Pathways to College Essay

Pathâ€Å"Less than 17% of African-American and Latino students will finish high school and graduate from college. † (Landy, 2013) Less than 70% of students in Milwaukee graduate from high school. (Pathways PowerPoint, 2013) Only a little over 25% of the people in Wisconsin hold a four-year college degree. (O’Connell, 2014) This educational disparity leads to economic disparity which affects the entire state, not just the urban areas with a higher achievement gap since most jobs with an annual salary over $30,000 will require a four-year degree. (Winters, 2014) There is a program called Pathways to College that is working hard to change these shocking statistics. We are here tonight to show you that Pathways to College is a cause worthy of your and your organization’s time, talent, and treasure. The problem is that not enough people know about Pathways to College. We would like to take a few minutes of your time to introduce you to this exceptional program. According to Pathways director Kelly Ramirez, Pathways to College was the vision of past WLC president Tim Kriewall and the program accepted its first students in 2007. Although located on the WLC campus, Pathways to College is a non-profit organization independent from WLC. With the mission â€Å"to create a belief that college is an option for everyone (Pathways pamphlet),† the program assists lower-income college prospects who are â€Å"first-generation† students (neither of their parents have graduated from college) and have the potential to succeed in college. In this program, students develop academically, socially, and spiritually for college. The program also assists them in finding the financial resources to attend college. The ultimate goal is to increase â€Å"the number of lower income and minority students pursuing and completing a post high school education. † (Pathways pamphlet) The Pathways to College program consists of four components. First is Pathways Prospects in which families visit the WLC campus to become familiar with a college environment and prepare for the Pathways program. (Pathways pamphlet) Next is the precollege component, which is the center of the program. Students in grades 6-12 participate in the after school prep center at least once a week and also once a month on Saturday mornings. They study, receive tutoring and mentoring, attend life skills workshops, and participate in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and literacy programs. In addition, the program sponsors a summer academy for grades 6-11 which focuses on academics, sports, and fine arts such as art, dance, drama, and music. (Pathways pamphlet) Director Ramirez said that in addition, high school seniors are able to broaden their educational horizons every summer on an international trip. (This year they are going to Puerto Rico!) Freshman, sophomores, and juniors take a Civil Rights tour in the Southern states, visit colleges in California, and colleges on the East Coast on alternating years. For the first time in the coming 2014-2015 school year, Pathways to College will be privileged to implement the final component, the college program, as the first graduating class of Pathways begins college next fall! Ramirez said the directors of the program will continue to encourage and mentor these college students. They will keep tabs on the students’ grades and attendance. In addition, financial support, workshops over school breaks, and internship as well as job and career assistance will also be offered. (Pathways PowerPoint, 2013) Finally there is the parental program. Parents also attend workshops throughout the school year. These regular meetings offer help with life skills and support for guiding their child toward college. (Pathways pamphlet) It takes a special student to be accepted into the Pathways program. Ramirez informed us that at present there are 17 Pathways partner schools. Teachers at these schools identify students that they feel meet the program qualifications of a low-income, first-generation student with a minimum â€Å"C† grade average and minimum behavior problems at school. Once accepted into the program, students must sign the Pathways to College Covenant. Here they promise attend at least 80% of the activities offered, exhibit Christ-like behavior at all times, keep up schoolwork and grades, and keep an open communication with their parents and with the Pathways program. Parents must also sign the covenant and agree to attend at least 80% of the parent programs, support and encourage their son or daughter in his/her academic career, and do everything to promote a loving Christian household. As long as these commitments are maintained, the child is welcomed and encouraged to stay in the program. (Pathways to College Covenant) Besides the above commitments, there is no monetary cost to the parents or the students who are selected for the program. This is not to say that the program itself comes without a price tag, however. Pathways director Kelly Ramirez said that the annual budget for Pathways is a half million dollars. This budget is totally dependent on grants, private donors, foundation contributions, and fund raisers. She also said that even though the directors have pulled the $500,000 budget together for this year, this just covers the basic program for its 240 students. A larger staff and a more reliable long-range financial picture are needed to lighten present workloads, add a kindergarten-4th grade component, and expand this program to its maximum capacity of 700 students. We feel this is a great program, which we ourselves promote and support. We don’t want you to just take our word for it, however. We’d like you to hear from families that have already benefited from the Pathways to College program. (YouTube testimonial) (Attention Era, 2013) Better