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Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) April 10, 2012

Today, the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences, comprised of 164 of the nation?s most prominent education leaders, announced that Linda Darling-Hammond and John Merrow have been selected to be honored for their lifetime achievements in education at the 2012 Bammy Awards. The inaugural interdisciplinary Bammy Awards will be presented on September 15, 2012 at the landmark Arena Stage at the Mead Center in Washington, D.C. Darling-Hammond and Merrow will be among the first to be honored for their distinguished lifelong commitment and accomplishments in the field of education.

Based on the notion that it takes a village to raise a child, the Academy is hosting the honors to identify, recognize and celebrate excellence in education throughout the entire field — from teachers, principals and superintendents to school nurses, support staff, advocates, researchers, early childhood specialists, education journalists, school facilities maintenance staff, special needs professionals, school board members, education school professors, parents and more. The red-carpet event will include a VIP reception after the awards presentations, where Academy members and this year?s honorees will mingle and be available for interviews and photographs with their awards.

The Bammy Awards were created in response to the tremendous national pressure on educators and education leaders to improve student outcomes and the intense scrutiny that today’s educators face as a result. The Bammy Awards acknowledge that teachers can’t educate children alone and don’t do it alone. The awards aim to foster cross-discipline recognition for the vital role played by every member of the education village, encourage collaboration and respect across the various domains, elevate education and education successes in the public eye, and raise the profile and voices of the many undervalued and unrecognized people who are making a difference in the field every day.

There will be two honors presented in every category — the Bammy Award and the Educator’s Voice Award. Members of the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences select the winners of the Bammy Awards. However, the online education community will determine the winners of the Educator’s Voice Award by public voting on the Bammy Awards web site.

Nominations are still being accepted online at http://www.bammyawards.org. The deadline for nominations ends April 30th.

Academy judges include a widely eclectic cadre of persons involved in education, including Diane Ravitch, former Assistant Secretary of Education; Nancy Poliseno, president of the National Association for Middle Level Education; Jay Mathews, veteran education columnist at the Washington Post; Dr. George A. Giuliani, executive director of the National Association of Special Education Teachers; Linda Geigle, executive director of the National Association for Family Child Care; Dennis J. Randolph, executive director of the National School Plant Management Association; Donna Mazyck, executive director of the National Association of School Nurses; and Glenda Bean, executive director of the Southern Early Childhood Association.

?The Bammy awards will provide an opportunity for education stakeholders from all sectors to finally recognize and reward the most influential and impressive contributors. I am excited to serve on the Council of Peers to take part in applauding my colleagues and the work they do,? said Jennifer Cohen, New America Foundation.

?It?s crucial that we recognize and honor our educators and educational problem-solvers, and I?m excited that the Bammy Awards will do just that? stated Rick Hess, director of education policy studies, American Enterprise Institute.

For more information go to http://www.bammyawards.org.

Bammy Awards

Jeannette Bernstein

818-539-5971

info(at)bammyawards(dot)org

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) April 18, 2012

Students at Lake Hills Elementary School are getting an extra boost to prepare for their upcoming MSP (Measurements of Student Progress) tests in May thanks to BECU, Washington’s largest credit union and Whizz Education, creator of the online math tutor for elementary and middle school students that makes learning math fun. For the second year in a row, BECU is awarding Lake Hills with a $ 2,500 grant to purchase access to Math-Whizz, which all 470 students at the school will use to learn math.

Today, Matt Turner and Michelle Sturrock, BECU Member Consultants will present a check to the school?s principal, Heather Edlund, at 9:30 a.m. during an assembly at the school. ?BECU School Grants allow us to support programs that can have a positive impact on the lives of students, but lack funding needed to make them a reality,? said Matt Turner, BECU Member Consultant. ?It means a lot to BECU to be able to support Lake Hills Elementary with technology such as Math-Wizz to help give kids the best education possible.?

