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Child care courses Sydney will gain a sound understanding of learning frameworks to provide a range of education and care including planning, implementing and managing programs for children. More than two million students enter college each year with the expectation that the colleges they attend will take care of them when problems and emergencies pop up. Some students will be pleased with the way their college responds to their issues while others will be disappointed, some may even be outraged.

So many things happen on college campuses today that incoming students never anticipate. To make better comparisons, include these factors when evaluating colleges to attend.

College Comparison Factors

1. Credible Information – Does the college do a good job of informing students about the good, the bad and the ugly?

2. Environment – Are Administrators and Professors student- oriented? Are they concerned about student learning and success?

3. Students – Are fellow students happy, friendly and helpful? Be sure to speak with as many students as possible. Try to talk to some students in your field of study.

4. Crime – Are the campus and surrounding areas safe? How many thefts take place on campus each year? Does the college provide students with statistics and safety advice? How effective is the Security Force? How many students were robbed or assaulted last year?

5. Rape and Sexual Assaults – Does your college report and publish statistics on rapes? Is rape prevention training provided to students? Are rapists dealt with quickly and firmly? How many rapes have taken place during the past five years?

6. Drug Usage – How prevalent are drugs at this college? When was the last drug raid? What kind of help do addicted students receive? How many deaths have resulted from the use of drugs?

7. Alcohol – Is this a party school? Is alcohol allowed on campus?

8. Hazing – Do Sororities, Fraternities, Clubs, Organizations and Honor Societies use Hazing, as part of their initiation process?

9. Deaths – On average, how many students die each year? What is the five-year history of deaths?

10. Emergency Notification Procedures – Keeping students safe when there is a dangerous person on campus is critical. What is the procedure? How effective has it been in the past?

11. Medical Help – How responsive and effective is the Campus Medical Department? How far is the hospital? Do students know how to get help, when there is a medical emergency?

12. Tutoring – Is tutoring available to students in your field of study? Is help available from your Professors?

13. Diversity – Are there Students, Administrators and Professors of many different races, religions and cultures on your campus, in the dorms and the classrooms?

14. Harassment – How does your college deal with students who consistently harass others? Are the students being harassed informed of their options and rights?

15. Dispute Resolution – Is there a dispute resolution process in place and communicated to students? Does it work?

16. Employment Assistance – Since Job Search Preparation is an ongoing process that begins in the first year of college and ends when the student accepts a job, does the college put enough time, people and resources into helping students get prepared?

17. Clubs, Organizations and Activities – Colleges that offer an enjoyable college experience provide a variety of ways for students to learn, participate, contribute and succeed. Does the college meet your needs in this area?

18. Parking – Students with automobiles should investigate the availability, fees, rules and penalties regarding parking on campus. Is the parking situation acceptable to you?

19. On-time Graduation Rates – The availability of required classes can be a problem for students, as they near graduation. Does the college give preference to upper class students who must get into a class, in order to graduate? Paying for another semester is an expensive solution.

20. Counseling Services – Large numbers of students receive counseling. What is the availability and effectiveness of the counselors you may need?

21. Cost / Reputation – Does the college have a good reputation in your field of study? How many employers visit the college to recruit students in your field? Should you consider going to a more expensive college, one that attracts employers in your field?

As students and their parents research, visit and evaluate the colleges on their list, they should dig in deeply to uncover the information necessary to make a decision that is right for them. Since this list is not all-inclusive, students and parents can add to it, before they start to make comparisons. Students should make certain that they identify the colleges that will have their backs.

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Buying a new pair of UGG boots for men Neumel Weather will treat yourself to comfort and style in the great outdoors, especially if you are new to walking, can be a little daunting. A good pair of boots that will last you for years will cost upwards of £100, no small investment.

Firstly, go to a good outdoors shop where the staff are knowledgeable. It is no good buying from a place where the staff clearly are not the outdoors types. Talk to the staff, tell them the sort of walking you will be doing and how often and they will be able to make some recommendations.
Below is a guide that could help you to avoid the bullsh*%t factor from sales assistants …
Starting at the front of the boot, check the toe box, that will save your toes from a battering when crossing rocky ground. A firm toe box is needed if you intend doing a lot of mountain walking, it is not so critical if you will be mainly on fells and farmland or other easy and fairly even surfaces.

