Author: Mia

2015’s Cities with the Most & Least Efficient Spending on Education

Boston is #66 on list for least efficient spending on education

Cities with the Most Efficient Spending on Education		Cities with the Least Efficient Spending on Education
1	Miami, FL	81	St. Paul, MN
2	Grand Rapids, MI	82	Syracuse, NY
3	Richmond, VA	83	Riverside, CA
4	Mobile, AL	84	Worcester, MA
5	Tucson, AZ	85	Bakersfield, CA
6	Detroit, MI	86	New York, NY
7	Fort Lauderdale, FL	87	Buffalo, NY
8	Austin, TX	88	Springfield, MA
9	Philadelphia, PA	89	Yonkers, NY
10	Birmingham, AL	90	Rochester, NY

Key Stats

Education spending per capita is four times higher in Buffalo, N.Y., than in San Francisco.
The poverty rate is six times higher in Detroit than in Fremont, Calif.
The median household income is four times higher in Fremont, Calif., than in Cleveland.
The percentage of children in single-parent families is five times higher in Cleveland than in Fremont, Calif.
The percentage of households that do not speak English as their first language is 28 times higher in Santa Ana, Calif., than in Jackson, Miss.
The average standardized test scores are four times better in Corpus Christi, Texas, than in Rochester, N.Y.

February 3, 2015

Spartan Race Boston!

My friend Lydia and her husband Jim will be participating in the Spartan Race and guest posting for me here on their experience.

Lydia and I have been boxing for the past two years together and her husband Jim is gearing up for several Triathlons. Thus far, their boys are not participating but there are events for kids!

is a true adventure that anyone can do, and everyone should try. With course lengths of 3+miles (Sprint), 8+miles, (Super) and 12+miles (Beast) each course is filled with mud, water, and signature obstacles designed to help you discover your inner Spartan. Athletes of all fitness levels will enjoy participating in a Spartan Race and the feeling of accomplishment that comes at the finish line.

even has events for kids. We believe that fitness and adventure should involve the whole family. Come out and watch your kids run, jump, and climb like children were meant to do all in their own Spartan Kids race.

The next race in the Boston area is

Boston Super

June 20-21 at Barre MA

Get 10% off of any race with code: SPARTANBLOGGER

Sand, surf and obstacles await you on this one of a kind Spartan adventure. Join fellow Spartans March 6-9, 2015 when you’ll be taken on a cruise liner from the Port of Miami to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas for a first of it’s kind Spartan Sprint! Can you say, “Best. Vacation. EVER!?” Don’t Miss the Boat – Cabins are SellingFast!

Get 50% off for the Spartan cruise if you use the code: Cruise50

February 2, 2015
An Inside Look at Children’s Book Adaptations Panel Discussion

We are so sorry, but we have to reschedule this event due to weather and transportation considerations.

Please join Children’s Books Boston on MARCH 2 for the rescheduled panel discussion:

FROM PAGE TO SCREEN:
AN INSIDE LOOK AT CHILDREN’S BOOK ADAPTATIONS
Simmons College, The Paresky Conference Room
300 The Fenway, Boston MA
Monday, March 2, early evening (final time TBA)

Please join Children’s Books Boston for refreshments and a panel discussion:

FROM PAGE TO SCREEN:
AN INSIDE LOOK AT CHILDREN’S BOOK ADAPTATIONS

Simmons College

The Paresky Conference Room
300 The Fenway

Boston MA

~~5:30-7:00 PM Tuesday~~

~~February 10~~

Panelists: 
Carol Greenwald, Senior Executive Producer of Children’s Programs at WGBH Boston
Nikki Silver, Co-chief Creator at Tonik Productions
Ammi-Joan Paquette, Senior Agent with Erin Murphy Literary Agency

Moderator:
Deborah Kovacs, Senior Vice President, Walden Media and Publisher, Walden Pond Press

Moving a great story from one medium to another is both complex and delicate. What types of projects are best suited to this migration? How does the adapter know which elements of the story to highlight? What role, if any, does the author have in the process? What should fans of a book hope for and look for in an adaptation? Join this panel of experienced industry insiders to hear their insights and perspectives.

