Originally published by RDG.Today
A restaurant in Reading is taking the battle against rubbish to the streets. The KFC on Oxford Road is working to tackle the scourge of litter by taking matters into its own hands… or pickers.
It comes after the restaurant joined Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean programme as a headline partner.
On April 12, 2023, AEG’s ASCSC Community Foundation, LA Galaxy Foundation, and Kings Care Foundation, teamed up with the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation, Kinecta Federal Credit Union, and AT&T to host Becca’s Closets’ pop-up prom dress giveaway “Yes! That’s My Dress” extravaganza at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA.
The event provided 200 high-school girls with financial needs an opportunity to make their prom memories special by selecting the perfect dress from more than 800 dresses. Dresses for the event were donated by TLC/Discovery Channel in partnership with Macy’s Prom Dress Collection, Adrianna Papell, BCBGeneration, Speechless and other designers.
“Prom night is an important event in a young woman’s life.” said Tamala Lewis, Senior Director Community Relations at Dignity Health Sports Park. “We are excited to once again host the annual prom dress giveaway, but Yes! That’s My Dress is about more than just prom. This event also helps empower these young ladies to know their value and gives them the confidence they need to achieve success.”
Volunteers from AEG and other participating organizations assisted the girls in selecting their perfect gowns. When a dress was found, the young ladies stepped into a mirrored booth for a photoshoot to claim their dress. The first 50 girls in attendance received a family pack of four tickets to the LA Galaxy’s Saturday, May 27 match against Charlotte FC at Dignity Health Sports Park.
Becca’s Closet donates formal dresses to high school girls with financial need so they can attend their school-sponsored military balls, homecomings and proms in style. New and gently worn dresses are donated to Becca’s Closet chapters by generous individuals, retailers and manufacturers, and chapter volunteers donate them to girls who need them. To learn more about the Yes! That’s My Dress event, click here.
April 13, 2023 /3BL Media/ – National Grid was recently approved by the U.S. Department of Defense as an industry partner for its SkillBridge program. DOD SkillBridge provides career development opportunities to service members approaching the end of their military commitment. Active duty service members can apply to spend the last six months of their commitment as an intern, bridging the gap between the end of their service and the beginning of their civilian careers.
“We have a long, proud history of hiring veterans of the U.S. armed forces,” said Celeste Schneider, National Grid’s chief people officer for New York. “DOD SkillBridge provides us with a new on-ramp for recruitment with exciting career opportunities for service members nearing their discharge date that maximize their military training and experience.”
Service members with at least six months of service remaining before their discharge can approach their unit commander about participating in a DOD SkillBridge internship. National Grid interns will receive rigorous hands-on training and work alongside our employees in the field. The interns retain their military pay and benefits, and all costs are covered by DOD SkillBridge.
National Grid has made an additional commitment to DOD SkillBridge interns. Those interns who meet company performance standards during their placement will be offered employment with National Grid upon their honorary discharge from the armed forces.
“We want the very best employees working for National Grid and DOD SkillBridge opens another door to access the world’s most highly-trained and motivated workforce – the U.S. armed forces.” Schneider said.
Now a senior field safety supervisor for National Grid, Jason Uhlig wished DOD SkillBridge existed when he began his transition from active duty with the U.S. Army. He spent his free time during the final few months of his active-duty service building resumes, applying for education benefits and exploring and applying for jobs.
“Having an opportunity to transition towards a more secure career path would have been ideal,” he said. Uhlig, currently a major in the U.S. Army Reserves, has spent more than 20 years in the Army.
Uhlig, who is one of National Grid’s leads for DOD SkillBridge, says that transitioning to civilian life is often difficult for active-duty service members and the program relieves some of the pressure of finding a job and preparing for life after the military.
“Having the opportunity that DOD SkillBridge affords to transitioning service members is a once in a lifetime chance,” he said. “Service members can then focus on securing a rewarding career, supporting their family and putting to work their valuable service leadership and technical experience.”
National Grid currently offers two positions through DOD SkillBridge:
Civil and Substation Supervisor (Syracuse)Customer Meter Service Supervisor (Albany)
The company plans to offer additional opportunities in New York and Massachusetts.
National Grid employs approximately 700 veterans, as well about 100 employees who are either active military reservists or members of National Guard units. Its Veterans Employee Resource Group provides learning and career development opportunities, and support to more than 600 employees of the company. Uhlig, who is the group’s co-chair, said veterans working for National Grid have found similarities between the company hierarchy and military hierarchies.