Leading back from the toe you will find the rubber rand, this adds durability to the boot and protection from rocks; a full rand, such as those found on Meindl boots, helps keep the water out of the bottom of the boot when wading through shallow puddles.

Talking of waterproofing, a boot with a Gore-tex lining is the best, but only initially. The lining will inevitable fail well before the boot is worn out. It also can make the boot a little more clammy, despite its breathability. Leather treatments are getting better and better and you will find most boots will be pretty waterproof if treated regularly. A shop in the Lakes told me not to clean my boots before treating them as the dirt helps to seal them against water. I am not so sure about that, it sounds that could make them less breathable – I find that the waterproofing is absorbed better after they have been cleaned. Make up your own mind! One piece uppers are a definite if you are looking for waterproof boots – fewer stitching holes and seams to allow the ingress of water. Most boots now also have bellows tongues – the tongue is linked to the upper which also helps to keep water out.

At the other end of the boot, the heel cup is the next thing to consider. For mountain walking or walking over rocky ground, you need a stiff heel cup – this will hold the foot in place and reduce the likelihood of blisters. For the same terrain, you need also a boot with a stiff midsole. The midsole is hidden from view, between the sole and the footbed of the boot. Test the stiffness of the heel cup in the same way as the toe box. To check the midsole stiffness, try bending the toe up and also twisting the boot. If you intend to do winter walking using crampons, you need a very stiff midsole.

For walking on uneven ground, support for the foot is essential, to test this, either use something hard under your sole or use the corner of a step. Boots that offer little support in these situations will leave your feet fatigued and possibly sore after a day on an uneven surface. Consider also the ankle cuff, this can give useful extra support but if it is very stiff, it can easily rub your heel or ankles on a walk.

On the sole, look for deep, widely spaced lugs and grooves, a useful measure is the thickness of 2 one pound coins placed together. A softer sole will give better grip on rocks but will wear out faster.

OK, so you have selected your ideal boot but remember, it must fit properly and be comfortable! Check for tongue padding by lacing the boot up, you should not feel the laces through it. Check the fit is right by wearing your walking socks when you try on the boot, it should be about 15mm or a little less. A convenient way of testing this is to loosen the laces and push your foot forward, until the toe contacts the inside of the toe box. You can then check the gap at the back of your heel. When laced up, the upper should feel snug and comfy round your foot. If you are aware of the lace eyelets against your feet then that can lead to soreness. Squeeze the upper of the boot as well, a soft upper may be more comfortable initially but unless you are going to be sticking only to gentle walking on good surfaces, you are better with a stiffer upper.

To sum up, decide on your style of walking before buying a boot, take your walking socks with you and talk to the staff when you are trying on the boot. This short guide is not the definitive guide to buying a walking boot but it may help you to spot sales BS.

Disclaimer (probably not necessary but here goes …): This is intended for your information only, you need to accept the responsibility for your own purchase – we cannot be held responsible for any problems that arise from the purchase of your boots. We recommend that you take the advice of the sales person in the shop and make up your own mind about the boot.

For great idas about walking and more useful walking articles, visit A Taste of the Peak District, one of the leading web sites about the second most visited National Park in the world.

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Understand how theories try to explain children’s development is somehow challenging in our childcare courses. Some retirement communities are planned, others just happen. The latter are sometimes referred to by urban planners as NORCs – “naturally occurring retirement communities.” They’ve emerged as an attractive way for seniors to age successfully in their homes by tapping into community support services and volunteer programs.

It is estimated that there are thousands of these naturally occurring retirement communities across the United States, and that approximately 27 percent of our senior citizens live in them. So what are NORCs?

AGING IN PLACE

These are communities or neighborhoods where residents have lived and aged together long enough for a naturally occurring retirement community to evolve. Residents have either aged in place by living in their homes for several decades, or older adults have migrated into the same community where they intend to spend the rest of their lives.

NORC is a demographic term used to describe a community not originally designed for seniors, but one that has grown naturally to have 40 to 65% of its residents over age 60. These communities were originally built for young adults and were never intended to meet the particular health and social service needs of seniors.

