School program aims to help more students go to college

10. November 2010 · Comments Off · Categories: Education, Family, naples, News · Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Patty Rojas, 14, stands in front of a whiteboard before a small group of her peers looking at the question she had written on the board.

“Can any of Thailand’s strategies to slow down birth rates and population growth be applied in other countries like the U.S. and China?” she reads. She works through the problem as her fellow students ask her questions.

“The problem is Thailand had a carrying capacity, which means the availability of resources was limited. It’s like when you have a party and you have food for seven people and 200 show up,” she said.

But sometimes the explanation, which includes comparing Thailand’s Population and Community Development Association with U.S. organizations like Planned Parenthood, leave her with more questions.

“This has so much publicity in Thailand. How come this one does not have so much sparkle?” she asked.

Her teacher, Jennifer Gaddis, poses a question back.

“Maybe at this point, the United States doesn’t have the need?” she said.

She might not have all the answers, but Patty’s way of getting to her answer is just one way Collier County is hoping to change the culture at local high schools.

The district is taking a new approach to education for some students by using a national program called AVID. Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, is a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges by focusing on the least-served students in the academic middle.

The formula of the program sounds simple: Raise the expectations of the students and, with supports in place, the students will rise to the challenge.

The purpose of the AVID program is to identify students in Collier County and ensure that they have every opportunity to be college-ready, according to Irene Benfatti, director of advanced students and gifted learners at the Collier County School District.

“It is about giving them the opportunity,” she said. “We don’t know how many students will go to college. … But we want to raise the level of conversation and engagement.”

The program, which is available in several other counties in Florida _ including Lee _ is open to all students, but district officials acknowledge it is directed at students who have potential and who are committed to hard work.

“They have to apply, they have to sign a contract. There are commitments on the part of the parent,” said Benfatti. “You have to jump through some hoops if you want this.”

Krystal Ayres, the district’s AVID co-director and Springboard trainer, said district officials recruited students in middle schools last year at those schools that fed into the four pilot schools. Students must have at least a 2.0 grade point average to participate.

Sarah Bond, co-director of the AVID program and a gifted specialist with the Collier County School District, said the program focuses on the students in the middle.

“We take those students and we front-load them into honors or (Advanced Placement) classes that challenge them. We give them support. They attend tutorial sessions twice a week,” she said.

The program is being piloted this year at four of the district’s high schools: Lely, Golden Gate, Immokalee and Everglades City. About 50 freshmen from each school take part in the program.

As part of the program, students take an AVID elective, which meets during one class period five days a week. On Mondays and Wednesdays, students receive lessons in the AVID curriculum, which includes lessons on handling conflict management and teaching them study skills, like how to take Cornell notes — a note-taking system that condenses and organizes notes.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, students have tutorial sessions where they break into small groups to help each other work through the problems.

“It is not your typical shoulder-to-shoulder training,” said James Briggs, the grant manager for the program. “The student does a presentation of the problem and other students ask questions. The idea is for the student to receive that ah-ha moment without giving them the answer. We want them to arrive at the answer themselves.”

Gaddis, a Lely High School English teacher and one of the AVID co-teachers, said teachers and tutors who volunteer their time to work with the students are trained to take a hands-off approach.

“We’re there to model good questions,” she said. “It’s amazing. These students are 14, 15 years old and they sit and teach each other unaided.”

On Fridays, the classes take field trips to local colleges or have guest speakers come in and talk to them about college or their careers. “We want the students to start making the connection now,” said Benfatti.

Gaddis said sometimes the biggest challenge is getting the students past teenage apathy.

“We want them to care about setting goals and academics,” she said.

Lely High School freshman Sogeily Gadoua, 15, said she wanted to join the AVID program because she thought it could “help me in the long run.”

“I thought it would help me get into college and to be more organized,” said Sogeily, who hopes to attend Dartmouth College when she graduates.

And it is helping. Sogeily said her grades have improved since the start of the semester.

“In my AP class – I have one AP class and the rest are honors – I had a D and I brought it up to a B-plus, almost an A. And I had a C in science, but I brought that up to an A,” she said. “When I started, I would ask random questions. When I saw that I had a D, I took it more seriously and started to ask better questions.”

Lely High School algebra and AVID co-teacher Alan Davis said he has seen a difference in his classes between the AVID students and the general population.

“When I teach algebra, I will see students taking poor notes or no notes at all,” he said. “But David (an AVID student who is in his algebra class) takes the skills he learns here and takes all of these notes. And when the test comes around, he just blows it away.”

Gaddis said the ultimate goal is that what the AVID students are learning becomes a positive shift in school culture.

“By the time these kids are seniors, one-quarter of our students will be in AVID,” she said. “Other teachers are using the Cornell notes.”

While it is too early to draw any conclusions, school officials eagerly anticipate the results.

A shift in culture is the goal, Benfatti said.

“We want to increase the number of students in the system who are into this higher order of thinking,” she said. “We want the kids to be able to get feedback and give thoughtful feedback.”

Nationally, of the 2009 AVID graduates, 92 percent planned to attend college; 60 percent to a four-year college and 32 percent to a two-year college, according to the program’s web site. Since 1990, more than 65,000 students have graduated high school and planned to go to college, according to the web site.

Patty, 14, said she joined the program to get to college so that she can help support her family both here in the United States and in Venezuela.

“I would like to bring more of my family here,” she said, adding she is thinking about attending Ohio State University to study psychology.

While the schools started with freshmen this year, the program will continue with them as sophomores, as juniors and seniors as new classes of freshmen AVID students come up behind them.

Lely High School sophomore Ryan Bessette, 16, who participated in an AVID program at an Orlando middle school before moving to Naples, said he wishes the program was available to more students than freshmen this year.