As always, we welcome anyone with an interest in children’s books—whether through publishing, writing, illustrating, teaching, librarianship, or book-selling. We hope you will join us!

RSVP here if you have not already done so. (By January 30 greatly appreciated.)
$5 cover charge at the door – cash only

February 1, 2015
Kohl’s Young Volunteer Scholarship Program
Kohl’s Department Stores will be accepting nominations for outstanding young volunteers beginning next week for the 2015 Kohl’s Cares® Scholarship Program.
Nominations for kids ages six to 18 will be accepted January 30 – March 13 at kohlskids.com, and nominators must be 21 years or older. Through the program, Kohl’s will award more than 2,500 young volunteers nearly $400,000 in scholarships and prizes to reward kids who have made a positive impact on their communities.
- Ten national winners will each be awarded a $10,000 scholarship for higher education, and Kohl’s will donate $1,000 to a nonprofit organization on each national winner’s behalf
- Nearly 200 students will win regional scholarships worth $1,000 toward higher education
- More than 2,000 local students will receive a $50 Kohl’s gift card
Kohl’s Cares® Scholarship Program is part of Kohl’s Cares®, Kohl’s philanthropic program focused on improving the lives of children. Since the program began in 2001, Kohl’s has recognized more than 22,000 kids with more than $4.2 million in scholarships and prizes. To learn more about last year’s winners, visit kohlskids.com.
January 31, 2015
Garden City Summer Soccer Camp for Kids 2015
Garden City Soccer Camp 2015:
- Youth soccer camp, now in its 16th year, to be held at the fields at Newton North High School
- Camp runs from 9 am to 3 pm during the weeks of July 6th–10th and July 13th-17th
- Extended day option available
- Designed for boys and girls ages 7-14
- Opportunity to learn from some of the top coaches in the city
- Directed by Brian Rooney – former Girls’ Varsity coach at Newton North and Boys’ Varsity coach at Newton North and Newton South; Assisted by Roy Dow – Head Boys’ Varsity Coach at Newton North
- Counseling staff includes current and former players from Newton North and Newton South boys’ and girls’ soccer programs
- Daily technical training (dribbling, passing, shooting, receiving, heading, etc.)
- Daily tactical training (1v1 offense and defense, 2v1 offense and defense, etc.)
- Individual and group skills competitions each day
- Competitive scrimmages or tournaments each day
- Prizes and awards given away daily
- Swimming at the Newton North Pool offered daily
- Cost per week is $280
For more information, contact Brian Rooney at brian_rooney@newton.k12.ma.us or 617-559-6238.

To register on-line, go to this website. Let me know if you have any difficulties with registering.
January 30, 2015
A Taste of the Wild with Chef Jody Adams

AFRICA FEBRUARY 8-17, 2016–A CULINARY SAFARI

From Jody Adams:

As you know, I love few things more than food, travel and adventure. In the past decade, I’ve led 8 culinary-focused bike trips to Italy and France. To me, there’s no better way to connect with people from different lands and cultures than around the stove and table.

When my friends Judi and Rick, the owners of renowned, Thomson Safaris invited me to explore Tanzania from February 8-17, 2016, I jumped at the chance. It will be a serious adventure, both in the kitchen and outside it. Who wouldn’t say yes?

We’ll enjoy days full of wildlife sightings in the Serengeti and visits to a Maasai village and school. Cooking demonstrations by the Thomson Safaris culinary teams will be especially fascinating. They won’t just involve learning new recipes and savoring local ingredients: we’ll be roughing it in the kitchen, going back to basics in a way few of us have a chance to experience. Imagine cooking everything from a rich, meaty stew to a delectable cake in an oven with no temperature gauge, fueled only by coal. Cooking in a culture that’s still relatively untouched by the Western world means learning an entirely new set of skills which chefs often spend a lifetime trying to develop.

We’ll finish our journey with a hands-on class with me at Gibb’s Farm, a working coffee estate and farm. At Gibb’s, we’ll have a chance to roam through the gardens, harvest our own vegetables, milk the cows, and head to the kitchen to make our own bread and cook a meal together.

I am thrilled about this trip. Ken and I have never been to Tanzania, and we know that Thomson Safaris is going to give us an extraordinary range of experiences and all kinds of wonderful surprises. I know it’s going to be amazing. I hope you can join us.