yet, come see for yourself. If you can come early to class some Monday afternoon, stop by and visit with some of the volunteers and students in the program. Drop in and talk with Director Kelly Ramirez or Executive Director Milton Cockroft in their offices in the administration building. Now you are aware of the Pathways to College program. You have seen for yourself the great work that Pathways to College is doing with these young people. That’s all well and good, but you figure, â€Å"Well, this is all far removed from me and my family and my business. I know there’s a sales pitch coming, but it really has nothing to do with me. † It has everything to do with you, your family, and the community. Successful college graduates of this program will produce dedicated, responsible, skilled workers with whom you will be working and that will be working for the companies that you own or manage. This can only mean success for you and your business! In addition, these young people won’t need help from the government and other agencies but will have great potential for a productive future. First of all there will be decreased need for WIA funding. (â€Å"U. S. Department,† 2014) As young people with STEM training at Pathways, they have excellent prospects for good paying jobs since â€Å"47% of Bachelor’s degrees in STEM occupations earn more than PhDs in non-STEM occupations. † (â€Å"The case for,† 2013) Over a lifetime, a college graduate will earn $1,000,000 more than someone who only earned a high school degree. (Pathways PowerPoint, 2013) As you can see from the following chart (Youth Indicators, 2011), it does take education to get out of poverty. Every graduate will be one more person to contribute his/her talents and skills to society. Every graduate will help and encourage the next generation of friends and family to also go to college, which will have a positive ripple effect on the community. (Some Pathways parents themselves have already been inspired to enroll in college!! ) Best of all, you will know that you had enough love and foresight to take a part in enriching the lives of these deserving young people and the lives of those they touch. Now you are convinced that Pathways is certainly a great program and worthy of your support. However, you are thinking, â€Å"Jeepers, I’m going to college. I have a family to support. You’re barking up the wrong tree, ladies. I don’t have any extra money! † Don’t you? Let’s put Pathway’s half million dollar budget into perspective. Ramirez says that it costs about $3000 a year for each child that goes through the program. If we in this room would adopt a child and split that amount up among us, and then divide that by the weeks in a year, it would cost each of us no more per week than the price we’d pay for a latte at Starbucks! If you own or manage a business there are other things you can do. Visit your company’s HR department to see what type of donation your company could make. Perhaps you could have your company or PTA make Pathways the beneficiary of its next fund raiser. There are other things Pathways can use that are just as valuable as money/treasure. Pathways can use your time and talents. If you are great at math or grammar, for example, think about tutoring a struggling student. Maybe you don’t have time to come in to tutor once a week. As a sales manager, you could lead a once-a-year workshop instructing students how to write a resume. As the assistant manager of a bank, you could offer your financial expertise by teaching a workshop on money management. As a cook and cafeteria manager you could give a nutrition workshop. These are just a few suggestions to get you started. You have seen for yourself the great work Pathways is doing for these young people! You know that the program is worthy of support in the form of your time, talents, and treasure. You are aware of Pathways to College. Please spread the word and help us make others aware! References Attention Era. (2013, March 10). Pathways to College-the story [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www. youtube. com/results? search_query=Pathways%20to%20College&sm=12. The case for STEM education as a national priority: good jobs and American competitiveness. (2013, June). Retrieved from http://www. stemedcoalition. org/wp-content/uploads/2013/ 10/Fact-Sheet-STEM-Education-Good-Jobs-and-AmericanCompetiveness-June-2013. pdf Landy, B. (June 13, 2013). Graph: U. S. college graduation rates are rising, but the rest of the world is catching up [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://tcf. org/blog/detail/graph-u. s. – college-graduation-rates-are-rising-but-the-rest-of-the-world-is O’Connell, M. (2014, February 11). The role of education in the state of the economy. Paper presented at the Wisconsin ACT Organization 2014 Annual Conference, Middleton, WI. Pathways to College. (n. d. ). [Information pamphlet] Pathways to College. (n. d. ). Pathways to College covenant [Organization contract] Pathways to College. (2013). What path are you on? [PowerPoint] Ramirez, K. (2014, February 19 and March 3). Interview by C. Ristow and R. Flagg. What are Needs of Pathways to College? U. S. department of labor employment and training administration notice of availability of funds  and solicitation for grant applications for Youth Build. (2014, February 18). Retrieved from http://www. doleta. gov/grants/pdf/YouthBuild SGA-DFA-PY-13-04. pdf Winters, D. (2014, February 11). The brutal facts about the changing labor market and the need for an educated workforce. Paper presented at the Wisconsin ACT Organization 2014 Annual Conference, Middleton, WI. Youth indicators 2011 America’s youth: Transitions to adulthood youth indicators 2011America’s youth. (2011, December 26). Retrieved from http://nces. ed. gov/pubs2012/ 2012026/figures/figure_32a. asp.

