Finding Educational Grants as a Single Mother

Finding educational grants as a single mother

If you happen to be a single mother and you currently have a fixed income, you may be able to get various scholarships and grants that will enable you to attend college for the foreseeable future. Often times people don’t know about these kinds of programs, but you can find lots of information on the Internet. There are a few things you’re going to want to consider when trying to earn your degree using primarily grants.

The days are long gone when the men are the sole breadwinner’s in a single-family. Divorce rates have soared to nearly 50% in some states, mothers are more and more likely to find themselves raising their children without any help.

Several philanthropists have been giving single women that want to get a degree money so they can get a better job. The federal government has recently increased its spending for grant programs like the telegraph that exist to help people earn their bachelor’s degree.

It is possible to complete your degree by using loans, but the first thing you want to do is to check out all the available grants. After you’re done with college, loans have to be repaid, and there is typically about a nine month grace period before you have to begin repaying them. So as you can see finding a funding source that doesn’t have to be reimbursed is the best option, this is why starting with scholarships and grants is the best path.

Individual campuses sometimes have other programs that can help you with child care. This will further ease the burden of going back to school while taking care of a family.

Another thing you might want to think about is taking some of your classes online, juggling paying the bills and going to school can be quite a burden. It’s often quite an attractive option for single women to take some of their classes at home, thus enabling them to spend more time with their families while working on their degree.

The good thing is that the times have changed and now women all over our country have a chance to get educational grants, so even if you have a low income you can still meet your schooling goals. Now is the time to take action, call your college’s financial aid counselor and see exactly which programs are available to you.

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What is the Magic for Special Education?

Welcome to Magic for Special Education.org

Magic for Special Education may be the worlds first
Education program designed to teach skills to people with a disability not taught to regular students. Learning to perform magic will build self-confidence and self-esteem while improving the mental and physical skills of special education students.

Magic for Special Education can be adapted to most programs that serve people with disabilities. Programs to be included are group homes, recreation, life skills, camps and job training.

The Society of American Magicians will administer the Magic for Special Education program. All instructional and support materials will be provided "free" to instructors and all of the magic tricks can be made from common household items.

The concept of special education students developing skills that other students do not have makes Magic for Special Education unique in the field of education

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I Think I Wanted to be a Teacher in a University

Are You Acting Too Much Like a Teacher?

Let’s Find Out: 1. Do you ask guests if they have remembered their scarves and mittens as they leave your home? 2. Do you move your dinner partner’s glass away from the edge of the table? 3. Do you make sure to “bandage” up and “make better” Uncle Andrew’s cut, after he gets hurt? 4. Do you ask if anyone needs to go to the bathroom as you enter a movie theater with a group of friends? 5. Do you talk during movies, “explaining” them to your friends? 6. Do you hand a tissue to anyone who sneezes? 7. Do you say “I like the way you did that” to the mechanic who repairs your car nicely? 8. Do you ask “Are you sure you did your best?” to the mechanic who fails to repair your car to your satisfaction? 9. Do you sing the “Alphabet Song” to yourself as you look up a number in the phone book? 10. Do you say everything twice? I mean, do you repeat everything? 11. Do you fold your spouse’s fingers over the coins as you hand him/her the money at a tollbooth? 12. Do you ask a quiet person at a party if he has something to share with the group? 13. Do you relate everything to “kids”, in your Home counsel meetings? 14. Do you make sure you’re very expressive and “alive” while reading at devotions, and remember to add a little high-pitch note to the end of your sentences regularly? 15. Do you call Uncle John “daddy”? 16. Do you call your husband “daddy”? 17. Do you remind Uncle Phil to tuck his shirt in? ~~~ * If you answered yes to 4 or more, it’s in your soul: you are hooked on teaching. And if you’re not a teacher, you missed your calling. * If you answered yes to 8 or more, well, maybe it’s too much in your soul. * If you answered yes to all 12, forget it: you’ll always be a teacher!

