously evaluated against stringent criteria and stands out among hundreds of other products from around the world. For more information, visit NAPPAawards.com.

About Dominion Enterprises
Dominion Enterprises is a leading marketing services company serving the automotive, enthusiast and commercial vehicle, real estate, apartment rental, and employment industries. Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., with 3,300 employees nationwide, the company provides a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing solutions, more than 60 market-leading websites, and 280 magazines. For more information, visit DominionEnterprises.com.

Contact:

Julie Kertes
NAPPA
www.NAPPAawards.com

Jennifer Butsch Petit
WordUp Public Relations
www.WordUpPR.com

President Obama revealed his new student loan program that should offer debt relief of student loans by capping payments at 10 percent of discretionary income. For many students, their student loans places a huge financial burden. Read Consolidated Credit’s tips on how students can save money with their personal finances.

Fort Lauderederdale, Fla (PRWEB) November 03, 2011

Obama revealed a new plan that would help millions of young people struggling to make payments towards their student loan debt. The plan will speed up legislation passed by Congress last year and reduce the maximum required monthly payment on student loans to 10 percent of discretionary annual income, versus 15 percent originally required by law. In addition, student loan debt will be forgiven after 20 years instead of 25, for those making consist on time payments.

“We are urging people with student loans to use this opportunity as a means to jump start their financial situation. Start saving that 5 percent in a separate savings account or pay-off credit card debt that may have sky-rocket interest rates. This new measure may enable millions of Americans to get a hold of their personal finances and help them to get out the financial mess that many of them are in,” said Howard Dvorkin, CPA and founder the credit counseling http://www.consolidatedcredit.org/credit-counseling/ agency Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, Inc. http://www.consolidatedcredit.org/

Consolidated Credit experts advise people to consider the following strategies to make the most of the 5 percent savings:

Invest – Start investing 5 percent of monthly income in a 401K or a pension.
Pay-off high interest credit card debt first – For an individual who has a $1,000 credit card balance with a 14 percent interest rate who pays the minimum amount due each month ($22.00), it would take over 64 months to pay off and the creditor will make over $600.00 in interest. “If that doesn’t persuade people to pay off their high interest credit card debt first – I don’t know what will. Student loan debt offers low interest rates, typically around 4 to 6.5 percent and people need to know how to prioritize their debts,” says Dvorkin.
Improve credit scores – Millions of Americans have low credit scores http://www.consolidatedcredit.org/personal-finances/credit/credit-score/ due to charged-off debts. Consolidated Credit advises consumers to use that extra 5 percent of annual discretionary income to help pay-off or settle any charged-off debts. This will significantly improve their credit scoreand allow them to pay less interest in the future when they need to purchase a home or car.
Donate the 5 percent to a local homeless or animal shelter – Although millions of Americans are struggling to pay their student loan debt payments each month, even more individuals are struggling to keep a roof over their head or feed their families. By donating to a local non-profit shelter, you will be helping the local community and overall economy.
About:
Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, Inc., founded in 1993, is one of the nation’s largest credit counselingorganizations http://www.consolidatedcredit.org/credit-counseling/ in the country and has helped over 5 million people with financial issues. Their mission is to assist families throughout the United States in ending financial crisis and solving money management problems through education and professional counseling.

Presidential Award honors WPI’s Camp Reach for excellence in science, mathematics, and engineering mentoring.

(Worcester, MA (PRWEB) November 16, 2011)

President Obama today named Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s (WPI) Camp Reach as a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring for 2011. Camp Reach, which completed its 15th year this past summer, is one of 17 individuals and organizations around the country to be named to this prestigious honor for the years 2010 and 2011.

The Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring recognizes the crucial role that mentoring plays in the academic and personal development of students studying science and engineering — particularly those who belong to groups that are underrepresented in these fields. By offering their expertise and encouragement, mentors help prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers while ensuring that tomorrow’s innovators reflect and benefit from the diverse talent of the United States.

“Through their commitment to education and innovation, these individuals and organizations are playing a crucial role in the development of our 21st century workforce,” President Obama said. “Our Nation owes them a debt of gratitude for helping ensure that America remains the global leader in science and engineering for years to come.”

Candidates for the award are nominated by colleagues, administrators, and students in their home institutions. The mentoring can involve students at any grade level from elementary through graduate school. In addition to being honored at the White House, recipients receive awards of $25,000 from the National Science Foundation to advance their mentoring efforts. Recipients will receive their awards at a White House ceremony later this year.