“It helped me to get organized,” he said. “It improved my grades. I was a C and B student. … It helped me connect with the school, but also get connected with the community because there was a community service piece. I think it prepares you for college life.”

Ryan said although he doesn’t have access to the program, he is still using strategies like the Cornell Notes to help him in high school.

“It stays with you forever,” he said.

Connect with K-12 education policy reporter Katherine Albers at www.naplesnews.com/staff/katherine-albers/.

? 2010 Naples Daily News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

School program aims to help more students go to college

PHOTOS Food for thought: Golden Gate Middle adds culinary arts class

19. September 2010 · Comments Off · Categories: Education, Family, Home, naples, News, Tech · Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Scenes during culinary class at Golden Gate Middle School on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010. The class, which teaches basic culinary skills along with safety and sanitation in the kitchen, was started in August. The program is part of a push by Collier County high schools to start academies to help students who want to go into a specific field such as medical or culinary. Greg Kahn/Staff

Photo by GREG KAHN // Buy this photo

Scenes during culinary class at Golden Gate Middle School on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010. The class, which teaches basic culinary skills along with safety and sanitation in the kitchen, was started in August. The program is part of a push by Collier County high schools to start academies to help students who want to go into a specific field such as medical or culinary. Greg Kahn/Staff

Golden Gate Middle School Culinary Class

GOLDEN GATE —
Becky Iannone likes to refer to her classroom as “organized chaos.”

Students come into her classroom and put on T-shirts in bright greens and orange. They pull hair nets out of small, plastic bags and place them on their head.

And then they grab the knives.

But in Iannone’s class, it is OK to have knives. Iannone runs Golden Gate Middle School’s culinary arts class. The school developed a specialized culinary program as a way to offer high school credit to eighth-grade students who didn’t take algebra or Spanish, the two other high school courses offered at the school.

The program also boosts interest for Golden Gate High School’s culinary academy.

“It is the only place where a student can earn a high school credit that will be attached to a high school academy while attending a middle school,” wrote Dale Johnson, the district’s supervisor of Career and Technical Education, in an e-mail. “Specifically, it is hoped that middle school students will be more likely to complete high school academy requirements if the program begins in eighth grade.”

Iannone, who taught culinary arts for years up North before coming to Collier County 10 years ago, said she approached Golden Gate Middle School Principal Leslie Morris and asked if she could look for a culinary curriculum that was being stored in the kitchen on the second floor of the school.

Quotable

“It is the only place where a student can earn a high school credit that will be attached to a high school academy while attending a middle school,” wrote Dale Johnson, the district’s supervisor of Career and Technical Education, in an e-mail. “Specifically, it is hoped that middle school students will be more likely to complete high school academy requirements if the program begins in eighth grade.”

“She said, ‘You taught culinary. Why aren’t you teaching it now?’” said Iannone, who also teaches technology at the school. “It’s my passion.”

Iannone and Morris agreed to pilot the program last year with her technology students. Iannone taught technology to the students for nine weeks and culinary arts for nine weeks.

Although the program isn’t officially part of the Golden Gate High School Culinary Academy due to requirements placed on the academy by the National Restaurant Association, students do earn the high school credit for Culinary 1.

Still, other middle schools in the county have programs designed to encourage students to enter the academy programs at the high schools they eventually might attend.

The Gateway to Technology program at East Naples Middle School is designed to create student interest into the Pathways to Engineering and Architecture Academy at Naples High School. The students don’t earn high school credit, but they are introduced to the basic components of engineering and technology.

Students at Cypress Palm Middle School in Golden Gate Estates are given the opportunity to participate in a special technology course called Exploration of Production Technology that introduces students to the various components of construction, with the hope that it will spark interest in the construction academy at Palmetto Ridge High School.

This year, Iannone started with two classes of eighth-graders, with about 40 students in each class.

“The joys of the class-size amendment,” Iannone jokes, referring to the state Constitutional Amendment that requires class sizes to be limited in core classes like English and math to 22 students in middle school.

The unintended result is that elective classes such as culinary arts have more than 22 students in the class.

Because her classes have so many students, Iannone teaches one lesson over four days. A group of about 10 students works in the kitchens, with Iannone supervising them. The remaining eighth-graders work in groups on lessons about cooking.

On Thursday, while students learned to peel and chop vegetables that will eventually be used in muffins and soup, the other students learned about the different types of knives and the different parts of the knife.

“I like being in the kitchen much better (than the classwork),” said eighth-grader Faryn Loskot, 13. “It’s a good class. I wanted to learn to cook better. And it’s good to know in case you need a job.”

Quotable

“I was tired of my mom telling me I didn’t know how to cook,” said Katya Lopez, 13. “It’s a really fun class. It was this or P.E. and I’m not going to sweat.”

Many of the students who selected culinary arts as an elective said they wanted to learn how to help their mothers at home.

“I was tired of my mom telling me I didn’t know how to cook,” said Katya Lopez, 13. “It’s a really fun class. It was this or P.E. and I’m not going to sweat.”

Katya said she likes the new version of the culinary class.

“I took a similar class last year and the teacher never let us do anything,” she said. “In this class we get to cut the vegetables, we get to make the appetizers.”

The students’ first project was to work in teams to make appetizers like artichoke cheese puffs, creamy bruchetta and black bean dip. The students then had to present their appetizers in a buffet.

“They were so proud and everything was edible,” Iannone said. “We didn’t have to like everything, but we had to try it. Then they evaluated what the best dish was, who did the best presenting.”

Aaren Jones, 13, said she took the class to “learn how to cook American food.”