How did the womens rights movement of the 19th century emerge out of Essay

How did the womens rights movement of the 19th century emerge out of abolition activism - Essay Example The history to acquisition of rights to vote in America intertwines with the American women acquiring other rights as well. The major pioneers of American enfranchisement include Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony and Chapman Catt among others. The women considered the suffrage as their number one priority since the moment they are granted the right to vote, and then other rights would have followed (Cappiello 56). In the United States, women suffrage was attained gradually at both state and local levels during the 19th century, and culminated from the passage on the constitution that stated that right to vote by citizens in United States was not to be denied by the state on basis of sex. On June 1848, liberty party comprised of entirely men. In 1850s, Women Rights Convention under leadership of Lucy stone organized suffrage petition campaigns for women in various states. Stone was the first person to make appeals for women suffrage before law makers. In 1853, she addressed Massachusetts Constitutional Convention. However, agitation was suspended during Civil War but in 1865, everything resumed as the National Women Rights committee petitioned to the congress to amend the constitution so as to prohibit states from the move towards disfranchising the citizens on basis of sex. This triggered a disagreement among the movement leaders on whether to support the ratification of 15th amendment that gave a vote to black men and ignored black women. This enhanced formation of rival organizations that campaigned for amendment that gave the women the right to vote at both local and national levels. However, the two groups led by Lucy Stone and Susan Anthony merged to form the American Women Suffrage Association in 1889. The movemen t campaigned for reforms for the progressive era (Cappiello 57). Women who took part in early abolitionist movement started demanding for equality in rights, both in their experiences and general

Coursework. Immunoprecipitation Technique Coursework

. Immunoprecipitation Technique - Coursework Example The basic idea behind this technique is the separation of one single protein from a mixture of proteins. This could give us the idea of several characters of a protein such as its relative occurrence in a solution, it’s up and down regulation as well as its affinity for a specific antibody. Technique/Methodology Usually the process of immunoprecipitation can be completed in two ways: in sequential or in one step. Commonly the antibody on which the required protein is supposed to be attached is immobilized on a solid support such as beads. This solution containing the immobilized antibody and the beaded support is then incubated with the solution that contains the protein mixture containing the required protein. Incubation allows the specific protein to bind to then antigen and form a complex. This complex can then be separated from the solution and studied with different techniques such as ELISA or Western Blot according to the requirements. (Pierce Biotechnology 2011) (Pierce Biotechnology 2011) The diagrams courtesy of ‘Pierce Biotechnology’ show the process of immunoprecipitation starting from preparation of a solid support along with the antigen to the incubation and the formation of the antigen-protein complexes till the precipitation of the required protein. Types There main types of immunoprecipitation are: 1. ... pitation: Same as Chromatin only difference lies in the detection of RNA binding proteins Uses Immunoprecipitation has been useful in many aspects such as, It has enabled the scientists to know the activation of the proteins, their molecular weight and also separate some protein binding molecules too. This technique has also been helpful in detecting the abundance and activity of a protein. Protocols After collecting the required number of cells and washing them in ice cold PBS, the solution was spinned at 1000g at a temperature of 4 degrees. This would help in separating the supernatant fluid. The next step involves the resuspension of the pellet that contains the cells in an ice cold buffer after which the cells are lysed by centrifuge. The supernatant fluid is removed after spinning it again at 13000g at the same temperature for fifteen minutes. Bradford assay is then used to measure the quantity of the protein after the supernatant fluid is removed by spinning briefly. This super natant free solution is then incubated in a cold room with the required amount of specific antibody solution. After the addition of Protein A or G beads to the tube it is again incubated for an hour and then spinned briefly again so that further supernatant is removed. This beaded fraction is then washed with ice cold buffer and spinned to remove the supernatant and the resultant solution is kept for further analysis. BCL-2 Proteins Bcl 2 family proteins have been identified to play a major role in the process of cell death i.e. apoptosis. These proteins play both anti and pro apoptotic roles. Some members of the family are supposed to increase while some are supposed to decrease this process of apoptosis. In this project the interaction of Bcl 2 family proteins with PUMA have been