Math-Whizz is an online learning environment crawling with animated creatures that teaches children addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and computational problem solving. Lake Hills determines how often students access the program based on their MSP scores three times a year. A student who is excelling might log into Math-Whizz twice per week while a student who is struggling might engage the program up to twice a day.

?We?re using a lot of Math-Whizz to prepare students for the MSP test in May, which is a computer-based state assessment,? said Edlund. ?Not only does Math-Whizz teach the students personalized math lessons, but it familiarizes students with the computer, which is especially beneficial to us because many of our students don?t have access to computers at home.?

School officials are raving about the program because it adjusts to each individual student. When students first sign-in to Math-Whizz, the program assesses their skill level and determines their Math Age?, a proprietary metric unique to Math-Whizz that identifies a student?s math ability relative to their chronological age. From there, the program adapts in real-time based on how students are performing to reinforce their strengths and improve their weaknesses. Teachers like Kelsey Hasselblad, the math facilitator of the school who teaches Math Club before the official start of school every morning for students who need additional instruction, use this data to hone in on specific areas with students in small groups or one-on-one.

?Our students love Math-Whizz,? said Hasselblad. ?They ask to go onto the computer. There?s a new visual in every game like animated aliens and weird scientists and related sounds that really capture their attention and create a multidimensional experience for students that keeps them engaged and excited about learning math.?

Students can also earn credits to challenge other math students from around the world and to stock their Math-Whizz bedrooms with digital toys, pets, plants and more.

?We are grateful that Seattle businesses like BECU recognize the value in helping schools provide students with all the resources available in the marketplace to ensure they reach their full potential,? said Ben Keogh, President of Whizz Education. ?We are confident that these students will shine on their MSP tests and we wish them the best of luck.?

About Whizz Education, Inc.

Whizz Education, Inc., creator of the award-winning, online math tutoring program, Math-Whizz, is the leading provider of dynamic online math instruction and instructional resources for grades K-8. Whizz Education?s personalized, interactive and collaborative approach to teaching math is raising math achievement for thousands of students in over 40 countries. By engaging students in entertaining challenges, individualizing the curriculum for each student, and involving teachers and parents in the process, Math-Whizz is changing the math education equation. For more information about Whizz Education, Inc. and the Math-Whizz suite of services, visit http://www.whizz.us.

Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) March 28, 2012

Each year, the Modular Building Institute recognizes the leaders in the industry by presenting their Awards of Distinction to recognize the best modular projects in the world. The projects are scored in four categories by an official panel of judges. Those categories include: architectural excellence, technical innovation, cost-effectiveness / energy efficiency and calendar days to complete. Despite the slow construction market, the contest experienced a 40% increase in nominees over last year.

The ?World of Modular? conference was held in Orlando over the weekend, concluding with the awards ceremony on Monday evening. Pac-Van?s six award entries included a used DSA modular classroom that had been renovated into a homebuilder sales office; a large, permanent modular daycare facility; a custom modular building used as a trade show exhibit; temporary classroom labs for a university; a DOT weigh station; and a permanent food testing lab.

?Pac-Van has established a long history of excellence in modular construction and this year?s award winners continue that tradition,? said Ted Mourouzis, President of Pac-Van, Inc. ?To regularly receive such recognition in an international competition really says something about the expertise of our employees to consistently deliver innovative building solutions that meet our customers? needs and exceed our customers? expectations. I would like to personally congratulate our Pac-Van team on these awards and the many other successful modular building solutions we provide to our customers every year.?