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2 Professors Who Reputed University of Defense in France.

2 PROFESSORS WHO REPUTED THE UNIVERSITY OF FRANCE TO HALL OF FAME 

The word Guy Teissier, President of the Commission of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the National Assembly

Last year in Toulouse, the 5th edition of the Summer University of Defense was an opportunity for us to address the problem of space, which has emerged as one of the innovative features of New White Paper on Defence and National Security, especially in this "knowledge and anticipation" function. This year we find ourselves logically Saint-Malo to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Franco-British declaration on European defense 4 December 1998. 

On this occasion, the Heads of State and Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and France had proclaimed for the first time that the European Union should be able to play a role internationally and should be able to rely on strengthened armed forces that can react rapidly to new risks and rely on industrial and technological base of competitive and strong defense. 

Thus, the 6th edition of the Summer University will open this year a true strategic thinking capability but also in terms of vision and ambition, following recommendations made ​​by the new White Paper. As such, it is to define the guidelines that will be taken in the coming months, particularly with regard to General Review of Public Policies (RGPP) and Military Planning Law (LPM). Ten years after Saint-Malo, we wonder about the expectations and hopes of European defense, through a reflection on the operational capability, technological and industrial strategy of Europe, within the framework of the French Presidency of the EU. We also discuss the renewal of relations between France and NATO, raising the question of our commitment to the Organization, which is central to the future of our defense


. Finally, the reunion will be for Britain us the opportunity to address the issue of ocean space, and in particular the issue of securing maritime approaches and supplies, through a global vision of crises. As such, I would like to thank my friend and colleague M . René COUANAU, deputy mayor of Saint-Malo, making us the honor to welcome us to his city for this event we will remove all, I am convinced that a great benefit. bet that the context of reforms particularly rich defense fully nourish our thinking, and we will deal with discernment and insight issues of defense tomorrow. 

The word Josselin de Rohan, President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces of the Senate

Allowed in Britain for its 6th edition, the Summer University of Defense is naturally placed this year in a dual sign:

- That of Europe, first, ten years after the Franco-British declaration of Saint-Malo, which allowed the development of the European security and defense as we know it today.

- That the maritime dimension of defense policy then takes on a new importance because of concerns about security approaches and sea routes.

Of course, the new guidelines set by the White Paper on defense and national security will be in the background of our thoughts this year, both in terms of strategic priorities that evolution means and cooperation at European level and Allied. This new Summer University is mid term review of the French Presidency of the European Union, one of the priorities is the revival and deepening of the ESDP. How, in light of this new situation, allow France and Europe to cope with consistency and efficiency, the challenges of a world that has not become safer and security needs of our people? We hope that the free and direct exchanges which, since its inception, the originality of this University, will provide food for thought for all responses, French and European parliamentarians, officials from the Ministry of Defence and industry. In warmly thanking the city of Saint-Malo, our host, Navy, DCNS, as well as companies in the French defense industry, and for many of them European course, my hope that our work rich, fruitful and useful especially in view of the forthcoming parliamentary scrutiny of military planning law.

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International University Admission Factors Analysis 2013

The college admissions process has many steps, and if you apply yourself, you can gain admission to a better college than you might think. The admission's office handles thousands of applications at some colleges, so your first goal is to stand out in a good way. Beyond your test scores and GPA, several other factors come into play, especially sports achievement, and extracurriculars. One source noted that four of every five colleges accept more than half of all applicants, and three-fourths of students who apply to colleges are accepted by their first choice college. 

