The United States Agency for International Development, also known as USAID, is an independent federal government agency that is mostly accountable for offering civilian foreign aid to numerous nations across the world.

The USAID operates towards the accomplishment of their mission which would be to “extend a helping hand to those people overseas struggling to make a better life, recover from a disaster or striving to live in a free and democratic country.”

In line with this particular mission, the USAID has developed the Early-Grade Reading Improvement Interventions Program wherein they seek to obtain interventions that could enhance the reading achievements in the early grades in Latin America and in the Caribbean region.

The overall goal of the program is to deal with the gaps that continue to halt the advancement of cost-effective and scalable approaches that will assist in enhancing the reading abilities of the students in the early primary grades.

The USAID office in Latin American and Caribbean(LAC) promises to achieve this end-goal by tapping into selected countries where they will implement several of the interventions that have been created by the applicants to help improve the reading outcomes of the target populations.

The applied interventions will then be assessed due to its cost-effectiveness, impact, and scalability as a way to extensively evaluate its full potential and optimal usability.

LAC is set to enter into several cooperative agreements with different applicants and will award funds that could range from $600,000 (for single country interventions) to $5,000,000 (for multi-country interventions).

Under this program, LAC has laid out the predicted outcomes of the implemented interventions, which include:

a) Significant and considerable improvements in the reading skills of children who were affected by the implementation of the interventions

b) Effective partnerships with separate, USAID-funded evaluation organizations that can ensure valid and reliable evaluation procedures

c) Progression of systematized and replicable models.

USAID will honor applications from local and US-based non-governmental organizations, public and private education institutions, partnerships, and consortia as long as they have a DUNS number and is registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR).

The funding agency has additionally stressed that is crucial that the applicant organization must demonstrate the ability to create a strong proposal that is vastly relevant to the objectives and goals of the program.

The United States Agency for International Development, the main agency that is funding the Early-Grade Reading Improvement Interventions Program, is mainly known for its efforts in providing humanitarian assistance to more than 100 countries all over the world.

Communications do encounter boundaries on occasions and this is something we probably all accept as true. It does make sense, and it’s logical that as we try to get information from one place [person] to another, things may well get in the way and this will slow down or stop that information exchange. So when we are aiming to communicate with [get information to] young people, it makes perfect sense to me and almost anyone that has worked with young people at risk of offending or ex-offenders, that the boundaries typically encountered will be overcome much more easily or even, in many cases, completely avoided, if the people giving that information are in a position to be listened to in the first place.

If a speaker, teacher or trainer is held by their class in a position of authority or is deemed knowledgeable on the subject they are delivering on, they will be listened to and heard more fully. So it naturally suggests that if someone is delivering a session on youth offending then they should have people that have direct experience of youth offending to take part in or entirely do the delivering. Of course not all ex-offenders are equal in their ability to deliver sessions, but if they have experience that they want to share and if that experience is of benefit to the group being delivered to, then we will facilitate that session so that all the benefit there is to be had, is transferred to the group and appropriately received.

The key to success in this way is to deliver top quality information and experience sharing through responsibly structured and effective sessions, tailor made to be most appropriate to the group to which it is being delivered to. Whatever the group, the content needs to remain relevant and congruent with the aims and learning outcomes of that session. Content needs to be adjusted, as does delivery style and material accordingly, to maintain the level of effectiveness, otherwise the core reason for the session being successful can be lost.

Without any doubt, ex-offender led workshops and presentations have the most impact and benefit on groups that are at risk of offending or who have offended and in light of this very straightforward fact, more such sessions are needed in order to constructively support young people and empower them to make informed and positive decisions that will help them to avoid otherwise potentially negative outcomes.

Studying abroad is a great experience that every student should have, because it is a chance to experience life in another country while also earning college credits. Of course, living abroad for a semester or a year requires a great deal of preparation. You will need to brush up on the language of the country you are visiting as well as make yourself aware of various laws or cultural differences that can impact visitors. Finally, you’ll have to be aware of any precautions you must take. For women studying abroad, it is often necessary to take extra steps to be safe while studying abroad.

Of course, no female college student wants to hear that she must exercise more caution than her male classmates. Unfortunately, not every country embraces gender equality. In some places that you visit, innocent behavior on your part as a woman can get you into some uncomfortable or even dangerous situations.

Before traveling, you must do some research about what it is like to be a woman in the country where you are studying abroad. Do women have equal status, or is the society male-dominated? You will want to know what social behaviors are expected from women. Of course, this does not mean that you have to agree with the views of the country you are staying in. It is simply a good idea to be aware of what you are facing as a female student.

Be aware of what behaviors and practices are associated with dating or sexual advances in the country where you are staying. For example, in some countries, friendly eye contact or a smile between a woman and a man may be construed as sexual interest. You will want to be well aware of what message your body language is sending to those you meet.