“The utility industry has many parallels to the military,” he said. “It is a 24/7 operational environment that abides by many bodies, laws and operating standards. We have rigorous performance and values-based review processes for our employees. And, the same leadership, technical and strategic principles of working for National Grid, or a regulated energy delivery company, apply as they would in a military career.”
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About National Grid
National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a path to a more affordable, reliable clean energy future through our fossil-free vision. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
For more information, please visit our website, follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, like us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram.
Contact: Jared Paventi | jared.paventi@nationalgrid.com | 315.427.1092
COVID-19 has had far-reaching and long-lasting impact on sports and recreation across Canada. In 2020 the impact was immediately felt, as research showed Canadian kids lost over 277 million hours of sport participation1. While last year 19% of parents reported their children participating in more sport—up seven points from 2021—complicating factors from the long wake of the pandemic, including a new economic reality, show we are not yet back on the path to normalcy.
A New Financial World
44% of parents say they cannot afford to register their children for organized sports
81% of sport programmers say their operational costs have increased
27% of parents say that inflation and the rising cost of living made it less likely for them to enroll their kids in organized sports
62% of sports organizations say the current economic situation has led to reduced sign-up rates for their programming
This economic impact is felt most acutely by our kids, with 4 in 10 parents continuing to report adverse effects on their children like reduced activity, including signs of being less physically fit (42%), and feelings of loss, resentment (38%) and anxiety (41%).
Despite this, the financial roadblocks are proving insurmountable. While 70% of parents agree organized sport offers a great experience for their children, 44% say they cannot afford registration.
“We are newcomers [to the] country and for now can only afford free sport activities.”
– Parent/Caregiver Survey Respondent
“I really want to register my children in organized sports programming especially on the weekend for their mental health and wellbeing, but I can’t due to the prices.”
– Parent/Caregiver Survey Respondent
We Can Build Back Better, Together
Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (Jumpstart) heard the call from parents that sport programs are expensive and that fees need to be lowered. The reasons behind this trend, and the barriers that it poses, are at the heart of the 2023 State of Sport Report.
Jumpstart actively helps remove financial barriers to sport at the grassroots level, working to rebuild community sport and ensure a more inclusive, equitable environment for Canada’s youth. Since 2005, Jumpstart has helped more than 3 million kids get into sport and play.
In 2022, Jumpstart committed to building back sport better. The charity:
Provided more than 29,000 Individual Child Grants, helping families in need pay for registration costs
Dispersed 1,255 Community Development Grants to support 788 community sport and recreation organizations across Canada
Built 24 new inclusive playgrounds and multi-sport courts across Canada – totalling 275,000 sq. ft.
Partnered with Classroom Champions to bring free social and emotional resources to the Jumpstart community, including inspiring lessons from well-known Canadian athletes
Continued to champion girls in sport with the launch of Play to Lead, while funding programming for more than 3,000 girls across the country
Where We Go From Here
The 2023 Jumpstart Return to Sport Report is the third and final report analyzing and understanding the impact of COVID-19 on youth athletics, sport, and recreation. Produced in partnership with Ipsos and Jumpstart’s academic advisory panel, it’s a deep dive into understanding what exactly the state of sport is in Canada—and what we can do to improve. Together, we can provide much-needed opportunities for kids to realize the transformational benefits of sport and play.
1 2022 Jumpstart State of Sport Report
CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 13, 2023 /3BL Media/ – In celebration of Earth Day 2023, Discovery Education presents K-12 teachers and students a diverse array of cross-curricular digital resources inspiring exploration of the natural world and environmental stewardship. Available on Discovery Education’s Earth Day website and award-winning K-12 learning platform, this collection of high-quality digital content is organized by grade band and has been curated by Discovery Education’s team of curriculum experts. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place.
The Earth Day resources from Discovery Education and its partners have been curated to be easily integrated into educators’ lesson plans and schools’ Earth Day observances. Included in the resources available on the Discovery Education Earth Day website are sustainability-focused materials created in partnership with Sesame Workshop, Seeker, Vooks, and Scripps News, including:
Grades K-12
Vooks: Earth Day Activity Sheet
Vooks is an entire library of storybooks brought to life with beautiful animation, read-aloud narration, engaging music and sound, and read-along text. Use these fun activities to highlight the importance of Earth Day including discussion questions, a coloring sheet, vocabulary cards, and more.