Depending on the size of the school, admissions criteria can vary from being almost entirely formulaic to involving significant subjective judgment. One benefit of the essay is to help very-selective colleges further differentiate students who may have uniformly high grades and top test scores. Institutions place different weight on criteria: for example, some schools do not require the SAT or ACT test for admission. College admissions personnel spend very little time reading each particular application. At most colleges, an average admissions officer is responsible for analyzing over a hundred applications. Admissions officers seek to learn how a person thinks, what kind of person they are, and their level of intellectual promise. For example, Harvard University's admissions staff has rejected applicants who later became quite successful, including Warren Buffett, Ted Turner, Tom Brokaw, and John Kerry. A typical college application receives only about 25 minutes of reading time, including three to five minutes for the personal essay if it is read. Some colleges extract information from the federal FAFSA financial aid form, including names of other schools which the applicant is applying to. A key attribute which admissions evaluators look for is authenticity, ie, a real person who comes through the application, not a packaged artificial entity crafted to impress the college admissions' office. 

Admissions' Critera Factoring

Factors in the college admissions' process are listed below in order of decreasing importance:

1. GPA in AP or honors courses
2. Strength of high school curriculum
3. SAT or ACT scores
4. Overall high school GPA
5. Essay
6. Early decision committment
7. Class rank
8. Teacher recommendation
9. AP test scores
10. Extracurricular activities

Several reports suggested that colleges are not looking for the "well-rounded kid" but rather a "well-rounded class": Colleges have been reported to have mathematical algorithms which recalculate an applicant's high school grade point average by weighting different course grades by such factors as perceived course difficulty and strength of high school curriculum. The number of college-enrolled students is expected to increase through 2020 when there will be approximately 23 million students in college. About a quarter of high school seniors apply to seven or more schools on average, paying an average of $40 per application. Many colleges, particularly mid-level liberal arts colleges, are scrambling for students, and are trying to adjust their offerings to appeal to diverse groups of students. New developments in college admissions include increased numbers of applications, increased interest by students in foreign countries, more students applying by an early method, applications submitted by Internet-based methods including the Common Application, increased use of consultants and guidebooks and rankings, and increased use by colleges of waitlists. One estimate was that 80 percent of college applications were submitted online. Educational funding has shifted during the past few decades from families to the students themselves via loans, although many of them are federally subsidized; as a result, many students graduate from college with considerable debt. The overall time span for higher education is lengthening, such that college is more likely to be a pathway to graduate school. Higher education, itself, is undergoing rapid technological change, with new online-based course options and even entire institutions built around the use of Internet-based learning such as the University of Phoenix. Specialty colleges such as the United States Military Academy at West Point have particular admissions requirements. Online universities offer new choices for students seeking to get the best education with limited funds.

Early decision

Early decision is technically a legally binding decision, meaning that students must withdraw applications to other schools if accepted. There is a commitment involved with penalties for withdrawing and, as a result, advisers suggest that Early Decision is only for students who are absolutely certain about wanting to attend a specific school. If financial aid is a concern or if a family is "shopping for the best deal", then it is usually advised to apply early action or regular decision instead. The one stipulated situation under which a student may back out of the 'early decison' agreement is if the financial aid offer is insufficient. Admitting early decision applicants benefits schools because there is an almost certain probability that the admitted applicants will attend and, as a result, colleges can increase their yield by admitting them. In addition, early decision helps admissions departments spread the work of sifting through applications throughout more of the school year. There is strong consensus that applying via early decision brings a statistically greater chance of receiving an acceptance letter. The average early acceptance rate according to one estimate was 15 percentage points higher than regular decision applicants. Early decision is essentially "applying blind" because a student has agreed to attend before seeing the financial aid package that they may receive. 

GPA

High school grades are probably the single most important factor in winning admission. Maintaining high grades is particularly important for the fall semester of senior year, as well as winter grades if applying by regular admission, Many colleges are paying greater attention to a student's grades throughout their senior year. Particularly important is academic performance in core courses, and having a high grade point average in AP-level or honors courses. In fact, an ideal academic record is one of increasingly better grades in courses of progressive difficulty. Colleges look for patterns with both grades and test scores; high grades with low test scores suggested a hard-working student, but high test scores with low grades suggested a picture of a lazy student. Public universities are more likely to evaluate applicants based on grades and test scores alone, while private universities tend to be more "holistic" and consider other measures carefully. One college adviser suggested that it is optimal to try taking the hardest courses that are offered at your high school, and that the worst thing you can do is to drop a hard course. 