Corporate Social Responsibility (Environmental Science) Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility (Environmental Science) - Essay Example It has been reported that in the last 30 years, nearly 1/3 of world's natural resources have been lost because of corporations' industrial activities. (Friends of earth) The aim of the social responsibility is to effect a higher and higher standard of living while at the same maintaining the profitability of the corporation (Hopkins) Therefore corporate social responsibility involves community, environment, ethics, human rights, responsibility in the market, vision and values, and workforce. We are immediately concerned with the environment. This involves management decision making in respect of production processes that minimise negative impacts on the environment and the costs. Environmental problems have been with us for quite a long time as a result of interaction between man and nature. In modern times, scale of the problems is unique arising from two aspects. One, rapid expansion of the world population and second ever-increasing consumption of energy and material per person in addition to the past-accumulated damage. Environment encompasses all components of our surroundings i.e. the air we breathe, the habitat we dwell in and the food and drinks we take. The energy of milk we drink originates from grass and crops driving force behind which is the solar energy, converted to chemical energy by photosynthesis. In effect the ecology around us has to be preserved. In ecologic point of view, all are interconnected i.e. the waste produced by man pollutes meadows and returned to the mankind by food chain. Different organisms i.e. man and cow compete for the same resources (crops) and one organism (man) acts as predator for another (cow). Environmental care d oes not stop at the national boundaries. Air circulation and river flows having no boundaries and migration of people and animals and large scale import and export of food, impact the environment. Pollution is the direct cause of environmental damage. The pollution may be defined as "addition by man of any substance (solid, gas or liquid) or energy to parts of the ecosystem that ultimately harm or damage man" (Boeker, Grondelle) Global warming and Ozone layer Depletion Global warming is the most dangerous threat to our environment. It occurs due to heat-trapping gases that are sent to atmosphere from our industries (factories), cars and homes. The gases sent up form a blanket forcing more heat to stay trapped near the earth's surface. More heat produces more energy in the atmosphere resulting in extreme weather conditions like droughts, storms and floods. Elsner James, Professor Florida State University on researching the past 135 years of records of Atlantic Sea surface and air temperatures, found a direct link to the intensities of hurricanes and many hurricane researchers affirm that the intensity increased 10 years ago could last for the next 25 to 40 years. (Loney Jim) Another phenomenon now coming under control after two decades of remedial measures is Ozone layer depletion, though it will be by 2049 when the 1980 levels will be restored. (Reuters) Ozone layer being part of the

Discuss an Opera of Mozart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Discuss an Opera of Mozart - Essay Example In the coda, he ends it abruptly and immediately goes into the first act. Mozart wrote for all audiences at different levels. The multiple levels are in his music, his storyline and his use of different themes. The overture shows us that Mozart conformed to form but didn't conform to style. The purpose of this paper will be to show how he used the roles of the three women to show that he didn't conform to musical style and social standards. In the beginning of the first act, Don Oliviera sees Don Giovanni leaving Donna Anna's quarters. They are singing an aria in duet. It soon becomes a trio as she is saying how Don Giovanni has scorned her. When he argues with her father, they sing a duet in a passionate tenor voice before the father dies. In order to have full understanding of the women's