“My family is Haitian, so we cook Haitian food,” she said, adding her favorite Haitian dish is fried plantains. “Now that I (am cooking), I could see myself doing this for a job. It’s fun.”

When students leave her classroom, Iannone said she hoped the students have the basic culinary industry standard skills and confidence in themselves to read a recipe and have it turn out well. She said she hopes the students understand that food allows them to be creative and use their imaginations.

“I think a lot of the students came in thinking we were just going to bake cookies and eat them,” she said. “I want to push them beyond the obvious.”

Eventually, Iannone said it is her hope the students will be able to make dishes to sell to faculty members as a fundraiser for the program.

“It would be great if one of them like it enough that they would get out and learn to work in this industry,” she said. “In this area, it’s great because of all of the restaurants we have in town.”

__ Connect with K-12 reporter Katherine Albers at www.naplesnews.com/staff/katherine-albers/.

? 2010 Naples Daily News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

PHOTOS Food for thought: Golden Gate Middle adds culinary arts class

Former Wave star returns as AD

24. August 2010 · Comments Off · Categories: Education, News · Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

The Fort Myers Green Wave have called upon a former teacher and student-athlete to guide their athletic department.

Rod Gadson has been named interim athletic director at Fort Myers High School. He graduated from Fort Myers High School in 1993 and played football at Syracuse University, earning a degree in education there in 1998.

Gadson will have the interim tag removed from his title after passing a recertification test, hopefully next month, said Fort Myers principal Dave La Rosa.

“No. 1, I didn’t know he was out there looking for a job,” La Rosa said. “No. 2, he’s a graduate. He was an athlete here. He knows about the history and the tradition. I think he’s a good role model for kids.

“The person in that job is the face of Fort Myers athletics. I thought he was best guy for the job.”

La Rosa said he received 25 applications after Craig Weigel departed for his native Michigan.

Gadson, 36, has a minor degree in business management. After teaching science at Fort Myers in 1998-99, he worked for a pharmaceutical company.

Gadson started at quarterback and defensive back for the 1992 Fort Myers football team, which finished with a 12-1 record and is believed by many to be the best in school history.

“The opportunity to come back to my alma mater and to come back with a staff that I’m familiar with as far as the teachers and the coaches, it’s great for me,” Gadson said. “To come back to Fort Myers and be a positive role model, to continue the success in the athletic department, it’s just something I look forward to.”

Former Wave star returns as AD

PHOTOS: Tommie Barfield Elementary Open House

21. August 2010 · Comments Off · Categories: Education, News · Tags:

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PHOTOS: Tommie Barfield Elementary Open House

Hodges building anew in Fort Myers, renovating in Immokalee

19. August 2010 · Comments Off · Categories: Education, naples, News, Tech · Tags: , , , , , , ,

Hodges University is expanding its facilities, most notably with a $12 million building to be added to its Fort Myers campus, the private, non-profit university announced Thursday.

The three-story, 45,000-square foot building will go up adjacent to the Fort Myers campus’ existing 60,000-square foot main building, on Colonial Boulevard, and is expected to be finished by early 2012.

The new building will be used to add and expand degree programs, but specific programs to be housed there were not named as part of Thursday’s announcement. Since establishing the Fort Myers location in 2005, enrollment there has grown nearly 80 percent, according to a press release.

“Our institution has seen unprecedented growth, and this new facility will help us maintain the highest quality educational experience that our community expects when they choose Hodges University to achieve their educational and career goals,” said Jeanette Brock, the university’s executive vice president of academic affairs.

Earlier this year, Hodges opened a new science and technology building at its Naples campus, and will soon begin work to add a new access road and increased parking there. In Immokalee, the university has plans to remodel portions of its learning site at the Harvest Center at Jubilation, primarily to add classrooms for its growing English as a Second Language program.

? 2010 Naples Daily News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Hodges building anew in Fort Myers, renovating in Immokalee

PHOTOS: Shy Wolf Sanctuary hopes to turn new 20-acre site into better home for its animals in need

17. July 2010 · Comments Off · Categories: Cats, Education, Money, naples, News, Space · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Nancy Smith, founder of the Shy Wolf Sanctuary, gives a kiss to Chocowa, a gray wolf who lives at the sanctuary, a two and a half acre piece of land off of White Boulevard. Former sanctuary volunteer Susan Cabot Rather died and left $120,000 to the sanctuary. Sanctuary board of directors used the money in April to purchase 20-acres of land on Dove Tree Street in the Golden Gate Estates to be the future site of the sanctuary.

Photo by LEXEY SWALL // Buy this photo

Nancy Smith, founder of the Shy Wolf Sanctuary, gives a kiss to Chocowa, a gray wolf who lives at the sanctuary, a two and a half acre piece of land off of White Boulevard. Former sanctuary volunteer Susan Cabot Rather died and left $120,000 to the sanctuary. Sanctuary board of directors used the money in April to purchase 20-acres of land on Dove Tree Street in the Golden Gate Estates to be the future site of the sanctuary.

Shy Wolf Sanctuary has new 20-acre site

Map

Shy Wolf Sanctuary

1161 27th Street SW, Naples

Helping Shy Wolf

For more information or to become a supporter of the Shy Wolf Sanctuary, call 455-1698 or see the website www.shywolfsanctuary.com.

NAPLES —
The volunteers at Shy Wolf Sanctuary spend a lot of time these days planning. Planning and hoping that the community which has long supported them will continue to come to the aid of nearly 60 animals in their care.

Plans are underway to relocate most of the sanctuary from its current, cramped 21/2-acre quarters to a new 20-acre property the sanctuary was recently able to obtain. Susan Cabot Rather bequeathed the funds for the Sanctuary to purchase the new land, which will be named in memory of her. The full name will be the Shy Wolf Sanctuary Education and Experience Center in Memory of Susan Cabot Rather.