Pac-Van captured Honorable Mention awards in the Permanent Education 5,000-10,000 sf category for the American Opportunity Foundation Child Care Facility in Delano, California. The modular classroom facility features two large child care areas as well as several private offices and a unique stucco exterior. (images featured to the right)

Pac-Van also received an Honorable Mention award in the Greatest Revision under 10,000 sf category for the R+U Architectural, Building & Development Firm Sales Office located in Granada Hills, California. The modular sales office for the property developer renovated from two DSA classrooms. (images featured to the right)

About Modular Buildings

A modular building is a factory-built structure that complies with the same building codes as traditional construction. Modular construction is ideal for any application including education and government facilities as illustrated above. They offer the advantages of early occupancy, portability, financial flexibility, and often cost savings. Modular buildings have established a growing niche in the construction process for organizations that need quality temporary or permanent space without the delays often associated with traditional ?site built? construction. Modular buildings have also been identified as a more eco-friendly building option for those companies looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

About the Modular Building Institute (MBI)

The Modular Building Institute (MBI) is the international non-profit trade association representing those in the modular construction industry. Members include providers of code compliant relocatable buildings, as well as permanent modular construction contractors and suppliers. It is MBI?s mission to expand the use of offsite construction through innovative construction practices, outreach and education to the construction community and customers, and recognition of high quality modular designs and facilities.

About Pac-Van, Inc.

Pac-Van, Inc. is a regional provider of high quality, permanent and portable buildings such as mobile offices, steel storage containers and modular buildings. The company provides dependable, local service to customers in a wide range of sectors, including those in the commercial, industrial, construction, government, oil and gas, medical, and education markets. Pac-Van is headquartered in Indianapolis, IN and has local offices and staff in 26 cities in 18 states. The company is owned by General Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: GFN). More information about Pac-Van, Inc. can be found at http://www.pacvan.com. Connect with Pac-Van on LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/companies/pac-van-inc) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pac-Van-Inc/169137416525176), add us to your circle on Google+ (Pac-Van) or follow us on Twitter (@pacvan).

St. Petersburg, FL (PRWEB) February 07, 2012

Volunteer Anthony Rizzo of The Salvation Army, St. Petersburg, Florida was recognized as a finalist in the WEDU Be More Awards?, Be More Involved, Mason Dixon Award for Volunteerism. Mason Dixon, community philanthropist and Q105 radio personality, will ultimately choose and present the award winner. The seventh annual Be More Awards will take place on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012 at the A La carte Event Pavilion in Tampa. The annual event, recognized as the ?Academy? Awards for Nonprofits,? begins at 11:00am.

Anthony Rizzo comes from Long Island, New York and works full-time for Bright Horizons Family Solutions as a teacher and community service liaison. Anthony applied with The Salvation Army in St. Petersburg, Florida in June 2011 and volunteers on his only days off with children in the Red Shield Lodge shelter.

Anthony was an immediate hit in the shelter! He arrived with anticipation, enthusiasm, and bags full of crafts, books, and activities. He volunteered with children while their mothers attended morning workshops and with children of families waiting to register for Christmas assistance. He planned and coordinated monthly activities including a barbeque and holiday activities for shelter mothers and children.

Anthony?s company establishes not-for-profit Bright Spaces for children in Shelters ? ?safe places for children in times of crisis.? Part of our Family Unit is designated a Bright Space but there was very little contact with the establishing center. Part of Anthony?s job is to reconnect the establishing centers with the Bright Spaces they create in community shelters. He made it come alive again with child care volunteers and enrichment programs. He is implementing his company?s ?All Star Volunteer Program? which allows center employees to come once a month for selected activities.

Anthony began his career in child care with Boys & Girls Club in 1996. He has worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters and has been with Bright Horizons for 9 years. Anthony is single and loves to travel. ?I like to be behind the scenes. I do these things because I love children and love to do what I am doing.? One person can make an extraordinary difference and Anthony Rizzo has done so for us in a very short time.

For more information on what is happening in the Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Tampa Salvation Army visit the Tampa Bay Area Salvation Army Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SalvationArmyTampaBay.

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information about Salvation Army, St. Petersburg, of Florida, visit http://www.sastpete.org, or for a location near you visit http://www.salvationarmyusa.org.

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