Camp Reach, one of several WPI K-12 programs aimed at math and science education for girls, was founded in 1997 by professors Chrysanthe Demetry and the late Denise Nicoletti. Initial funding was provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation, Model Projects for Women and Girls. Thirty girls from Massachusetts participate annually in the two-week residential program. Camp Reach includes hands-on workshops, a design project for a community organization, field trips, recreational activities, and follow-up programs during the academic year.

“This is quite an honor. Camp Reach has been a wonderfully successful program,” said WPI President Dennis Berkey. “It is one of several highly effective pipeline programs in which our faculty and staff provide important mentoring to boys and girls interested in math and science. I am grateful to Dean Karen Oates for nominating Camp Reach in the spirit of all of these wonderful programs.”

“WPI is a fertile ground for STEM education and learning, as exemplified by our Mass Academy of Math and Science, the Learning Sciences program, smart math tutoring systems, Project Lead the Way, and our new STEM Education Center,” Dr. Berkey continued. “Our grants through the Bill and Melinda Gates and William and Flora Hewlett foundations, as well the National Science Foundation, help us in these worthy efforts.”

According to a 2009 study, almost 18 percent of Camp Reach participants intended to pursue an engineering major in college, as compared with 2.9 percent of a control group and a national average of 2.5 percent for women. Regardless of education or career plans, participants cited Camp Reach as providing a sense of empowerment and self-esteem. As high school students they showed high self-rating of computer skills, math abilities, and intellectual self-confidence, compared to national averages for women. They also showed high enrollments in calculus, physics, and STEM activities as high school students.

Camp Reach has been successful in encouraging girls to pursue engineering and STEM-related careers while fostering community involvement. Over the past 15 years, Camp Reach teams have completed more than 45 projects to benefit local nonprofit organizations. Friendly House of Worcester, Boys and Girls Club of Worcester, Aids Project Worcester, and Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary are among the nonprofits that have worked with Camp Reach. Past design projects include modifying a bedroom for a disabled child, designing a recycling program for a business, creating a computer workstation for an adult day program, and recommending trail improvements at the wildlife sanctuary.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI was one of the nation’s first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees. WPI’s world-class faculty work with students in a number of cutting-edge research areas, leading to breakthroughs and innovations in such fields as biotechnology, fuel cells, information security, materials processing, and nanotechnology. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university’s innovative Global Perspective Program. There are more than 25 WPI project centers throughout North America and Central America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe.

Contact:
Martin Luttrell, Public Relations Associate
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts
508-831-4910 mluttrell(at)wpi(dot)edu

Unemployment Benefits are now available to all unemployed Americans at Unemployment-Extension.org, as things begin to pick up across the US. Wisconsin and Ohio unemployed residents were among the first to take advantage of the new Unemployment Benefits available, announces Unemployment-Extension.org.

Madison, WI (PRWEB) November 16, 2011

New Unemployment Benefits can now be filed unemployed Americans at Unemployment-Extension.org, as things begin to pick up across the US. Wisconsin and Ohio unemployed residents were among the first to take advantage of the new Unemployment Benefits available, announces Unemployment-Extension.org.

The length and eligibility for Unemployment Benefits have always varied from state to state, as the average amount received by an unemployed individual was $298 per week for this past month. As of 2011, the maximum time a person can receive unemployment checks in some states, such as Wisconsin Unemployment, is 99 weeks – and still is. That’s just under 2 full years.

As of November 2011, an estimated 13.5 million Americans receive unemployment benefits. However, 3.3 million Americans would have had unemployment extension benefits cut off by sometime in February of 2012, a pretty drastic drop in income which most liberals say this economy simply can’t handle.

As part of the Obama jobs bill presented to Congress this past September, the Barack Obama administration proposed extending unemployment insurance for another 26 weeks in states which currently have a lower time limit, such as Ohio Unemployment benefits and New Jersey Unemployment – this has extended their benefits greatly. Obama’s jobs bill maintains the 99 week maximum period during which a person can receive unemployment checks for every state.

However, Obama’s proposal to extend unemployment benefits would cost taxpayers an additional $49 billion in the next year. Republican conservatives believe that unemployment benefits actually discourage people from finding jobs. Numerous studies from economists from both sides of the political aisle support this theory for Unemployment across the US.

Roughly four million million Americans who receive unemployment checks have been out of work for over a year.

One of Ohio’s Republican representatives, James Renacci, stated, “The length of Ohio Unemployment compensation eligibility has turned from a bridge between jobs into an excuse to put off that job search for just one more week.”

Updates on Unemployment for any State, or to File for Unemployment and/or an Unemployment Extension, one can do so at http://www.Unemployment-Extension.Org.

Unemployment Eligibility
Unemployment Extension

http://www.prweb.com/releases/unemployment-extension/ca-unemployment-benefits/prweb8853414.ht