But first, the board of directors must obtain the funding required to make the move.

The Shy Wolf Sanctuary rescues, houses and cares for wolves, wolf-dog hybrids, panthers and a variety of other unwanted animals neglected or abandoned by previous owners. Its purpose is to provide a place for these animals to live out the rest of their often difficult lives. There are about 40 volunteers — and no paid employees — at Shy Wolf.

“As long as they have a good quality of life, we’ll take care of them,” said Mark Scarola, a volunteer and member of the board of directors. “We’re the last resort for these incredible animals who would otherwise be put down.”

The cost of rescue services, vet bills, and basic sanctuary upkeep is staggering, costing more than $108,000 annually. One of the wolves named Timka came to the rescue from west of Gainesville. She had been used for breeding and left to die on an 8-by-10 foot slab of concrete. It took Shy Wolf volunteers three weeks to encourage Timka to stand on her own.

When the Sanctuary took in two wolf pups and Timka came to life. The pups gave Timka the purpose she needed to live.

Another wolf in the Sanctuary’s care named Julie had been purchased for use in a television show. The man who purchased Julie tried to sell her. When he couldn’t make money on Julie, he dumped her at a Brooksville rescue shelter that subsequently went out of business. Shy Wolf Sanctuary stepped in to rescue Julie, who is slowly recovering from her ordeal.

“Whatever happened to Julie scared her half to death and it was so deeply embedded in her psyche, and all this time, she has not been able to be anywhere near a man,” said Shy Wolf Sanctuary board president Nancy Smith.

“We believe she was whipped or yanked or possibly beaten but she is making great strides to be rehabilitated.”

The wolves live securely in enclosures with 8-foot fences and dig wire, which prevents them from tunneling out. Five foxes, five Florida panthers, six prairie dogs, a few tortoises and two rabbits also share space at the Sanctuary. These panthers were also born and raised in captivity, without learning hunting or protection skills, so they, too, cannot survive on their own in the wild.

Like wolves, big cats appear to have a close connection to nature.

“Kiowa, one of the big cats at the Sanctuary, reacted to Hurricane Charlie before it hit,” said Smith. “She began pacing frantically and agitated, like she was trying to get away from something and then suddenly, she stopped pacing.” Smith said she knew the storm wasn’t going to hit Naples when Kiowa suddenly lay down and became instantly relaxed.

The wolves, however, are the main focus of the shelter’s care. Some of them are nearing the end of their lives; others are recovering from horrific treatment at the hands of humans. The Sanctuary is also caring for several wolf puppies rescued from an accidental breeding incident in the Florida Panhandle.

“The owner separated the litter of nine pups from their mother too soon, which suppressed their immune system development and we took in four of those puppies,” said Smith. “Vet bills for the pups have exceeded $7,500 so far, and that’s because they require such extensive care.” Treatment for the pups has included blood transfusions, medication, and extended stays at the emergency vet clinic.

The addition of the pups to the Sanctuary brings the number of wolves there to 36. For the new facility the Sanctuary will need to raise $2 million in donations and in-kind services.

“In addition to monetary contributions, we would love to receive in-kind donations to sponsor various projects that will be required to make the move a reality,” said Scarola. “We’re asking businesses who can help to please consider donating their services for things required to run the facility.”

Some of those needs include contracting services that would help the Sanctuary navigate the process of working with the county for permitting purposes, fencing, staff housing, infrastructure improvements, labor for building enclosures and installing other building structures, electrical contracting and veterinary services. The list goes on.

Scarola says the Sanctuary will also need kitchen equipment, including freezers and refrigerators. The volunteers feed the animals four times a week, a massive undertaking that requires hours of messy manual labor.

Many of the volunteers, including Smith, must regularly cut up dozens of large containers of raw chicken and meat to prepare the more than 3,000 pounds of meat per month the animals consume. That does not include the greens volunteers procure for the turtles and other animals who require roughage in their diets.

Property maintenance is also a considerable expense for the sanctuary.

Something as simple as a donation of a lawn mower makes a big difference in the operating budget, Scarola says. He hopes someone will come forward to donate a new workshop, such as a prefab structure at the new property to store equipment and supplies. Partners and donors will be able to sponsor enclosures and individual wolves among other opportunities to give. The sanctuary is a 501(c)3 organization.

Smith says she hopes that, with help from local universities and contractors, the new Shy Wolf facility can be entirely green. Solar power is an option the group is exploring.

The move cannot come fast enough for the staff and animals that have outgrown the current space. The new facility will enable the Sanctuary to rescue more unwanted animals and increase the common space, among other needs.

With the sheer number of volunteer hours and the cost to run the sanctuary, it’s tempting to ask a question that ruffles feathers among animal lovers: Is all of this worth it to save wolves?

Smith has an answer.

“Responsibility means the ability to respond, and when we acquire an animal, we’re supposed to be making a promise to care for that animal until the end of its life,” she said.

Too often, people who buy exotic animals for pets do not keep that promise, Smith continued. Irresponsible breeders sell wild animals that should never become pets. Buyers ignorant of the work required to care for these animals eventually abandon or mistreat them.

Places like Shy Wolf Sanctuary provide the chain of commitment that should exist. Smith says the Sanctuary’s mission is to provide a home for those animals that have been treated like garbage. Volunteers are quick to point out that animals don’t come as the “good” or “bad” creatures that fairy tales make them out to be.

“Wolves have gotten a bad rap in literature — Three Little Pigs and Red Riding Hood stories — but they really are amazing and have this strong connection with nature,” said Tom Hornyal, a recent volunteer at the sanctuary. “I am astonished at how much this organization can accomplish with so few people – you really can make an immediate impact.”

