Graduation Joy

What makes our communities so special are the interests we share and the bonds that develop because of it. Don’t underestimate it. Those bonds help to shape your community in ways that can enhance your family’s development, build your career or business, and ultimately help the wider community at large.

Last night I witnessed how the love of community and friendship really shapes a young person for the future. Our eldest graduated from high school. Yes that was an emotional moment. Not only was my little baby graduating from the very school I graduated from more than 2 decades ago, but I saw in her and her friends the same joy, excitement and anticipation for the future that I had so long ago and carry with me to this day.

As the valedictorian for her class said “We’re at the peak of our lives!”. She encouraged her “sisters” to be kind and compassionate citizens of the world and to remember their training and preparation to be responsible and conscious women in a world that needs them.

This is a community of young women who are going to change the face of the world for the better - just like millions of other young people around the world.

As I looked at my daughter hugging her girlfriends with all her might, I felt joy in the community she was blessed to be part of during her 4 years of high school and such appreciation for the common bond they built that was not only about themselves but about all that they plan to give as loving people and stewards of this world.

Congratulations to Hannah Jane and the SJMP Graduating Class of 2008!

Tags: Education, Family Life, Featured, New Urbanism, community, education, graduation, high school

Helping Our Kids Realize their Dreams: The College Decision

This spring our first born graduates from high school. It’s a day I’ve looked forward to since she was born. Mind you the reality of it didn’t hit home until about a year ago when we started looking at her university choices.

While graduation day is still about a month away and there are still tests and projects to complete before she’s actually a bona fide graduate, the college application system has had us preoccupied with forms, incentives and the “romance” of college life for about a year.

In fact, some of these schools do such a fantastic job of promoting their programs that you might find yourself changing your original plans.

We were initially looking at a really good state university (read: affordable!) for our daughter but after looking at some smaller 4-year degree schools that specialize in her area of study, we started to think a little differently.

And then we had the college tour. We had already been on a few campus tours of schools we had been discussing for a few years. But our final campus tour last fall was a little different. To begin with the school’s tuition was way beyond our budget plan.

But…that final tour ended up being an eye opening experience for one person in our family, perhaps the most important person. Our daughter - the intended student.

After the tour, it was like she woke up from being casually interested in college life to being absolutely inspired about the thought of spending 4 years so deeply immersed in her chosen field of study.

It wasn’t the look of the campus or the residence or anything superficial that got her hooked. It was the content of the programs, the professors who spoke during the visit, the admission counselor who answered her specific questions and most importantly the current students who actually lead the campus tour and shared their perspectives and experiences.

As much as I thought we already had our minds made up regarding our choices,we had to agree with her. That final college had the substantive curriculum and study environment that would in all likelihood best meet the particular strengths and interests of our daughter.

So here we are today re-jigging our lives to make this college choice work.

I often talk about work being an extension of my interests and passions in life and I continue to maintain that view point. But one truism about work that I think resonates with most people is that work is most satisfying when the fruit of our hard labor helps to enhance the lives of the people we love most.

Tags: Education, Featured, New Urbanism, Your Work

Great List for Entrepreneurs and Job Seekers

It’s getting very difficult to keep track of all the great biz/career websites I refer to on a regular basis.  I don’t think I’m alone so I thought I’d do a quick and handy business/career reference list today. It is by no means inclusive but it is a great start.

A few sites of interest to those starting or managing their own business:

www.myownbusiness.org - this site provides great free services like business templates for business plans, letters, start up kit information and even a free internet business course.  The U.S. Small Business Administration uses the online course as a resource for small business owners.

www.mommasterminds.com - a great online based organization for networking with other women who have started businesses or in the process of doing so.  I’m a member of this group and I can tell you it is one of the best internet based networking/business resources anywhere.  Not only is there a very active forum used by serious and knowledgeable business owners but the learning resource center is phenomenal. NOTE: there is a fee associated with joining this group but the 7-day free trial offer helps you to get a better understanding of the value of this membership.

www.iamawahm.com - Are you a mom in Ireland or the UK? Then you likely already know about this site.  If not you’ll want to visit soon as it’s a great site for work at home moms in the UK or anywhere!

www.internetbasedmoms.com- another great online resource geared to women looking for not only networking but great educational resources too.  This resource is free!

www.assistu.com- an online educational service for individuals who want to develp the skills needed to be a virtual assistant (independent “virtual” contractor who uses the internet to provide administrative and other related services to businesses).

www.thevacoach.com - another educational service for individuals who want to learn how to become a virtual assistant in a more one-to-one type environment.  The “VA Coach” is Erin Blaskie–an up and coming young and successful entrepreneur.  I spoke to her a few months back and discussed her services with a few others - consensus is she’s done the work and she’s visionary!  That’s a good start.  According to Erin’s sales page she’s the person to contact if you “Would like to learn How to Create a Six-Figure Virtual Assistance Business.” If you succeed at earning a six-figure income give me a call!