Spots are limited, so if you are interested, please contact Andrew Doherty at Thomson Safaris for more information:andrew@thomsonsafaris.com / 1-800-235-0289

Jody Adams

January 29, 2015
Auburndale Community Library Garden Club SPEAKER SERIES

Auburndale Community Library Garden Club SPEAKER SERIES will begin at the library (ACL) on February 9, with award winning Newton Gardener Ashley Davidoff.

Dr. Davidoff, a radiologist, will share his concept of developing a Unified Garden. Our garden, like our body, functions best as one… “units to unity”.

He will demonstrate, with a photo presentation, how he has achieved this result in his beautiful garden.

Please join us on February 9th at 7:30 PM.

Auburndale Community Library

375 Auburn Street

Auburndale, MA 02466

Liz Noon

Newton gardener
617 894-2486

January 28, 2015
Nelly Carreño Celebrity Chef at COOK Restaurant

Cook Cooks for Charity

Cook Restaurant Welcomes Nelly Carreño as Part of its Continuing ‘Celebrity Chef Series’

WHAT:          Cook, the highly acclaimed American bistro located in Newton, MA is welcoming NECN meteorologist Nelly Carreño as part of its continuing “Cook for Charity” celebrity chef series. On Wednesday, January 28th, 2015 from 6:00PM – 8:00PM Carreño will roll up her sleeves and get cooking with Executive Chef/Owner Paul Turano where they’ll be serving up flatbreads all evening long. In addition to Cook’s signature menu items, the restaurant will be serving “The Nelly” special, a chorizo flatbread topped with house made crumbled chorizo, poblano goat cheese crema, mozzarella and fingerling potato chips, designed by Nelly herself. 100% of sales from each $15 “The Nelly” flatbread will be donated to Rosie’s Place, a sanctuary for poor and homeless women.

Nelly Carreño is a three-time Emmy award winner who has covered hard news, entertainment and weather for over a decade in large television markets such as Dallas, Chicago & of course Boston. She is a regular supporter of Rosie’s Place and the night of cooking is one of several celebrity chef events at Cook, all of which raise money and awareness about a charity chosen by the specific celebrity chef of the evening. The regular menu will also be available on the night. For more information, visit www.cooknewton.com or call 617-964-2665. Reservations are recommended.

WHEN:             Wednesday, January 28^th, 2015. Appearance by Carreño from 6:00PM – 8:00PM. Dinner served from 4:30PM to 10:00PM.

WHERE:           Cook Newton | 825 Washington Street | Newton, MA |02467

RSVP:              Reservations recommended by calling 617-964-2665.

About Cook:

“Cook” restaurant is an 80-seat New American bistro is located in the Greater-Boston area in Newton, Massachusetts. Cook presents a menu that crosses all cultural lines and spans from the simple to the complex. The perfect place to meet for lunch, brunch or dinner, or simply to stop in and enjoy items from their snack menu while sampling craft cocktails, or something from the extensive beer and wine list. Cook is a true neighborhood restaurant in every way. Executive Chef/Owner Chef Paul Turano is dedicated to using only the freshest local ingredients. At Cook the food is dressed up, but you can dress down. Cook serves lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30AM- 3:30PM, Dinner: Sunday- Saturday from 4:30PM – close, and brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10:30AM -2:30PM. Cook is located at 825 Washington Street in Newton, MA. For more information please visit www.cooknewton.com.

January 27, 2015

Worst Cities for STEM Jobs

With “getting a better job” being one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions in the U.S. and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) jobs expected to grow 1.7 times faster than non-STEM professions between 2008 and 2018, the leading personal finance social network WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2015’s Best & Worst Metro Areas for STEM Professionals.

On the heels of our earlier report on the Best & Worst Cities to Find a Job, WalletHub analyzed the 100 most populated metropolitan statistical areas across 11 key metrics to help STEM professionals find the best markets for their valuable occupations. Our data set ranges from job openings per capita for STEM graduates to annual median wage growth for STEM jobs.

Boston, Cambridge, Newton ranked #35 for Best Metro Areas for STEM Professionals.