Smith imparted some of her hard-earned wisdom to her volunteers as they prepared the rest of the feed on this particular day.

“I do not want this message of saving these animals to die with me,” said Smith, who is also a great grandmother. “If just one person gets it and keeps the dream alive, we’ll have done our job.”

As if on cue, just as Smith completed cutting up her last bucket of raw chicken, one of the wolves began to howl. One by one the rest of the wolves joined in for a haunting chorus of baying as if they too, know a change is coming.

? 2010 Naples Daily News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

PHOTOS: Shy Wolf Sanctuary hopes to turn new 20-acre site into better home for its animals in need

PHOTOS: Shy Wolf Sanctuary hopes to turn new 20-acre site into better home for its animals in need

17. July 2010 · Comments Off · Categories: Cats, Education, Money, naples, News, Space · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nancy Smith, founder of the Shy Wolf Sanctuary, gives a kiss to Chocowa, a gray wolf who lives at the sanctuary, a two and a half acre piece of land off of White Boulevard. Former sanctuary volunteer Susan Cabot Rather died and left $120,000 to the sanctuary. Sanctuary board of directors used the money in April to purchase 20-acres of land on Dove Tree Street in the Golden Gate Estates to be the future site of the sanctuary.

Photo by LEXEY SWALL // Buy this photo

Nancy Smith, founder of the Shy Wolf Sanctuary, gives a kiss to Chocowa, a gray wolf who lives at the sanctuary, a two and a half acre piece of land off of White Boulevard. Former sanctuary volunteer Susan Cabot Rather died and left $120,000 to the sanctuary. Sanctuary board of directors used the money in April to purchase 20-acres of land on Dove Tree Street in the Golden Gate Estates to be the future site of the sanctuary.

Shy Wolf Sanctuary has new 20-acre site

Map

Shy Wolf Sanctuary

1161 27th Street SW, Naples

Helping Shy Wolf

For more information or to become a supporter of the Shy Wolf Sanctuary, call 455-1698 or see the website www.shywolfsanctuary.com.

NAPLES —
The volunteers at Shy Wolf Sanctuary spend a lot of time these days planning. Planning and hoping that the community which has long supported them will continue to come to the aid of nearly 60 animals in their care.

Plans are underway to relocate most of the sanctuary from its current, cramped 21/2-acre quarters to a new 20-acre property the sanctuary was recently able to obtain. Susan Cabot Rather bequeathed the funds for the Sanctuary to purchase the new land, which will be named in memory of her. The full name will be the Shy Wolf Sanctuary Education and Experience Center in Memory of Susan Cabot Rather.

But first, the board of directors must obtain the funding required to make the move.

The Shy Wolf Sanctuary rescues, houses and cares for wolves, wolf-dog hybrids, panthers and a variety of other unwanted animals neglected or abandoned by previous owners. Its purpose is to provide a place for these animals to live out the rest of their often difficult lives. There are about 40 volunteers — and no paid employees — at Shy Wolf.

“As long as they have a good quality of life, we’ll take care of them,” said Mark Scarola, a volunteer and member of the board of directors. “We’re the last resort for these incredible animals who would otherwise be put down.”

The cost of rescue services, vet bills, and basic sanctuary upkeep is staggering, costing more than $108,000 annually. One of the wolves named Timka came to the rescue from west of Gainesville. She had been used for breeding and left to die on an 8-by-10 foot slab of concrete. It took Shy Wolf volunteers three weeks to encourage Timka to stand on her own.

When the Sanctuary took in two wolf pups and Timka came to life. The pups gave Timka the purpose she needed to live.

Another wolf in the Sanctuary’s care named Julie had been purchased for use in a television show. The man who purchased Julie tried to sell her. When he couldn’t make money on Julie, he dumped her at a Brooksville rescue shelter that subsequently went out of business. Shy Wolf Sanctuary stepped in to rescue Julie, who is slowly recovering from her ordeal.

“Whatever happened to Julie scared her half to death and it was so deeply embedded in her psyche, and all this time, she has not been able to be anywhere near a man,” said Shy Wolf Sanctuary board president Nancy Smith.

“We believe she was whipped or yanked or possibly beaten but she is making great strides to be rehabilitated.”

The wolves live securely in enclosures with 8-foot fences and dig wire, which prevents them from tunneling out. Five foxes, five Florida panthers, six prairie dogs, a few tortoises and two rabbits also share space at the Sanctuary. These panthers were also born and raised in captivity, without learning hunting or protection skills, so they, too, cannot survive on their own in the wild.

Like wolves, big cats appear to have a close connection to nature.

“Kiowa, one of the big cats at the Sanctuary, reacted to Hurricane Charlie before it hit,” said Smith. “She began pacing frantically and agitated, like she was trying to get away from something and then suddenly, she stopped pacing.” Smith said she knew the storm wasn’t going to hit Naples when Kiowa suddenly lay down and became instantly relaxed.

The wolves, however, are the main focus of the shelter’s care. Some of them are nearing the end of their lives; others are recovering from horrific treatment at the hands of humans. The Sanctuary is also caring for several wolf puppies rescued from an accidental breeding incident in the Florida Panhandle.

“The owner separated the litter of nine pups from their mother too soon, which suppressed their immune system development and we took in four of those puppies,” said Smith. “Vet bills for the pups have exceeded $7,500 so far, and that’s because they require such extensive care.” Treatment for the pups has included blood transfusions, medication, and extended stays at the emergency vet clinic.

The addition of the pups to the Sanctuary brings the number of wolves there to 36. For the new facility the Sanctuary will need to raise $2 million in donations and in-kind services.