ACT and SAT Test Scores

Students should plan on taking the SAT or ACT test twice, so that a low score can possibly be improved. One advisor suggested that students with weak SAT or ACT scores could consider applying to colleges where these measures were optional. Generally over half of juniors retaking the SAT or ACT tests during the senior year saw improvements in their scores. Most colleges accept either the SAT or ACT, and have formulas for converting scores into admissions criteria. The ACT is reportedly more popular in the midwest and south while the SAT is more popular on the east and west coasts. College counselors recommended taking the SAT or ACT test only once or twice, otherwise an applicant may appear "score obsessed." One report suggested that a benefit of the ACT test was that it allowed the test-taker to have greater freedom to choose which scores to send to which colleges. Counselors suggest that students practice taking the test under actual testing conditions. The use of standardized tests by colleges has been criticized as being ineffective at predicting ultimate life success; one study suggested that SAT results "don't mean much long term". Regarding whether to choose the SAT or ACT, the consensus view is that both tests are roughly equivalent and tend to bring similar results, and that each test is equally accepted by colleges. There is no penalty for wrong answers on the ACT so advisors suggest that it is okay to guess if time is limited; but on the SAT, incorrect guessing is penalized. One report suggested that the SAT favors "white male students" from upper income backgrounds. The ACT has more questions geared to higher levels of high school mathematics, suggesting that students who do well in math may perform better, but that the SAT is a better choice for students with an excellent vocabulary. The SAT is more focused on testing reasoning ability while the ACT is more of a content-based test of achievement. Some SAT questions can be trickier and harder to decipher while some ACT questions may be longer. The SAT has a separate vocabulary section while the ACT has a separate science reasoning section. Several sources suggested that the SAT subject tests were becoming more important in evaluating applicants. Scores on Advanced Placement exams could be helpful in the evaluations process. Taking 12 AP tests just to get an average score on so many exams, is not as helpful as taking five and doing well on those five. 

Extracurricular activities

Applicants who achieve a leadership position in an extracurricular activity are regarded more highly than applicants who merely participate in a bunch of activities. Some universities, such as the University of California, have formal programs for spot-checking applications for accuracy, such as sending a follow-up letter to the student asking for proof about an extracurricular activity or summer job. Advisors recommend that extracurricular activities should never interfere with a student's overall academic performance. A student with lots of extracurricular activities in the senior year, but little in preceding years, isn't going to fool the admissions' comittee. 

Admissions Essays

Counselors suggest an admissions essay should reveal insights into an applicant's character, such as how one coped with a setback. Essays are becoming more important as a way to judge a student's potential, and essays have supplanted personal interviews as a way to evaluate a student's character. Writing is easy, but rewriting is hard; a serious essay deserves to be rewritten several times. Lots of kids think the objective is to write about something that will impress the admission office. Essays must emphasize personal character and demonstrate intellectual curiosity, maturity, social conscience, and concern for the community. Topics to avoid in an essay include babysitting experiences, pets, encounters with illegal drugs or experiences involving lawbreaking or illegal activity. Applicants should not express opinions too strongly. One report suggested that colleges seek students who will be actively involved on campus and not spending every day studying alone in their rooms. Admissions tries to screen out difficult people, spoilers, and "self-involved brats". Many colleges are "afraid of aggression", and recommends avoiding "harsh humor" or signs of severe emotion, anger, and aggression. Admissions evaluators look for signals indicating difficult people, such as disrespectful criticisms by an applicant, or evidence of a drug or alcohol problem. Colleges try to weed out dependent people who either follow their parents too closely, or do only what the "cool kids" do. The admissions' essay topic should be something the applicant cares about, and which shows leadership in the sense of "asserting yourself to help others have more success. Applicants should present a broad perspective and avoid simplistic words such as "never", "always", "only", or "nobody", which suggest narrow thinking. The best essay topics were a slice-of-life story, with poignant details, in which the writer shows, and does not tell. Applicants should not try to come across as a preppy kid, and downplay parental status. There should be no spelling, grammar or punctuation mistakes in your college essay. If a college has space for an essay but says it is "optional", it should be treated as a mandatory requirement. 