Sesame Workshop: Make Our Earth Better
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, the pioneering television show that has been reaching and teaching children since 1969. This resource is part of the Celebrations collection in the Sesame Learning channel. It inspires children to identify as stewards of our environment by exploring their connections to nature and how their positive actions can care for it.
Grades 3-5
Scripps News: Fast Fashion’s Impact on the Environment
Scripps News provides videos on the most important topics and issues with straightforward, opinion-free news and documentaries. In this video, students learn about the fashion industry’s impact on the environment.
Grades 9-12
Seeker: Elements: New Tech Could Eliminate Toxic PFAS From Our Water
Seeker highlights stories about the natural forces and groundbreaking innovations that impact our lives, our planet, and our universe. In this resource, students learn about a new technology that could reduce the number of harmful PFA compounds, PFOs and PFOAs.
In addition, Discovery Education is offering a curated collection of free resources created in collaboration with social impact partners, including:
Sustainability Career Exploration
Grades 6-12
In Celebration of Earth Day, the Discovery Education STEM Careers Coalition (SCC) has released a collection of resources spotlighting sustainability professionals in STEM. See over 200 resources designed to uncover students’ STEM skills to activate future solution seekers. The exciting content available includes resources ranging from hands-on student activities and lessons to an extensive database of career profiles and family activities designed to support students as they explore sustainability and STEM careers.
Science Challenge
Grades 5-8
The 3M Young Scientist Challenge with Discovery Education invites students in grades 5-8 to compete for an exclusive mentorship with a 3M scientist, a $25,000 grand prize, and the chance to earn the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist.” Competition entries are accepted at YoungScientistLab.com until the April 27, 2023 deadline.
To enter, students in grades 5-8 submit a one-to-two-minute video explaining an original idea using science to help solve an everyday problem, including improving the environment. All entries are reviewed by a diverse group of judges and evaluated on their creativity, scientific knowledge, and communication skills.
Classroom Activities
Grades 6-9
Grow energy-water literacy and conservation efforts through classroom activities Conservation Station: Creating a More Resourceful World—an educational initiative with Itron. New activities designed for Earth Day 2023 focus on communication skills, critical and creative thinking, and collaboration in a sustainability context.
Virtual Field Trips
Grades 2-6; 5-10
Build the Changes’ Play to Learn Virtual Field Trip celebrates students’ ability to learn and create change through the power of play. Created in partnership between Discovery Education and the LEGO Group’s sustainability team, the Play to Learn Virtual Field Trip takes students to Billund, Denmark to meet real-life LEGO® play experts as they introduce us to some big challenges facing our planet. Educators can take learning further with an array of standards-aligned classroom resources.
Trane Technologies’ Sustainable Futures Virtual Field Trip gives students a unique, up-close look at how a global climate innovation company impacts our world. Students will meet Trane Technologies’ employees to see how their roles create comfortable, clean, and energy-efficient solutions for homes, buildings, and transportation. Discovery Education’s partnership with Trane Technologies offers interactive tools and resources to engage and inspire students to learn, think, and solve the world’s biggest sustainability challenges through sustainable innovation.
Data & the Environment Lesson Plans
Use data to learn about environmental justice and corporate sustainability efforts in grab-and-go digital lesson bundles from Discover Data—a data literacy initiative powered by the Nielsen Foundation in collaboration with Discovery Education and the National AfterSchool Association. Available in English and Spanish, these lesson bundles have everything educators need to seamlessly incorporate data into their curriculum.
Users of Discovery Education’s K-12 platform can discover all this content and more on the Earth Day channel. In addition, Discovery Education’s users can integrate these resources directly into the real-time assessments through the platform’s Quiz feature and can integrate this content into presentations with the Studio feature. Learn more about all of the flexible features of the Discovery Education platform here.
Discovery Education plans to launch the Sustainability Education Initiative (SEI) later this year. Aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, SEI aims to empower more than 10 million students to take responsible action for economic viability and environmental integrity by 2030. Subaru of America, Inc. and the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) are founding partners of this initiative. The initial content, currently in development, will focus on the unique environmental challenges of students in urban areas, based on feedback from the community in Subaru of America’s hometown of Camden, NJ.