The term NORC was first coined in the 1980’s by Michael Hunt, a professor of urban planning. NORCs were originally identified in urban settings, but are now found in all geographic locations. They are usually small by design and span a few square miles with a base of 1000 to 3000 people. They can be as small as a city apartment building or as large as a suburban neighborhood with single family homes.

NORCs can be categorized into three types:

• Classic NORC: This is a single age-integrated apartment building, a housing complex with multiple buildings under common management or a number of apartment buildings clustered together.
• Neighborhood-Based NORC: This is an age-integrated neighborhood of one- and two-family homes.
• Rural NORC: This is a large geographic area with a low population density, typically comprised of one-and two-family homes.

DESIGNING & IMPLEMENTING A NORC PROGRAM

NORCs are privately developed and managed, and relatively new, so there is no centralized listing of programs. The best place to find information on NORCs is online. Listed below are a few good sources to help in determining if there’s an existing model that suits your community:

• The United Hospital Fund at www.norcblueprint.org
• www.norcs.org
• Aging Agencies in many states have information on NORCs

Each NORC is different and focuses on local needs and individual communities. Funding, staffing and services should reflect a specific community and the staff may consist of full-time and part-time employees and numerous volunteers. NORCs may be largely supported by member dues of $500 or more per year or seniors may pay little or nothing, with the bulk of the support coming from local foundations, charity-supported agencies and government funds. The key requirement is a healthy mix of private and public funds.

Seniors should play a central role in the development of the NORC program. They are clients with diverse needs and interests, and residents with a rich network of relationships, knowledge and expertise. Effective programs will enable seniors to take on new roles in their communities as leaders and project developers. There is the evolving realization by large numbers of seniors that their participation is required in the building of their later lives. Retirement can extend 25 to 30 years and without a community support system, seniors run the risk of health challenges and isolation.

NATURALLY OCCURRING RETIREMENT COMMUNITY SUPPORTIVE SERVICES PROGRAM

Some organizations and local governments have brought together social services, health care, transportation and residents to develop a NORC supportive services program (NORC-SSP). This program receives funding from private sector contributions; charitable donations; resident membership or activity fees; and federal, state, and local grant funding. NORC-SSPs directly service seniors in the Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities and may provide:

• Social work case management
• Transportation
• Mental health services
• Social and cultural events
• Home care
• Bereavement support
• Meals
• Home repair and maintenance
• Exercise classes
• Continuing Education programs

NEIGHBORHOOD VILLAGES

There is another type of community that has evolved and may be confused as a NORC; but based on the concentrated percentage of seniors required to be called a NORC, these communities are called neighborhood villages instead. These communities are grassroots movements providing services and programs for their aging population. Some villages provide services and programs for members only who pay annual membership fees, while others charge nothing for services. Some set a minimum age for membership. All rely heavily on neighborhood volunteers. Services provided may be:

• Transportation
• Social and educational programs
• Friendly visits or phone calls
• Assistance with household repairs and maintenance

Neighborhood villages face constant challenges with funding, and some charge annual membership fees. Others seek funding from other sources. The first neighborhood village was organized in Boston, Massachusetts in 2001 and is called the Beacon Hill Village.

AN ALTERNATIVE IDEA

Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities are the new alternative for aging in place in the neighborhood where you raised your family and made lifelong friends. Options for organizing this type of community may seem overwhelming and complex, but the underlying principle is simplicity: neighbors caring for neighbors in a close-knit community.

Carolyn Cook is a healthcare designer of twenty five years who has taken her expertise into the private home helping people live safely and independently in their homes for as long as they choose. Carolyn is now the Owner of LiveSmart Design–an interior design firm specializing in the residential design of kitchens and bathrooms utilizing the principles of Universal Design, sustainability and healthcare. As an advocate of affordable Senior Housing, a proponent for Universal Design and a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, Carolyn frequently presents to local community groups, industry professionals and senior organizations on the topic of Universal Design, Visit-ability and aging-in-place. She is active in the Davidson Committee on Aging, the Falls Prevention Coalition, the National Kitchen and Bath Association and the US Green Building Council. Carolyn can be reached at http://www.livesmartdesign.com.

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