Legacy Admissions

In some cases, a parent's attendance at a related graduate school counts as a legacy, but most colleges do not count this. Many selective private colleges have a higher admit rate for alumni children as a way to "keep the larger set of alumni happy and giving." Admitting legacies encourages future donations, and in turn these incoming money flows help the school subsidize the education of more minority students; Legacy admission was criticized by Daniel Golden in his book, The Price of Admission, in which elite schools gave "heavy preferences to the wealthy." In certain cases, family wealth of applicants is considered, based on potential to make a substantial donation to the school. Counselors and admissions directors tend to agree that in a few selected cases, connections were important. Who you know does matter, since higher-level administrators and prominent alumni can exert pressure on the admissions departmentss. More colleges are resorting to computerized fact-checking software, as well as anti-plagiarism tools such as Turnitin, which checks documents for unoriginal content on the web. Supplementary materials generally carry "no weight" in college admissions. Students who take a "gap year" between high school and college can benefit if the year was enriching and developing and helped the student mature. One report suggested that even by May, there were 375 colleges which still had space for freshmen or transfer applicants for fall of 2012. 

Transfer Students

Transfer admissions is another pathway towards graduating from college. While most college admissions involves high school students applying to colleges, transfer admissions are important as well. Estimates of the percentage of college students who transfer vary from 20% to 33%, with the consensus position being around a third of college students transfer, and there are many indications that transfer activity is increasing. One report suggested that nearly half of all undergraduates in the nation were attending community colleges. A common transfer path is students moving from two-year community colleges to four-year institutions, although there is considerable movement between four-year institutions. Reasons for transferring include unhappiness with campus life, cost, and course and degree selection. Many community colleges have agreements with four-year schools, particularly flagship state universities, so that matters such as the transfers of credits are handled appropriately. There are indications that many private colleges are more actively seeking transfer applicants. 

College Wait lists

About half of colleges use a waiting list, particularly those which accept fewer than half of all incoming applications. Colleges use wait lists as a hedge to make sure they have enough students in the fall. Some schools "under-invite" applicants in the regular admissions season to appear highly selective and then about-face and accept them from their wait lists later. Recently, Stanford and Yale wait-listed approximately 1,000 students while Duke wait-listed nearly 3,000 students. Overall, one survey suggested that 30% of wait-listed students are eventually accepted. There is a report suggesting that in recent years, wait-lists are more fluid than in previous years, and have become more of a "safety net" for colleges rather than students. Estimates vary about how many college applicants find themselves on a wait list; one report indicates that 10% of applicants were wait-listed. Students who are wait-listed should actively stay in touch with the admissions office to declare that they will attend if accepted. A former dean of admissions at Franklin and Marshall College suggests that students not view a wait-list letter as a "polite denial," but rather as a continuing opportunity to gain acceptance. A downside to wait lists is that by the time a student is accepted, there may be much less money available for scholarships or grants.

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The Life of a College Girl Story

The One Life of 'College Girl'

This is a Beautiful Story narrated in my University about How a College Girl Discovers the Best University that she has been dreaming about . Please READ THIS ENTIRE STORY , ITS AMAZING !


College Girl and her mother live together in a small apartment in North Boston, and are best friends. As our story opens, College Girl finds herself in her senior year of high school. It's the beginning of October already, and running outside to the mailbox, she notices the trees are changing color a little earlier this year. Inside today's mail, she finds the long-awaited letter from the Educational Testing Service, with her SAT scores. Not daring to open the letter, she races back inside, screaming to her mother, "Hey, I got my SAT scores, Mom." Sitting down together, they look briefly into each other's eyes. The scores inside this envelope will have a huge impact on College Girl's chances of admission. 