roles, it is necessary to understand the social context of women in the 18 century. In Kristi Brown's Mozart's Women, she compared Donna Anna to a misfortunate Spanish maiden. It was very common f or composers to take the style of where they were living at the time; and write in that genre of music. Donna Anna was a daughter who was to be married. The role was sung by a soprano. Her voice showed her grief finding herself in mourning due to the death of her father. When Don Giovanni left, we hear the first recitavo with the harpsichord. (voices singing to each other as they talk) This is from the Baroque Era. The stone statue invited for dinner in the last scene was part of folk mythology of Don Juan (Donington 446). To return to Mozart's Woman, Brown never once considered the social context whereas Mozart was writing an Italian opera only using the setting and subject matter of "Don Juan" with the 18th century interpretation. It is the purpose of this paper to show how Mozart communicated his values and judgments. For some, it still remained an opera buffa which was the style of the period (Grout 517). It was a light hearted opera which made the audience laugh and also sell t ickets. Mozart used his music and symbolism on stage to go beyond the opera buffa. Don Giovanni, a opera in two acts, was composed by Mozart and first performed in Prague in 1787. (Mendelsohn 55) As a common style of writing, Mozart could only use the opera buffa to show how women were treated in the 18th century. Though Mozart considered Don Giovanni as an opera buffa at the time, his librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte called an opera giocosco. (Fischer, 167) The Opera was placed in Seville in the 18th century (Mendelsohn 55) Mozart's Don Giovanni was controversial. At the time, the theme was thought to be too serious to be considered a "funny" opera". People usually did not die nor were audiences frightened by stoned statues. Mozart used his three women characters in order to mix the reality of their existence with the storytelling of Don Juan. Don Giovanni was killed. The father became the stone statue. The women became the protagonists. Gounoud wrote in the 19th century that Don Giovan ni was an "apogee of the lyrical drama, a wondrous example of truth, beauty of form, appropriateness of characterization, deep insight into the drama, purity of style, †¦.charm and tenderness in the love passages, and power in pathos." (Krehbiel 69) Don Giovanni "can be viewed as an archetype of every man or woman's alter ego, a man who faces that eternal conflict of the tension, desire and craving for love, and the struggle between emotion and reason, the spirit and the

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC'S). Economic Indicators Article

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC'S). Economic Indicators - Article Example The countries that are member of this council are as follows: †¢ Saudi Arabia †¢ Kuwait †¢ Bahrain †¢ Qatar †¢ United Arab Emirates †¢ Sultanate of Oman (Sheikh Mohammed, 2012) GCC being an oil-based region is provided with several opportunities to enhance its profit ratio and to play an essential and pivotal role in providing the world with oil. With the largest crude oil reserves in GCC (486.6 billion barrels), the member countries play the leading role in the world. In addition, GCC is the largest producer and exporter of petroleum due to which the region enjoyed fascinating and spectacular economic boom from the year 2002 to 2008 (The Economist Intelligence, 2011). The dominant role of the GCC countries in the world provided the region with an opportunity to increase the economy to $1.1 trillion (triple in size) during the same years. GCC region is the largest producer and exporter of oil and petroleum due to which the GCC countries account for almost 52 percent of the total OPEC oil reserves. 3. GDP GROWTH RATE The growth rate of the GCC region relies highly on the production and export of oil and petroleum to countries across the globe. The GDP growth rate of the GCC has been fascinating and outstanding from 2002-2008 and even after 2012 (IMF, 2012). Throughout 2002 to 2008 the region was provided with an opportunity to increase its economy threefold (Fox, 2011). The GCC countries enhanced its GDP from 400,000 (Mn US$) in the year 2003 to more than 1,100,000 (Mn US$) in the year 2008. ... Meanwhile, the region witnessed a growth rate of 14.2 percent in the year 2007 (Fox, 2011). Such an increase in the growth rate in the year 2002-2008 was highly dependent on the strongly increasing oil demand in the world (Fox, 2011). Some of the factors that contributed to such an extensive performance include better geo-political environment, boost in privatization