The International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI) Announces Inaugural Fellowship in Food Protection

Battle Creek, MI (PRWEB) June 23, 2010

The International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI), presenting at the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) 114th Annual Educational Conference, announced its inaugural Fellowship in Food Protection. This unique program is designed to provide a select group of future leaders from across the state and local food protection community with an intense professional development experience focused on critical thinking, problem solving and decision making skills within the framework of food regulatory science, law and policy. The Fellowship in Food Protection is a series of three week-long training sessions that will be held at the Institute in Battle Creek, Michigan over the course of one year beginning in August, 2010. The sessions are divided in the following subjects: 1) Law, 2) Policies, Strategies and Tools, 3) Labeling, 4) Evolving Science of Food Protection, 5) Food Systems Control Applications, and 6) Prevention, Intervention and Response. The Fellows will also complete research projects during the course of the year and will present their findings at the 2011 AFDO Conference in Plano, Texas.

In announcing the members of the 2010 Class of Fellows, Gerald Wojtala, Executive Director of IFPTI, said, We are proud to have attracted so many talented individuals from across the country. This program will encourage and support them as they develop into the next generation of regulatory officials dedicated to protecting the safety of the U.S. food supply.

Members of 2010 Class of Fellows:

Natalie M. Adan, Georgia Department of Agriculture

Gary W. Elliott, South Carolina Dept. of Health and Environmental Control

Jamie L. Winchester (Hulbert), State of Alaska - Department of Environmental Conservation

Michael Lombardi, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Angela F. Montalbano, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets

Jacqueline C. Owens, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Food Safety and Inspection

Lucas D. Pols, Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services, Michigan

Julie H. Ray, Virginia Department of Health

Katherine A. Simon, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Dairy & Food Inspection Division

Holly A. Skogley, Linn County Environmental Health Program, Oregon

Mark Stevan Walker, City of Lubbock Health Department, Texas

Gretchen Weisenburger, Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, Kentucky

About IFPTI

The International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization delivering career-spanning food protection training for state and local food protection professionals to assure competency and equivalency in meeting established U.S. federal food safety standards. Working in partnership with the Association of Food and Drug Officials, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Institute seeks to protect the public's health by working with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial food protection officials in the creation of an integrated national food protection system that ensures the safety of the U.S. food supply. IFPTI training programs are delivered at the Kendall Center through a partnership with Western Michigan University. Initial funding for IFPTI has been provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. For more information, visit http://www.ifpti.org.

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Pearsons Suite of preK-12 Programs for College and Career-Readiness Showcased at International Reading Association Conference

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) May 09, 2011

At the annual conference of the International Reading Association, the education services and technology company Pearson is showcasing a full suite of reading, writing, and language arts offerings to ensure that preK-12 students will be college and career-ready.

The programs address the vital areas of the Common Core State Standards research-based curriculum with embedded intervention, assessment, data management, professional development for teachers and administrators, digital learning, and school improvement:

Opening the World of Learning, or OWL (preK) A pre-Kindergarten program that integrates rigorous digital and print instructional materials for the nations youngest learners. OWL incorporates mathematics and science along with reading and language development and other critical skills throughout its lessons.
Reading Street (grades K-6) - Aligned to the Common Core, Reading Street is a comprehensive program for College and Career Readiness, featuring precise monitoring, and robust digital content.
My Sidewalks (grades 1-5) An intensive intervention program that accelerates the reading development of struggling students. The program aligns instruction perfectly with Reading Street, but can be implemented with any core classroom reading program.
Good Habits, Great Readers (grades K-5) A balanced literacy, reading and writing curriculum fully aligned to the Common Core that offers differentiated instruction focused on developing proficient readers.
Calle de la Lectura (grades K-6) - A comprehensive, research-based Spanish reading and language arts program series that accelerates all learners toward transfer with a sustained focus on comprehension skills and strategies, concept and language development, and writing for a variety of formats and purposes.
Quick Reads (grades K-5) - Through a unique combination of text and consistent instructional routine, this validated program will build capacity for increasingly complex text.
Developmental Reading Assessment2+ or DRA2+ (grades K-8) A research-based formative assessment of literacy designed to inform reading instruction and identify student reading levels, now with progress Monitoring.
Prentice Hall Literature (grades 6-12) - Prentice Hall Literature engages todays students through a comprehensive print and digital program that tackles the reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language skills outlined in the new Common Core State Standards.
Writing Coach (grades 6-12) - The interactive writing program gives immediate feedback to ensure students -- whether they are on-level, advanced, struggling learners, or English language learners -- grow into independent writers. The tool looks at students work in progress, one paragraph at a time, and analyzes the ideas, topic support, and organization in their essays.
Literacy Navigator (grades 4-10) Literacy Navigator is a supplemental, intervention program that aligns to the Common Core State Standards and helps students develop the reading comprehension skills they need to for college and career success.
OnTarget! OnTarget! provides teachers with online instructional reading resources designed to personalize learning, connect to reading assessment data and save time. Resources are available in English and Spanish.
WriteToLearn (grades 6-12) - Pearsons web-based tool for building writing and reading comprehension that helps students develop essay-writing and summarization skills.
Pearson Virtual Learning powered by Florida Virtual School (grades 6-12) Interactive, online courses that are aligned to the Common Core State Standards span all subject areas including advanced placement. For example, Conspiracy Code MindBender is a full high school course of intensive reading that is set on a gaming platform designed to test new literacies and higher-order thinking skills.