“The planet is an endless source of wonder and inspiration for classroom instruction. This Earth Day, with Discovery Education resources in hand, educators can inspire students to discover the importance of protecting our environment,” said Kelli Campbell, President of Discovery Education.
For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources—which can be purchased with federal stimulus funds—and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.
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About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, and innovative classroom tools, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.
Contacts
Grace Maliska
Discovery Education
Email: gmaliska@dicoveryed.com
This video from the Biomimicry Institute explores how the surface properties of plants and insects are inspiring functional surface technology that outperforms existing solutions.
Nature has evolved over millions of years to develop ingenious solutions to everyday challenges. By closely examining the different sizes, shapes, and spacing of many biological surface structures, visionary company Fusion Bionic is harnessing these insights to create super-performing materials that mimic the wonders of nature.
The video illustrates how the leaves of lotus plants are covered in rows of nanoscale pillars that repel water and dirt particles, while the eyes of moths have intricate nanopillared surfaces that absorb light, creating a naturally anti-reflective surface. Fusion Bionic’s advanced laser technology engraves micro and nano textures onto human-made materials, efficiently mimicking nature’s surfaces and replacing costly traditional methods of finishing surfaces.
By drawing inspiration from nature, humans can reduce their use of energy and chemicals, and create optimized materials for eyeglasses, smartphones, solar panels, vehicles, and electronic plugs and connectors.
Fusion Bionic was the 2022 Runner Up for the Ray of Hope Prize®.
The strength of Covia is fundamentally rooted in our people and the relationships they create with the communities that they live and work in by investing time, talent, and financial resources. To build an engaging, thriving workplace, Covia makes community engagement a priority.
Covia’s comprehensive community engagement and philanthropic initiatives are overseen by The Covia Foundation, established to formalize our approach to operating as a responsible corporate citizen. The Foundation governs our Community Investment Policy, which guides charitable contributions and volunteerism. Supported by the Community Investment Policy, initiatives are organized under four key pillars where Covia can have the greatest impact:
Health and WellnessEducationEnvironmentSocial Equality
Each pillar represents an area of significance to Covia’s communities, Team Members, and other stakeholders.
Other ways the Community Investment Policy encourages Team Members to give back:
24 hours of annual paid volunteer time;Matching gift program up to $1,000 annually; andProviding grants to tax-exempt organizations where Covia Team Members volunteer at least 20 hours of their personal time and talent
For full details about The Covia Foundation, please see the Positive Social Impact of Covia’s 2021 ESG Report (https://www.coviacorp.com/esg/positive-social-impact/).
Generation Change (GenChange) is an audience-inspired, audience-led initiative at Paramount designed to elevate and empower young people who are driving change around the world. Generation Change creates tailored programming in collaboration with our brands and markets by young agents of change who are passionate about improving their communities.
In direct response to some of the overt transgressive and oppressive acts endured by women in recent times, GenChange is producing a new digital campaign focusing in on the ways society polices the bodies of women for Women’s History Month. The campaign titled, “Hands Off [my body, my rights, my future, my choice] includes a video series, PSAs, and a short documentary profiling gender equality change-makers based in the UK.
Watch the featured video for a showcase of Hands Off! The video series aims to give women a spotlight for sharing personal stories of how they have had to navigate societal pressures. Former England rugby player Heather Fisher bravely shares how society ‘questions’ her womanhood because of her physique and alopecia and highlights the importance of being kinder and considerate to each other.
As part of GenChange’s commitment to provide resources and platforms, the campaign encouraged conversation amongst audiences using the IWD #EmbraceEquity hashtag and signposted people to helplines for information. Additionally, in partnership with our change makers, this campaign will promote local (to the U.K.) organizations for those seeking resources for themselves or others. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised, please visit mtv.co.uk/helpline
KeyBank has officially opened its permanent office in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A commitment to transformative philanthropy and community support is central to KeyBank’s purpose in Western Michigan as well as in all its markets. In 2022, KeyBank invested $10,000 in Mel Trotter Ministries in Grand Rapids, Michigan to support Pathway Home. It also awarded a $15,000 grant from the KeyBank Foundation to Family Promise of Grand Rapids to fill gaps in the community’s emergency response for families that need shelter now.