“In addition to monetary contributions, we would love to receive in-kind donations to sponsor various projects that will be required to make the move a reality,” said Scarola. “We’re asking businesses who can help to please consider donating their services for things required to run the facility.”

Some of those needs include contracting services that would help the Sanctuary navigate the process of working with the county for permitting purposes, fencing, staff housing, infrastructure improvements, labor for building enclosures and installing other building structures, electrical contracting and veterinary services. The list goes on.

Scarola says the Sanctuary will also need kitchen equipment, including freezers and refrigerators. The volunteers feed the animals four times a week, a massive undertaking that requires hours of messy manual labor.

Many of the volunteers, including Smith, must regularly cut up dozens of large containers of raw chicken and meat to prepare the more than 3,000 pounds of meat per month the animals consume. That does not include the greens volunteers procure for the turtles and other animals who require roughage in their diets.

Property maintenance is also a considerable expense for the sanctuary.

Something as simple as a donation of a lawn mower makes a big difference in the operating budget, Scarola says. He hopes someone will come forward to donate a new workshop, such as a prefab structure at the new property to store equipment and supplies. Partners and donors will be able to sponsor enclosures and individual wolves among other opportunities to give. The sanctuary is a 501(c)3 organization.

Smith says she hopes that, with help from local universities and contractors, the new Shy Wolf facility can be entirely green. Solar power is an option the group is exploring.

The move cannot come fast enough for the staff and animals that have outgrown the current space. The new facility will enable the Sanctuary to rescue more unwanted animals and increase the common space, among other needs.

With the sheer number of volunteer hours and the cost to run the sanctuary, it’s tempting to ask a question that ruffles feathers among animal lovers: Is all of this worth it to save wolves?

Smith has an answer.

“Responsibility means the ability to respond, and when we acquire an animal, we’re supposed to be making a promise to care for that animal until the end of its life,” she said.

Too often, people who buy exotic animals for pets do not keep that promise, Smith continued. Irresponsible breeders sell wild animals that should never become pets. Buyers ignorant of the work required to care for these animals eventually abandon or mistreat them.

Places like Shy Wolf Sanctuary provide the chain of commitment that should exist. Smith says the Sanctuary’s mission is to provide a home for those animals that have been treated like garbage. Volunteers are quick to point out that animals don’t come as the “good” or “bad” creatures that fairy tales make them out to be.

“Wolves have gotten a bad rap in literature — Three Little Pigs and Red Riding Hood stories — but they really are amazing and have this strong connection with nature,” said Tom Hornyal, a recent volunteer at the sanctuary. “I am astonished at how much this organization can accomplish with so few people – you really can make an immediate impact.”

Smith imparted some of her hard-earned wisdom to her volunteers as they prepared the rest of the feed on this particular day.

“I do not want this message of saving these animals to die with me,” said Smith, who is also a great grandmother. “If just one person gets it and keeps the dream alive, we’ll have done our job.”

As if on cue, just as Smith completed cutting up her last bucket of raw chicken, one of the wolves began to howl. One by one the rest of the wolves joined in for a haunting chorus of baying as if they too, know a change is coming.

? 2010 Naples Daily News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

PHOTOS: Shy Wolf Sanctuary hopes to turn new 20-acre site into better home for its animals in need

PC ProSchool

24. March 2010 · Comments Off · Categories: Education · Tags: , , , , ,

pc pro schooling

Previous to I overlook this with all that is planning on, I arrived throughout a brand new resource in town when I'm speaking my certification examination last week (or was it the week before?).  I used to be hunting on the web to get a location to take my examination when the “PC ProSchools” link came up as a doable examination site.  It turns out it's genuinely close to me (I-96 and East Beltline) and is pretty new (as well new for Google Maps – about a 365 days aged).

I thought I realized of a lot of the Microsoft exercising amenities in town and had certainly not discovered of them.  I obtained to my experiment about 15 minutes early and they had been completely booked so I started off asking about their plans and reading through several of their substance.  I ended up obtaining a tour from the amenities and applications by a guy named Richard Fera (who was truly useful).

They had a fantastic exercising lab (place for 50 at brand new machines, dual projectors, dual stations within the back again from the area for additional trainers (three trainers offered at a total school)).  They had an open lab and what looked like a server area / wiring closet (which turned out to become an “advanced lab” spot).  Their concentrate is within the infrastructure side (i.e. the MCSE route) on getting the servers up and working and all varieties of troubleshooting.  They usually do not provide you with packages for software growth (i.e. the MCPD route).  So they had in no way noticed from the check I'm getting however it was really obvious that their testing lab received quite a bit of use.

They may be a Microsoft Platinum Partner provider for training (which says a whole lot about volume, graduation price, certification amount, and placement charge (>70%)).  It's an exciting style because they operate it form of like one thing involving a technical trainer (i.e. providing one class at a time) and a university (full-blown multi-year plan).  They provide an intense one-year software which is open to any high-school graduate who meets some standard criteria.  The classes are either M/W or T/Th (with a few Fridays thrown in for test-prep and labs) from five:30-10:30, that's quite somewhat of work.  But inside the conclusion you ought to have your MCSE.

Add to this that they also do placement and have tasks searching for persons – positioned 48 from the lass class of 50.

Examining this post it sounds model of like an advertisement, however it really isn't.  I'd create about any new useful resource class, school, book, etc. that might be beneficial to men and women undertaking what I do (or supported the servers I ought to operate on) and do that reasonably usually.  If I realized someone who was considering servers and hardware, and hunting for any task with no committing 2-4 ages to institution, this appears like the type of issue you'd need to hold you on observe and get it completed speedily.  It is an selection really worth checking out at lowest.