of activities, increase in the Central Bank’s assets along with the strengthening of the GCC’s corporate sector. On the other hand, the GCC region has witnessed a decline in the growth rate due to the rising financial and economic crisis (Bachellerie, 2012). As a result, the oil market in the countries across the globe turned from cash cow to dog. The financial and economic crisis led to the decline in nominal GDP by -19.3 percent. Meanwhile, the real GDP declined from 6.4 percent to 0.5 percent in the years 2008 and 2009 respectively. With the global recovery of the oil market, the GCC region once again wi tnessed promising growth rate. The forecasted nominal GDP of the GCC was 380.5 (USD bn) in the year 2012 whereas the Real GDP (forecasted) for the same year was 5.3 (% y/y). Figure 1: GDP of GCC Countries Source: Gulf Investment Corporation, 2011) Figure 2: GCC’s GDP Growth Source: Haque, 2012 4. Inflation Rate The inflation rate in the GCC was quite low from 2002 to 2003 due to the prudent monetary and fiscal policies. Moreover, the access and availability of the goods and services in the region ensured low inflation rate. This could be witnessed by the 0.2 percent inflation rate which increased to 2.1 percent during 2001-2004. The inflation rate was 6.7 percent in the year 2007 which reached 10.7 percent in the year 2008 (IMF, 2011). The increase in inflation rate was a

Modern Political Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Modern Political Theory - Essay Example The understanding of natural law is that it necessarily distinguishes between laws of nature and those that have been artificially created by society, with the latter referring to the positive law. Locke understood that one of the main differentiating features between these is that natural law exists throughout all cultures, while a positive law is experienced only through specific social or governmental designations (Dunn). Another prominent consideration Locke made in regards to natural law was in relation to theological elements. Locke distinguished between religious law and natural law, as natural law is the law that emerges solely through the process of human reason and rationality. One recognizes that whereas natural law reveals itself to the individual through rationality, the religious law implies a divine revelation as the primary substantiation. For instance, while there are elements of the Ten Commandments that are recognized elements of the natural law, there are also ele ments that are not applicable to all humanity. In these regards, Locke’s understanding of natural law in relation to theology was the recognition that while there may be a divine entity that establishes laws that overlap with natural law, they are only considered natural law if they can be determined through human reason (Forde). Notably, Locke believed that when the Bible or religious principles went beyond or conflicted with the natural law they were improperly formulated; as such, Locke chose to interpret the Bible in accord with natural law. To a large extent, Locke’s perspective on natural law in relation to religious law is formulated within the voluntarism and intellectualism debate. While Locke highly emphasizes the importance of rational understanding to the establishment of natural law, he also makes a number of prominent statements that seemingly supports theological perspectives on social obligations. For instance, in the Essay Concerning Human Understandin g Locke argues that laws need have an individual lawgiver. In the Essays on the Law of Nature, Locke argues that individuals have an obligation to abide by their creator (Forde). It seems that for Locke the question of natural law then becomes a voluntarist in regards to the reasons humans should follow natural law, but remains highly rationalistic in the means by which a perspective establishes what constitutes natural law. One must also consider Locke’s understanding of natural law as to whether he believed the predominant elements were rights or duties the individual must follow. It seems to a great degree most theorists believe that Locke’s notion of natural law is that it generally refers to aspects of human rights. In these regards, Locke is believed to have adopted a view of human nature that as motivated by hedonistic impulses. As humans are predominantly motivated by such self-interest the natural need for human self-preservation supersedes any types of duties by which humans might be restricted. Still, other theorists believe that Locke was also concerned with natural law as prescribing moral duties to humanity. To a degree, such a different appear semantic. Consider that argued that some of the core elements of the natural law were life, liberty, and property.