Pearsons full spectrum of proven professional development is available for review, including information on Common Core State Standards educator workshops; the Sheltered Instructional Operations Protocol (SIOP

KICK International and D.A.R.E. America Announce a New Partnership Bringing Together Programs That Emphasize Productive, Drug Free Lives

Saint Louis, MO (PRWEB) June 30, 2010

KICK International http://www.kickinternational.com, whose volunteer members place the safety of athletes in the forefront of Competitive Combative Sports, developed a new line of competition equipment for Kickboxing and MMA. Both organizations receive funding for mutually beneficial programs derived from each purchase. Furthermore, both organizations receive recognition from the Combative sports now sweeping the nation which are sanctioned and produced by Kick International on a nationally syndicated television series Combat Showcase Epic, http://www.thecombatshowcase.com, providing visibility for promoter's competition events and recognition for regional athletes.

We want to create environments outside the classroom, as well, where young people can continue to learn to make better decisions and pursue their dreams, stated Charlie Parsons, CEO of D.A.R.E. America. "DARE educates America's youth and serves as the first line of defense in America's schools. The DARE program is currently taught by over 15,000 specially trained police officers in all 50 states, and 43 foreign countries. DARE police officers are in over 10,000 American communities and, worldwide, DARE's influence reaches over 60,000 law enforcement personnel in addition to government agencies, consulates and embassies. This historic partnership of KICK International and D.A.R.E America brings together programs that emphasize developing strong young adults, teaching them to make good, healthy decisions, leading to productive, drug free lives". http://www.dare.org

Frank Babcock, the President of KICK International, a Missouri 501c3 not for profit corporation, added, There is a real need among our youth for positive role models. To compete at the highest levels requires setting goals, working hard, and dedication to a drug-free life, a message that certainly resonates with all of our athletes.

KICK International, serves as the National Organizing Body for Competitive Combative Sports in North America for WAKO http://www.wakoweb.com, with representation in over 100+ countries, WAKO is forging the path to Olympic acceptance of its sports with its participation in the upcoming Sport Accord World Combat Games in Beijing China. KICK International is dedicated to the advancement of safety in the sports of Kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts, whose participating athletes strive for recognition in highly competitive sports requiring practice and dedication to excel in mind, body and spirit.

For more information please go to http://www.kiamasports.com or call (314) 571-4013

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Related Series C Funding Press Releases

Biggest Northwest National Road Racing Event of the Year Set for Holiday Weekend at Portland International Raceway

Gresham, OR (PRWEB) July 3, 2010

The top road racing drivers in the northwestern U.S. and Canada converge this weekend at Portland International Raceway (PIR) for two rounds of Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) national championship competition.

The Flat Out Racing Double Nationals presented by Speed Sports and Fluge Global Adventures, features more than 100 of North America's best amateur men and women racers in five different racing groups.

They are attempting to score valuable points to earn starting births in the SCCA national championships. Competitors race in a variety of vehicles, ranging from specially-built sports racer and formula cars to GT, sedan, and touring race cars.

Among the many talented teams participating this weekend, Flat Out Racing has a stable of Spec Racer Ford drivers. The GT1 class marks the return to PIR of Rose Cup Champion Matt Crandall, who will be taking on a field of high speed GT1 cars lead by teammate Nick Fluge in his Mustang.

Qualifying kicks off Friday at 12:55 p.m. with the first National race of the weekend taking the green flag at 3:50 p.m. for the Spec Racer Ford class. Racing resumes Saturday and Sunday at 9:35 a.m.