Best Metro Areas for STEM Professionals		Worst Metro Areas for STEM Professionals
1	Houston, TX	91	Lakeland, FL
2	Austin, TX	T-92	El Paso, TX
3	Raleigh, NC	T-92	Stockton, CA
4	Denver, CO	94	Cape Coral, FL
5	Omaha, NE	95	Deltona, FL
6	Seattle, WA	96	Oxnard, CA
7	Oklahoma City, OK	97	Fresno, CA
8	Salt Lake City, UT	98	North Port, FL
9	Columbus, OH	99	Riverside, CA
10	Cincinnati, OH	100	Miami, FL

Key Stats

The job openings per capita for STEM graduates are 12 times higher in San Jose, Calif., than in North Port, Fla.
The percentage of all workers in STEM occupations is five times higher in San Jose, Calif., than in McAllen, Texas.
The projected number of STEM jobs needed in 2018 per capita is 13 times higher in Washington than in Baton Rouge, La.
The unemployment rate for people with a bachelor’s degree or higher is four times higher in Riverside, Calif., than in Ogden, Utah.
The annual median wage for STEM workers (adjusted for cost of living) is two times higher in Houston than in Honolulu.
The housing affordability for STEM professionals is two times higher in Winston-Salem, N.C., than in Honolulu.

For the full report and to see where your metro area ranks, please go here.

January 26, 2015

Scholarship for Advanced Middle School Students
EdX and Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Announce Middle School Scholarship Challenge

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and edX today announced a scholarship challenge for advanced middle school students. Every eligible seventh grade student who successfully completes one of the five selected edX courses will secure a semi-finalist position in the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program.

The Young Scholars Program, a selective pre-college scholarship for high-performing middle school students with financial need, includes individualized academic advising, financial support, and a pathway to the foundation’s $40,000 per year College Scholarship.

The selected edX courses, which are designed for advanced high school and college-level students, are as follows:
- UT AustinX Jazz Appreciation (Starts Jan 20, 10 weeks)
- UC BerkeleyX Frankenstein (Starts Feb 2, 4 weeks)
- HarveyMuddX Programming in Scratch (Starts Feb 2, 6 weeks)
- DartmouthX Introduction to Environmental Science (Starts Feb 3, 6 weeks)
- HarvardX Super-Earths and Life (Starts Feb 10, 6 weeks)
“Through this unique partnership, we hope to identify academically gifted students to apply to the Young Scholars Program who we may be missing through traditional outreach,” said Harold Levy, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and former chancellor of New York City public schools. “The courses are rigorous, so seventh graders earning a certificate are likely the kind of students who would thrive in the foundation’s scholarship programs.”

“We are proud to partner with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to identify and support enthusiastic and motivated young scholars who may otherwise not have an opportunity to further their education,” said Anant Agarwal, edX CEO. “Our edX mission to provide quality education to everyone aligns with the Young Scholars Program, and we are honored to reach these students online where they are learning today.”

All of the selected edX courses offer free honor code certificates. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program receives 1,000-2,000 applications each year from some of the brightest students in the US. Typically, 500 applicants are advanced as semi-finalists.

Registration for the edX courses is open and selected courses begin as soon as January 20, 2015. Applications to the Young Scholars Program must be submitted by April 14, 2015. Details about the partnership and scholarship challenge can be found at www.jkcf.org/edx.

About edX

EdX is a nonprofit, open-source enterprise offering online courses from more than 60 member institutions, composed of both leading global universities and colleges and a diverse group of prominent organizations from around the world. Founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, edX is focused on transforming online and on-campus learning through groundbreaking methodologies, game-like experiences and cutting-edge research on an open-source platform. Based in Cambridge, MA, USA, edX is focused on people, not profit.

About the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Because the Foundation believes that high-performing, low-income students will excel educationally when given the resources to develop their talents, the Foundation offers them support from middle school to graduate school by providing the largest scholarships in the country, in-depth academic counseling, and other direct services. The Foundation also provides grants to prominent organizations that support high performing, low-income students with innovative programming. Founded in 2000 by the estate of Jack Kent Cooke, the Foundation has awarded over $125 million in scholarships to 1,800 students and $79 million in grants. www.jkcf.org
January 25, 2015