Are you certainly one of thousands who experience as if they’re stuck at a dead end task? Perhaps you spend several several hours each day wondering how you possibly can escape and move on to anything far better. If not just a effective career, at smallest a thing less stressful and far additional rewarding. You have seen the commercials about all the possibilities in IT, but is it to suit your needs? Can you truly succeed in this kind of field?

The solution is really a resounding yes. It truly is at the moment considered one of the best rising fields for the employment current market. Correct now stands out as the ideal time to leap in and grow to be an IT pro.  Personal computer Proschools can support you receive there.

Specialists predict that practically fifty percent on the workforce within the United States will probably be employed in industries wherever IT services are abundant. This is by now evident as much businesses right now rely on technology to function additional efficiently and preserve up with the fierce competitors. The IT marketplace can grant you the power to receive employment where by you're financially rewarded and respected for the abilities, anything we all want and deserve.

Below we now have listed some truth regarding the IT business for the review. This information should present you with an thought on the best way to find that profitable career you have been hunting for.

Careers in IT are envisioned to enhance at a charge of 36% around the future 10 several years

The IT subject accounts for an estimated 25% of the work developed from 2002 for the existing day

Computer-related projects are among the very best 20 fastest developing professions inside the United States. This quantity is expected to improve additional than twice as fast as other occupations

It is been reported that IT work present the highest earnings of each of the 20 speediest developing professions.

It can be certainly one of the fasted increasing areas of employment within the state. This field continues to provide you with possibilities to hundreds as many with the tasks created for IT go unfilled by reason of the lack of skilled candidates.

The chances in Information Technology are endless as this subject can only boost. Just take a look at what we’ve currently witnessed so far. In the brief amount of time, it may very well be you reaping the advantages of this booming business. With numerous community institutions and on the net courses like Personal computer Pro Educational institutions, having started has for no reason been less complicated.

Merely hop about the net, confer which includes a few pros and acquire the earliest phase in direction of establishing your new vocation.

What is Aid Table?

A Aid Workplace occupation gives the foundation to explore other fulfilling careers in computers. You never have to have preceding personal computer knowledge to start your education and learning and in just ten brief weeks you'll be able to be commencing your new job! If you will need a quick solution…get trained…and get doing work!

Assist Workplace is usually a required department at each organization that makes use of personal computers. Nowadays which is essentially every single firm, creating Help Workplace a recession proof job! Aid Table technicians respond to telephone calls and e-mail messages from buyers seeking for guide with personal computer difficulties. Let’s say an accountant suddenly cannot admittance payroll data which is saved on a personal computer system. This accountant would make contact with you and it could be your responsibility to troubleshoot and repair this problem. In responding to these inquiries, help-desk technicians ought to listen cautiously on the buyer, ask queries to diagnose the nature of the problem, after which it patiently stroll the consumer by way of the problem-solving steps.
Get the correct instruction easily to help you start out building the appropriate money quicker.

Our Laptop or computer Help Desk software can take your operate expertise as well as your latest talents, and mix it with an training focused on one of the best increasing occupations within the U.S. in just ten weeks. Being a Microsoft IT Academy with a confirmed and complete program we can transform you right into a highly sought following Support Desk Specialized with industry normal certifications. This system is 100% on the internet in order to keep on to operate even though in classes. And our effects speak for themselves.

The U.S. Dept of Instruction National Center for Education and learning Statistics tells us that a 4 yr institution monitor now takes 6 a long time using a 57% graduation fee and also a 2 12 months community college/tech institution now will take 3 several years with an alarming 23% graduation fee. Sad to say, the majority of us do not have that kind of time to start making the income we need to survive. And who wants to danger people odds of completing the plan? Our graduation costs are more than 80%.
Acquire the initial phase toward having again on trail.

Unemployment costs are hitting record higher levels and our country is struggling out of an financial recession; you can not afford to wait any longer. Regardless of whether you've got by now been laid off, fear the loss of your respective task or just want to produce a change, a brand new vocation could be yours! You possibly can be in your way to the job that supplies the earnings and security you may need.

See for yourself by registering for an informational seminar complete with schedule and tuition information. Basically click within the “Attend Job Revival” button and you’ll be in your way!

Desktop ProSchools Graduation Accomplishment
Personal computer ProSchools, a Microsoft Academy, is proud to announce its initial graduating class of 2008. In 2007 in excess of 300 IT Experts graduated from Computer ProSchools' Help Desk/MCSA software.

FOR Immediate Launch
PR Log (Press Release) – Apr 18, 2008 – In excess of 150 graduates and their guests filed to the State Inn & Suites in Brookfield, WI on a cool spring evening to celebrate a six month journey to becoming an IT expert.

Last August, students in track 183 began their journey at the Brookfield Campus of Pc ProSchools, a Microsoft IT Academy licensed by the Wisconsin Educational Approval Board and accredited by ACCET.   Record 183 contained manufacturers, construction workers, secretaries, retail representatives and office workers. All committed to changing their lives and becoming  Assist Table Analysts, Network Administrators or Computer Technicians to name just a few and on March 20, 2008 they were 1 move closer.

The Commencement ceremony began using a Welcoming Address from Campus Director Laura Polancich. Polancich, whose primary responsibility at Pc Pro Universities is to provide task placement services was proud to congratulate the much more than fifty percent of the graduating type that had by now secured a work in the substantial paying IT market and made a commitment to keep on assisting those people still searching. Up coming Vice President of Educational Companies, Kate Pelchat, presented an Executive Address and congratulated the school for their hard operate and dedication. Pelchat compared the graduates’ journey at Pc Pro Universities towards the CAT5 cable they had been given at their initial orientation highlighting the ups and downs and even the knots at times and shared a quote from Ernest Hemmingway that “It is good to have an conclusion to journey towards but it will be the journey itself that matters within the conclusion.”