In addition, KeyBank is proud to serve as Presenting Sponsor for the 2023 Grand Rapids Gran Fondo, an 80-mile bike route follows the picturesque Grand River valley through farm and small villages before reaching the bayous and lake scenery preceding the turn-around point on Lake Michigan. More than 2,000 riders are expected to take part in this year’s event which starts and ends in Downtown Grand Rapids. Gran Fondo benefits West Michigan Trails, which works to enhance the quality of life by advancing the regional trails movement.
The opening of the office, located in The Waters Center at 177 Ottawa Ave., NW, is another step in KeyBank’s expansion and growth in Western Michigan. It will serve as a base for KeyBank’s Commercial Banking, Business Banking, Wealth Management, Small Business Association (SBA) Lending and Residential Mortgage operations in Western Michigan. Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss attended a grand opening celebration that was held on March 22, 2023, along with Angela Mago, President of Key Commercial Bank.
“With the opening of this new office, we are excited to firmly establish KeyBank’s presence in downtown Grand Rapids and Western Michigan,” said Michael Sytsma, KeyBank Western Michigan Market President and Commercial Sales Leader. “We are a Main Street Bank with Wall Street capabilities and look forward to serving Western Michigan while providing financial services and resources that will help our community grow.”
“I am excited to see KeyBank open a permanent location in Grand Rapids,” said Mayor Rosalynn Bliss. “KeyBank has a heart for community and are actively engaged in efforts to make our City a better place for everyone. And I look forward to partnering more with them in the future.”
Learn more about KeyBank’s commitment to helping clients and communities thrive
BEIJING, April 13, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Otis Worldwide (NYSE: OTIS) and the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) recently announced a partnership to advance career prospects for girls and women in China by supporting education and innovation related to STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Math.
Otis and CSCLF, a highly respected non-governmental organization with a 40-year history of developing youth programs and supporting women, will offer scholarships to outstanding female STEM-focused university students, as well as STEM innovation programs for youth. Some of these programs will be led by Otis experts serving as volunteers.
“We are deeply committed to serving the communities where we live and work. We believe early and frequent exposure to STEM principles is an exciting way to prepare youth for the modern workplace while encouraging them to contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive society,” Otis Chair, CEO & President Judy Marks said. “We are proud to partner with CSCLF to develop and inspire the next generation of innovators.”
“With a mission to inspire and support innovation by youth, we are pleased to collaborate with Otis to advance STEM talent development,” Song Jian, Director of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation’s Funding Department said. “With Otis, we share a commitment to accelerating STEM innovation and making an impact in the community for sustainable growth.”
The collaboration with CSCLF supports Otis’s People & Communities ESG goals, which include impacting 15,000 students globally through STEM-focused programming by 2030 and dedicating 500,000 cumulative colleague volunteer hours in support of vibrant communities, STEM education and social equity initiatives by 2030. The new partnership also aligns to “Our Commitment to Change,” an Otis social justice initiative outlining actions Otis is taking to ensure every voice feels welcomed, safe and heard. As part of this initiative, launched in 2020, Otis pledged to amplify its commitment to STEM education to help build a diverse talent pipeline.
The impact of the CSCLF partnership will also build upon Otis China’s participation in the Made to Move Communities™ annual global student STEM challenge, which has benefited more than 170 university students in China over the past three years, and a scholarship program that has supported 160 female students pursuing STEM-related studies at Chinese universities.
About Otis
Otis gives people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. The global leader in the manufacture, installation and servicing of elevators and escalators, we move 2 billion people a day and maintain approximately 2.2 million customer units worldwide – the industry’s largest Service portfolio. You’ll find us in the world’s most iconic structures, as well as residential and commercial buildings, transportation hubs and everywhere people are on the move. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 69,000 people strong, including 41,000 field professionals, all committed to meeting the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories.
About China Soong Ching Ling Foundation
The Foundation was named after Soong Ching Ling, the wife of Dr. Sun Yat Sun who founded the new China. Soong Ching Ling was dedicated to the protection of women’s rights and the development of cultural, educational and welfare facilities for children. She passed away in Beijing in 1981 at the age of 88. To carry on her work, the Foundation was established a year later. The Foundation was proposed and supported by senior officials and Party leaders, including Deng Xiaoping who became CSCLF’s Honorary Chairman, a post he held until his final days. CSCLF is committed to fostering world peace and wellbeing of youth, through programs related to education, sports, health, culture and arts. They include, to name a few, Award for Children’s Innovation, teachers training, scholarships and cultural exchange in partnership with the United Nations.