Open it already, her mom commanded, "I know you got a great score." College Girl carefully sliced open one edge of the envelope, and slid the result into her shaking hand. "I can't read it. You read it to me, Mom." As her mother scanned the page, College Girl could tell immediately from her face that the scores weren't as high as they were hoping for. "You scored better than 85% of the college-bound seniors in English, which is good." Her mother stopped, and took a breath, "... and the math score is a little lower," her mom hedged. Taking the paper back, College Girl read the bad news, "Math - 60%." Moaning, she said out loud what both of them were thinking, "Well, there it is, English 85%, Math 60%. Farewell to Harvard, never mind an academic scholarship." Acting brave, she gave her mom a hug, and then retreated into her bedroom to sulk. 

Later that week, looking through her college options online for the hundredth time, College Girl narrowed down her choices to about 10 schools, with 2 back-up colleges, in case she was denied admission at all of her top choices. She really wanted to go to UC Berkeley, in California, but it was so darn far from her home, and she worried about her mom living alone in Boston. When she found out that she was accepted to Berkeley, it was a hard choice to leave, but her mother encouraged College Girl to go to the best school that they could afford. So, with tears in her eyes, College Girl said good-bye to her mom, and bravely clutching her small backpack, boarded the plane to California. 

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

Even before her flight landed in San Francisco, College Girl had become excited. Glued to the little window, she pressed her face to the plastic, watching the waters of the San Francisco Bay. It was nothing to her to be travelling across the USA alone, as she was caught up in the dream of being a real college student, on her own for the first time in her life. The BART train arrived on time, just like in her guide book, and took her safely from the San Francisco airport all the way to the East Bay, stopping right in downtown Berkeley. It was just a short walk to the University of California campus, but by the time she made it to UC Berkeley, it was past noon. She looked up a Google map of the area on her iPad Mini, showing her exactly where she needed to walk. 

She reached the on-campus housing office, and showed her out-of-state ID. "Didn't you get your student ID yet?," a woman behind the counter asked. "You'll need a student ID to get into your dorm." College Girl was polite in her reply, and not the least disturbed. "I've just arrived in Berkeley this afternoon, and came right to the housing office, as I have nowhere to stay. I'll get my student ID after I check in here." She waited expectantly, but noticed a look of annoyance spreading across the woman's face. "I mean, I can go run and get it now, if I must," she quickly added. The woman looked up again, "No, that's not the problem. I'm sorry, but it looks like your dorm application has been wait-listed. Didn't you get the letter?" The words were spoken, but they had no meaning to College Girl, who stood there as if frozen on the spot. The woman tried again, more gently, "You see, there are many more applicants for dorm rooms than we have space for, so we have a lottery system in place." College Girl was nodding that she understood her new situation very well, thanks, but the woman continued on, "The lucky lottery winners are assigned dorm rooms first, and then we fill as many other places as we can. The unmet demand means that some students like yourself will be placed on a waiting list. A letter was sent to you several weeks ago, informing you of all this. I wish I could do something to help, but you'll need to find temporary housing off-campus in the meanwhile, so you can begin classes." The words kept ringing in her ears, 'temporary housing, begin classes.' 

How in the world was she supposed to 'begin classes' in 'temporary housing' if there was no place to sleep? Wobbling a little, she walked out into the street from the housing office, not sure whether to get her student ID, or go take a look at apartment listings immediately. Luckily, she had packed just a light backpack, which she wore over one shoulder. She did her rounds, carrying the bag everywhere, and it seemed to get heavier by degrees as the hours passed. Armed with her new UC Berkeley student ID, she copied apartment rental listings from the housing office, and purchased a local calling plan for her cell phone, so she wouldn't get hit with roaming charges on her monthly bill. A lot of the apartments that she had listed were out of her budget, but she called anyway, thinking she could get a roommate to split the rent after she found a place to live. The apartment managers had a system in place, where they held an open-house to the public at a certain time of day for each apartment. There were so many applicants for each place that her chances were slim to none of actually being selected to rent an apartment. She went to three of four open houses, and grabbed a slice of pizza on Telegraph Avenue. Dinner. Sitting alone, in the midst of so many people. 