Lead Instructor Mick Brentar stood just before the course for his final lecture, so to speak. He challenged them to continue learning always and explained how proud he is to now call them colleagues within the IT Market.
The Keynote Address was delivered by Ricardo Monteen, a Support Workplace Manager at Manpower Corporation and a former graduate of Computer ProSchools from 1 calendar year ago. He chronicled his journey, sharing how different his life is now. It was a total circle moment for everyone as Monteen explained how he had just hired four Pc Pro Educational institutions graduates for his Aid Receptionist counter team.

The mood was large as the evening concluded which includes a punch and cake reception where by families, graduates and faculty shared memories; all knowing that the sum of a journey is a fresh perspective of home and for all that perspective is pretty different 6 months later.
Graduate Wendy Tokarz shared “Being able to graduate with my class and conquer this kind of challenging goal feels wonderful. My family and friends are so proud of me. It is just wonderful!”

At the time of this publication, less than one particular month later, around 75% of these graduates, including Tokarz have been offered IT positions and have begun enjoying the gains of their new careers.

Laptop or computer Pro Universities an ally in improving computer admittance among those people with disabilities

Last Spring, New Horizons Un-Limited (NHU) had the good fortune of meeting Laura, the Campus Director of Personal computer Pro Schools’ Brookfield campus, at a Brew City HDI chapter meeting. At the meeting, NHU expressed a need for volunteer technicians to assist with their pc refurbishing and guide desk activities. Seeing this opportunity as a approach to give back, though also supporting the occupation goals of her students, Laura swiftly recruited students to aid NHU.

Above this past calendar year, NHU has welcomed virtually a dozen Personal computer Pro Schools students as volunteers. Even though all in the student volunteers have had a solid technical foundation, quite a few of them had been lacking that all important professional practical knowledge to aid them win their dream career.

What NHU presents in encounter to the students is exceeded by what they, as volunteers, have contributed to NHU's routine. They have expertly refurbished dozens of pcs, which, in turn, have been donated to dozens of individuals with disabilities that would not have otherwise been able to afford a home personal computer.

Just like NHU's student volunteers, the individuals that receive the refurbished computers are trying to boost their lives through technologies. A laptop or computer means more to them than the majority of us could ever imagine.

To quite a few of NHU's recipients, a pc stands out as the tool they have to pursue their dream job and ultimately their own financial freedom.

NHU's refurbishing program is work entirely by volunteer technicians. It basically would not be possible without the expertise and dedication of their volunteers.

NHU's most recent group of volunteers is going to be graduating from Personal computer Pro Colleges in just weeks. It really is NHU's hope that the practical knowledge the students have received will guide the students reach their job goals.

NHU would like to extend a special thank you to Craig, Dan, Fred, Jim and Jonathan for their dedication to seeing that all folks, no matter their revenue, may have entry to a home pc.

Pc ProSchools Unveils New Website
Cutting edge technology illustrates a obvious picture of this state-of-art Microsoft IT Academy. Computer ProSchools, Inc. is excited to announce its new website located at www.pcproschools.edu.

FOR Fast Discharge
PR Log (Press Discharge) – Apr 23, 2008 – Since 1994 Desktop ProSchools has been providing IT coaching in the Milwaukee spot. More than the several years, Pc ProSchools expanded operations opening campuses in Green Bay, WI and Madison, WI. In 2006 and 2007 the campuses in Grand Rapids, MI and Indianapolis, IN respectively opened. “As we grow we need to present a consistent brand image,” explains CEO James Brent. “When you enter a Starbucks, you immediately know exactly where you happen to be as a result of the colors and décor and their promotional items and website carry this same feel and image.” 

Earlier this 12 months Desktop ProSchools hired InovaOne, a full-service strategic consulting organization specializing in creative design and production, media delivery and thorough outsourcing services located in Roswell, GA, to create a fresh branding concept. In addition to the website, InovaOne designed a different logo, school colors and promotional materials to present a consistent image at the five Pc ProSchools’ campuses located throughout the Mid-West.

“The objective of our new website is to provide prospective students while using initial information so these are excited to acquire the following stage and routine a campus visit” shares Vice President of Marketing and Admission, Wendy Mirenda.  “When we initial started out talking to InovaOne I had been impressed with how they used high-tech avenues to present their messages. Being a state-of-the art Microsoft IT Academy, I believed we must be accomplishing that.”  And the new website does just that! www.pcproschools.edu offers interactive videos to highlight all that Pc ProSchools has to provide you with. In addition, a prospective student can analyze their own IT knowledge via the Pc Knowledge Assessment or sign up to visit a campus suitable as a result of the website.

Overall, the new website offers general information about Laptop or computer ProSchools, a series of student accomplishment stories shared directly from the students themselves in the video testimonial format, Profession Providers and IT Marketplace Information tabs providing insight into how Desktop ProSchools gives students that winning advantage inside the best growing industry inside US. Another added benefit may be the new Employers page where IT managers and employers can locate out much more and make contact with us directly to hire among our graduates.

Laptop or computer ProSchools also switched towards the .edu website address from the prior .com address. This address is exclusive to educational institutions, requiring evidence of your accredited status prior to even securing the total address. After achieving accreditation with ACCET last 12 months Computer ProSchools qualified for this educational based address line. “We’re an accredited university,” explains VP of Schooling, Kate Pelchat, “we ought to be letting the general public know that through the use with the .edu address.” Visitors familiar with using the original website will now basically be redirected automatically on the www.pcproschools.edu website.
For far more facts on Computer ProSchools visit www.pcproschools.edu. For additional data about InovaOne visit www.inovaone.com.