Admission and parking are free, courtesy of Flat Out Racing, Speed Sports and Fluge Global Adventures.

Live Race Action

Race fans at Portland International Raceway and across the nation can follow all the race action Saturday and Sunday via Twitter and Facebook. Fans can access the Oregon Region Sports Car Club of America Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/orscca and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/orscca, or by texting Follow ORSCCA to 40404 in the U.S.

About Flat Out Racing LTD

Flat Out Racing provides service, support and rentals at Portland International Raceway and at racing destinations across North America. As one of the leading stables for Spec Racer Ford competition, many drivers either rent race cars or have theirs serviced and maintained by Flat Out Racing. The organization is an authorized dealer for Spec Racer Ford, Formula SCCA and MoTeC Data Acquisition. For further information please call 503-970-9871 or emailing flatoutpdx@comcast.net.

About Speed Sports

Speed Sports Automotive Dealership was founded on the principle of providing customers with quality vehicles at value pricing. One would be hard-pressed to find a more knowledgeable sales and service staff than at Speed Sports, which has combined people with specialized experience in identifying quality daily drivers with those who have intimate experience in selling and servicing high-line exotic cars, such as Lamborghinis and Ferraris. On top of that, Speed Sports fields championship-winning race cars, adding an element of automotive experience to Speed Sports not likely found elsewhere.

Speed Sports is located at 17317 SE Mcloughlin Blvd in Milwaukie, OR. Further information can be found at http://www.SpeedSports.net

About Fluge Global Adventures

Several years ago, Fluge's journey through life took new turns, leading him away from the realm of eCommerce development, to new arenas that included sitting in the seat of SCCA super-cars and playing next to Las Vegas card sharks at the World Series of Poker.

Among his many adventures, Fluge scored three firsts, a second and a third place finish in SCCA Regional and National race events on his way to the GT1 class points lead in the same Derhaag Corvette that Todd Harris piloted to first and second place finishes in the 2007 and 2008 Rose Cup feature races. He also entered the same car in last year's professional Trans-Am race at PIR.

For 2010, racing isn't the only adventure Fluge is organizing. He is currently assembling a team of 10 FGA members to pull a 50,000-pound fire truck for charity, and is considering either an Amityville Horror or Lizzie Borden overnighter without power or electricity. He also recently completed a Silversmithing Adventure in Argentina and a Photography and Art Adventure in France and Oregon,

Fluge hopes to return to France this September to further his artistic education and instruction, expects to be back in South America later in the fall for Python hunting in the Amazon, and is planning a duel in Death Valley.

For more information on these adventures, please visit http://www.flugeglobaladventures.com.

About Oregon Region SCCA

The Oregon Region of the Sports Car Club of America was established in the 1960's and has grown to its present membership of over 1,200 members. The Region obtained its charter from SCCA in 1962. It is a member oriented, member operated club with the primary purpose of "promoting, maintaining and improving automobile sports and interest in the ownership, operation of, and safety of sports cars."

The roots of SCCA and Oregon Region run deep in racing history. The origin of SCCA can be traced back to the pre-World War II "Auto Racing Club of America" which disbanded because of World War II. Originally, the State of Oregon was included in the territory of Northwest Region, SCCA (NWR), and it remained that way until the official creation of Oregon Region in 1962.

From its beginning, Oregon Region SCCA has been organizing and administering sports car/club racing events at Newport, Goshen (South of Eugene) and Portland's West Delta Park (now Portland International Raceway - PIR). The Region's first race was held at the Newport municipal airport (an ex-WWII air base) in 1962.

Currently, Oregon Region has active programs in Club Racing, Vintage Racing, Road Rally, Rallycross, and in Solo II - SCCA's autocross program where competitors compete against the clock in a controlled atmosphere. The Oregon region also provides workers and officials to major professional international racing competitions here in Oregon and across North America. Their Web site is http://www.oregonscca.com and may also be reached at 503.224.9469.

Portland International Raceway is owned and operated by the City of Portland through its bureau of Parks and Recreation. The raceway is operated as an Enterprise Fund, meaning that its operating expenses and capital improvements are covered by the revenues that it generates, as Portland International Raceway receives no general fund tax dollars. The raceway's varied, year round activities bring between 30 and 40 million dollars into the surrounding community each year.

Media/Marketing Contact:

Oregon Region SCCA: Randy Unsbee, ABC

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