You may wish to dress in a way that allows you to fit in with other women in the country where you are studying abroad. Clothing that is popular among American women may appear provocative in a country where women typically dress more conservatively. At the least, the wrong clothing choices could make you stand out in a crowd, which may make you uncomfortable. At the worst, showing too much skin in a conservative country could attract unwanted advances that might put you into danger.

Exercise caution when going out alone at night. It may be best to go with a friend or a group, but if you do go out alone, stick to well-lit, populated areas. You may want to find out in advance what areas are best avoided after dark in the town or city where you are staying. Also, make sure you know the emergency number of the country you are in.

Depending on the country where you are studying abroad, you may come up against gender views that you do not agree with. Try not to be too resentful. Experiencing other cultures is the reason why you chose to study abroad in the first place. It is okay to be frustrated by attitudes towards women that you may encounter. Just remember that your first priority is your own safety!

I was reading this article that was recommended to me by my daughter. The name of the article is “The Party’s Over: Oil, War and The Fate of Industrial Society”, written by Richard Heinberg. It really struck me because it made me realize how dependent on oil we are, especially here in Los Angeles, Calif. Oil is used to make plastic which is used to package our foods. Oil is used to transport our fresh foods that aren’t packaged. The problem is that nonrenewable oil will run out! Not to mention that it is harmful to our environment.

We as humans think that we are different than other creatures on the earth but in reality, we are not. Heinberg states, “When other creatures gain an energy subsidy, they instinctively react by proliferating: their population goes through the well-studied stages of bloom, overshoot, and die off… [Humans] have reacted to the energy subsidy of fossil fuels exactly the way rats, fruit flies or bacteria respond to an abundant new food source.” The world population is now past 7 billion (bloom), and oil is not getting easier to extract. To avoid the overshoot and die off, we have to find new ways to meet our energy needs, but it will also take lifestyle changes.

It is never “too late” to do something that will make the future for our children and their children, and so on, better. But we need to do it now. We cannot wait another 10, 15, or 20 years. If we wait, then it will be too late. Can we do it without effort? No. Can we do it painlessly? No. But it can be done. We all need to unite and do it together.

Becoming more locally independent for our basic human needs like food, water, and shelter is one of the most important things we can do. Some of the things we can do as individuals is grow our own foods. Create your own Edible Garden of Eden in your own back yard. Many people complain that they don’t have the time, space or green thumb. But really it’s a lot easier than everybody thinks.

There is hope for our future generations to live in a sustainable world where they do not have to feel that our survival or the survival of the earth is threatened. However a world dependent on oil is not that world.

Many schools, colleges, and universities are introducing iPads in classrooms. The reason being educational institutions have now understood the importance of using such a mobile gadget in the classroom. Students cannot carry a PC to the campus nor can access the internet all the time because of frequent failures of wireless signals. Besides, there are only a handful of learners carrying a laptop. The recent tablet /PCs are delicate to handle and also quite expensive.

From such a standpoint, iPads seem to be the ideal choice for schools. It is extremely handy, affordable and most importantly acts as a computer/ebook reader/internet tool that can do almost everything from video or sound editing to creating spreadsheets and emailing.

Let’s have a look at the top 7 reasons to use an iPad in the classroom.

Personalized Learning

A student using an iPad can learn anytime, anyplace – at home, at work or while traveling to a friends’ place. All classroom notes, useful learning materials, presentations, and lectures can be stored and accessed, 24×7 for nonstop learning.

Computer Networks

The problem of logging onto the internet can be solved once you start using an iPad. The mobile device can host applications and tools a learner needs, and provides immediate access to them, leading to no time wastage.

Cost-effective

iPads are quite cost-effective, hence educational institutions can easily afford the gadget for every student. Moreover, it is portable enough to be carried to any place. Also, the device needs little maintenance and almost no technical support, as it is very easy to charge it.

Instant-on and All-day Battery

The switch on time for this device is practically negligible. Usually the battery runs for about 10 hours. Hence, students get a lot of time to use the device in the classroom. Learners as well as teachers can use the device throughout the day without having to charge it.

User-friendly

Students don’t need to bring bunch of text books to school, as they get instant access to ebooks using the iPad. The gadget can also be used to find out word meanings. It also helps to do extensive research on the internet whilst attending classes.

Auto Save

The applications which run the iPad or Macbook can save files automatically, thus storing all learning content, images, and videos that is important for the learners.

Motivation

According to industry experts, iPads can help to increase the motivation of K-12 students by constantly letting them stay in touch with their teacher. The mobile gadget provides an ideal platform to chat, discuss, and share learning materials with their group of peers.