As she walked in uncertain circles around the same few blocks near campus, College Girl began to think more seriously about what to do. She wouldn't call her mother, that was the first thing that flashed into her mind. No matter what, she must not give in to the urge to call. Nothing would get accomplished in the way of finding housing for the night, that's for sure, and she'd likely break down and start crying. She still had the money she came with, her ATM card was working and there was money in the bank, but options were getting thin, as the afternoon lengthened into early evening. The local hotels were fully booked, and everywhere she looked, it seemed like students were saying good-bye to their parents, and going out to eat at nice restaurants to celebrate a new year of school. Getting tired of walking, she sat down on some stone steps off the sidewalk, leading up to a huge apartment building, itself made of stone. From her step, she watched the passing faces of fellow students. Some of them were friendly, some not, but all had the same focus of good planning, which she herself seemed to lack. When her dorm application was wait-listed, she was shocked into inaction, as she'd had no 'plan B' of any sort. Wasn't a place in the dorms saved for every incoming freshman? Guess not. "What should I do now," she wondered, "better not just sit here." Awkwardly, she got back to her feet, and hefted her small backpack onto her shoulder. She trudged up the hill on Bancroft Avenue, thinking to get out of the crowded campus area. Finally, she noticed a run-down rooming house, with a partially-lit sign that advertised a vacancy. She checked in, and paid the deposit in cash, timidly following the clerk to her room upstairs. The bed didn't look so clean, so she slept in her clothes, just to be safe. It was hard falling asleep, but she managed to cover her head with the pillow, half-blocking the sound of a TV blaring in the adjoining room. 

When she woke up, she showered and got out of that dirty, little room as fast as she could. As she walked back down the hill next to the university, looking at the large buildings that housed her own classrooms, she realized things weren't as bad as they had seemed the night before. She had enough money to cover renting a temporary place until her student aid check came in, so she found a Starbucks, and sat down, savoring a piping-hot coffee and an oversized whole grain muffin until the housing office opened again.

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There is a University for Children's Ministries , Read it!