For those women who want to network to build their business or find their next new job/career:

www.needlestackjobs.com - NeedleStack Jobs is a job board for professional, flexible jobs.  Perfect for working parents or baby boomers striving for their ideal work/life balance.

www.workitmom.com - Work It, Mom! describes their group as “an online networking community for professional women, features career advice from top leaders, skill-building tips, and access to Power Contacts and other resources.”

www.iabc.com - The International Association of Business Communicators is a professional network of more than 14,000 business communication profesionals in over 70 countries.   They have one of the best job boards anywhere.  I’ve got to toot my own horn here to say that I received an IABC Vision award for best internal communications (membership magazine).

www.diversityworking.com - This group provides a link between corporate America and professional job seekers from the African American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, Women, Gay and Lesbian, Veteran, and Disabled Communities.

www.aswa.org - The American Society of Women Accountants was formed in 1938 to increase the opportunities for women in all fields of accounting and finance.

www.bpwusa.org - Business and Professional Women/USA is a multi-generational membership organization for working women that provides career advancement resources, work-life strategies and personal and professional connections.

Tags: Education, Your Work, entrepreneurs

Are You an Override Mom?

What’s an override Mom?  According to Boston Globe writer, Erica Noonan they are “politically powerful suburban women who lobby for property tax increases to pay for teachers, new schools, and better classroom gear for their school-aged children.”

Well no one WANTS to pay more in taxes, but as moms and citizens who WANT services and resources that make for better living and better citizens, I don’t have much problem with these override moms.

In some states like Massachusetts there appears to be a real need for these soccer mom advocates.  In 1981, that state apparently passed legislation that prohibits towns from raising property taxes more than 2.5 percent per year without voter approval.

I can imagine the frustrations some families with school aged kids experience in that state if they happen to have a school in need but a city majority that is, let’s say “older” or disengaged from education issues.  It would be highly unlikely that they’d win a referendum and the schools, or perhaps even other necessary municipal services would suffer.   Sounds like the situation in many struggling urban centers.  It’s odd to read about suburban communities being affected that way as well.

In today’s stalled-out economy - with municiipal budget cuts and shrinking state aid - these mothers are leveraging their social connections, technical savvy, and professional skills to help bail out town budgets. They have protest placards mingling with sports gear in the back of their station wagons.  Many work full-time jobs, then rush home to e-mail, organize, and raise money - sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars - in an effort to keep local schools ranked high on the MCAS.”

More power to them.  If you want to read the full Globe article click here.

Tags: City Life, Education

Thinking About a Career or Job Change?

For several years now career counselors have proclaimed the end of the notion of a job for life (or at least until retirement). This of course isn’t news. But what many aren’t so sure of is how and when they should start upgrading their skills and looking elsewhere for self employment or another competitive career position.

That’s really a question only you can answer after doing some research and inventory. Research your career and those positions that interest you and do some inventory on your skills and what you need to take that next fresh step in your career.

As urban/suburban women we tend to have a lot of choice in that regard which is yet another reason to appreciate and nurture the new urban lifestyle.

Local universities, colleges and private institutions often offer an array of continuing education options to help you brush up on those skills you want to improve or develop. Even if your community isn’t one with much in terms of local colleges, universities, etc., most of these kinds of schools offer long distance learning opportunities online. Spend some time at your local library to find out which higher learning institutions are close to you or offer some long distance learning opportunities that would suit your schedule.

Even if you’re quite satisfied in your career or job, it never hurts to see what competing firms are offering in terms of job flexibility and compensation. ALWAYS glance at the career section in your newspaper and let people know what are your career interests and strengths. Trust me…you never know who’s looking for someone with your abilities and experience.

If you’re feeling like now is the time to branch out on your own as an entrepreneur or an outside contractor for a firm, remember to visit your local chamber of commerce. Talk to them about upcoming networking opportunities and what is available for non-members. When you’re ready then you can look into joining.

Another great resource for career inspiration and job search leads are professional associations. Contact the professional association representing people in your field to find out more (for contact info trying searching for your groups using Google). There are all sorts of trade groups covering a wide range of professions. Here’ s a sampling of the kinds of professions with groups that provide continuing education, certification, job boards, networking, etc:

• Public Relations Managers
• Marketing Professionals
• Market Researchers
• Engineers
• Nurses
• Home builders
• Hospitality Professionals (caterers, hotel sales)
• Meeting Planners
• Apartment managers
• Insurance professionals
• Advertising Sales Representatives
• Real Estate Agents
• Internet Marketers
• Writers
• Film directors
• Film Industry Technicians
• Graphic Designers
• Administrative Assistants
• And hundreds more…

At the very minimum look at this research as a kind of career spring cleaning - throw out old mind sets about work and career and keep a fresh and open perspective about your job, who you’re working for and where you might like to work in the future.

Tags: Education, Your Work

Moms and tots…and teens

The moment I delivered my first child was fantastic, blissful, etc. But the moment I got control of my hips back and mastered the use of the convertible stroller, I was truly a happy mama.

I took her to places I liked to visit in the city…the lakefront, lunches with friends, her dad’s office, her grandfather’s office, the post office. We strolled everywhere and she loved it!

I found it interesting to read that an entrepreneurial mom in New York has made the cultural interests of moms with babes her business. Former Manhattan investment banker, Molly Snyder has traveled across the country promoting her now popular “Metropolitan Moms.” MM serves as a sort of event planning outfit coordinating all kinds of neat activities for moms with babies.

The thinking is that there are so few opportunities for women to maintain their interests while caring for newborns. According to Philly.com, these groups offer city activities like gallery tours, ghost-themed architecture tours and behind-the-scenes tastings at several chocolate shops. Mmmm!

The only drawback I see is the cost. Some of these events are pricey. For instance, I see the group offers a series of 4 weekly cooking classes for $220!

Of course there are so many more affordable ways that you can do something that is appropriate for a baby but still appealing to your adult tastes.

Do your own tour of the sites in your town (museum, gardens, local farms, etc.). Now that the holiday’s are here, there are special displays and markets, craft shows and any number mom networking groups at community centers and places of worship.  I know many moms still take their babes to book clubs they attended pre-baby.  Talk it over with the intended group.

I have teens now, but I still include my kids in my interests. I drag them take them to conferences that I’m interested in and I am always so overjoyed at how thrilled they are to take a day off school join their dear old mom at these events.

Tags: City Life, Education, Family Life

High Quality “School Communities” - Finally…21st Century thinking

How many of you chose a neighborhood because of the quality of the local schools there? I bet quite a few of made your decision that way but I bet you’re also concerned about the general trend of public schools in our country.  The problems in our worst schools become a problem for the nation.  More specifically they affect our communities.  Good schools attract families who care about education.  Bad schools are populated with many families who have no choice in the matter. The problem is EVERY public school should be a good school. No child in our country should be disadvantaged because of the quality of their school.

I just read an article on the Urban Planning Institute’s website by an educator who is also engaged in the development aspects of schools. David Ethan Greenberg makes some very interesting observations about the incentives and good solid thinking that is needed to encourage developers and school districts to access and build the resources needed to sustain quality education in our neighborhoods.

“Public schools indisputably influence real estate values.’ Given that the United States is widely perceived as falling behind in generating educated students able to compete in the global marketplace, and given the increasing anxiety of parents about the need for their children to become competitive by attending four-year colleges and beyond, good public schools could become the ultimate amenity for master-planned developments.”

Aha…new urbanist communities fit the bill! Here we have a community trend that is tailor made for the kind of creative thinking and cooperation that is suggested by Mr. Greenberg. Developers don’t get involved in school development and usually leave that to the school district. But school districts barely have enough to address deteriorating facilities and other issues in their existing schools. We end up with a situation where new developments are often without adequate schools or have insufficient space in their schools for the growing community. Mr. Greenberg gives an example of the following best practice to deal with this problem:

“Create an independent entity to advocate for school quality. Sophisticated developers are creating and funding nonprofit foundations, such as the Stapleton Foundation and the Foundation for Educational Excellence, to assume responsibility for ensuring that publicly funded schools are providing high-quality instruction. These foundations, often funded by development or transfer fees, bring in educational experts to help keep school district leaders current on “best practices,” to provide supplemental programs for schools, to underwrite design competitions for new school facilities, to pay for recruiting school leaders, to help in grant writing, and to take advantage of other opportunities as they come along.”

Not only is this a good idea for new developments, but I think struggling inner city schools could also benefit from similar strategies (re: setting up non-profit foundations).

We all value high-quality schools in our neighborhoods and we need to encourage more creative and progressive thinking between developers, city planners and our city politicians to ensure that sustainable solutions can be put in place to support quality public schools in every community throughout our country.

Tags: Education, Family Life, developers, education, high quality schools, new urbanism, new urbanist communities