There are literally thousands of children’s workers, leaders, and children’s pastors in churches here in America who have no formal training in children’s ministries principles and practices. Add to these the numbers outside of this country and the potential market for this training is astonishing. These people are involved in ministry in the local church and will most likely never take the time to move to another community, enroll in one of the few Christian Colleges nation-wide that offer a Children’s Ministries program, and earn a degree. The idea of an Internet-based training program for these children’s pastors, leaders, teachers, and helpers in Evangelical Christian circles has been cast about for several years. Imagine if you will, a volunteer or paid children’s pastor being able to benefit from a training program embarked upon in his or hers church office, home, or local library. All admissions, class materials, and testing will take place online. We are Pentecostals and make no apology for believing in the full gospel for today’s church and children. We are designing all course materials to reflect evangelical non-Pentecostal doctrine with special sign bars and units specifically for the Pentecostal children’s worker. Classes will be college-level quality, fully accredited, and offered at bargain basement prices. Some churches will host training days or retreats during which they present the CMUO materials on a big screen followed by discussion and personalization of the program. A children’s leader can progress through each course alone or with fellow workers at his or her own pace. Eventually a leader will be able to earn a one year certificate in children’s ministries followed by an associates degree if he or she chooses. All courses will be user-friendly utilizing the latest in online educational technology. Classes offered will present a practical no-nonsense approach to children’s ministry in small and large church settings. Students will enjoy lecture material, audio-visual presentations, assignments, and self-assessments insuring that they will receive the greatest benefit from their investment. The first four courses will be available on our launch date of August 1, 2005. These will include; Children’s Ministries, Pastoring Children, Evangelizing Children, and Technology in Children’s Ministries. Additional topics to be included in the 30 credit certificate program include: New Testament Survey, Old Testament Survey, Biblical Theology or A/G Doctrine & History, and several other electives. Development of the remaining core courses of the program will continue after the initial launch, and elective courses will continue to be added on an ongoing basis. The goal is to provide children’s ministries workers and leaders with the most comprehensive, cutting-edge, and accessible children’s ministries training possible in a format which they can personalize to fit their specific ministry context and educational goals.
The Dreamers
		Rev. Jason Rhode is our instructional designer and online technologies expert. Jason currently serves as Online Technologies Coordinator at Northern Illinois University (NIU) located in DeKalb, Illinois, where he works as a member of the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center. In his role at NIU Jason is responsible for developing and offering training programs and consultations on web-course management systems and assisting faculty with online teaching and related needs. He is an adjunct faculty member in the School of Education at Seattle Pacific University. More information about Jason is available on his website at: www.jasonrhode.com
Prior to his position at NIU, Jason served for four years as the Director of Children's Ministries at Christian Life Fellowship, Port Edwards, WI. He oversaw all ministries to children ages birth thru sixth grade and parents at CLF, which included over 250 children and 150 volunteers. His specific responsibilities included volunteer recruitment & training, curriculum development, coordination of online technologies, and general oversight of all aspects of the children's ministries of CLF. As an instructional designer and online instructor he was able to successfully implement online training strategies in a variety of contexts. Jason has earned a B.A. in Children’s Ministries from North Central University, a M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction from Seattle Pacific University, and he is currently finishing a Ph.D. with an emphasis in Instructional Design for Online Learning from Capella University. He will be utilizing his extensive experience as both an online learner and instructor to guide the development of CMUO.
		Rev. Dick Gruber is serving as subject matter expert, curriculum developer, instructor, and promoter. Dick currently serves as the Children’s Ministries Specialist at Valley Forge Christian College in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. He has worked as a member of the faculty at VFCC since June of 2001. As the Children’s Ministries Specialist, Dick has developed a Bachelor’s Degree program in Children’s Ministries and is training young people to be children’s pastors, evangelists, and missionaries. He also travels nation-wide speaking in children’s ministries training events. More information about Dick is available on his website at: www.dickgruber.com
Prior to Dick’s VFCC position, he served for eight years as Children’s Pastor at Bloomington Assembly Of God Church in Bloomington, Minnesota. There he oversaw ministries to over 450 children each week as well as training and maintaining a volunteer staff of over 160 workers. Dick served prior to that as the National Children’s Ministries Consultant for the Assemblies Of God in Springfield, MO, Children’s Pastor at the People’s Church in Salem, OR, and Children’s Pastor at Farming Assembly Of God in Farmington, MN. Dick has had nearly 200 articles published in children’s ministries magazines and is author of the books; Children’s Church: Turning Your Circus Into A Service, and Focus on Children, A Handbook For Elementary Sunday School Teachers. Together, Jason and Dick have over 35 years experience as children’s leaders.
The Opportunity
In order to launch this web-based training, CMU Online will need a group of supporters willing to pray, advise, and give a one-time offering to cover our start-up budget. We anticipate spending nearly $22,000.00 between now and next August. This money will be utilized to cover the following start-up costs: logo and identity artwork, website design and development, design and printing of promotional pieces, magazine advertisements, e-mail ads, promotional efforts at several major conferences, and provide other software and equipment needs for the start-up. Once launched, we are confident that CMUO will be self-sufficient. CMU Online is an auxiliary ministry of Valley Forge Christian College. Its accreditation status is directly related to the college. VFCC will provide personnel and support for admissions, and ongoing maintenance of the CMUO. For this reason, your tax-deductible check can be made out to Valley Forge Christian College with notation that the money is for CMUO.
Send all checks to:
Valley Forge Christian College
C/O Dick Gruber - CMU Online
1401 Charlestown Road
Phoenixville , PA 19468

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