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Zurvita Launches New Video Phone Service

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Back To School Shopping Tips Print E-mail

One of the big issues for most parents as they prepare for school in the fall is paying for what their kids want and need for the new school year. Cheryl H. Bridges, director of the Center for Retailing Studies at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, offers the following thoughts and would be available to discuss them in more detail, along with other related retail topics.
 
• With household budgets stretched and gas prices on the way up again, shoppers are likely to be even more selective with their purchases. Back-to-school wardrobes are more likely to be a single outfit or updates with accessories. For girls, they might update jeans with a decorated T-shirt or go neo-preppy with a polo shirt.
 
• Back-to-school shopping is a great time to give kids lessons in money management. Ask kids to evaluate what they really need. Have them help compare prices online and visit different stores to find the best deal.
 
• As shoppers stretch dollars, more parents than ever are trying new outlets such as Goodwill or consignment shops to find deals on name-brand items. Sales at Goodwill stores are up more than 10 percent this year.
 
• The high price of being cool includes iPods, iPhones, computer notebooks and upgrades that have become nearly ubiquitous among teens. What’s too much?
 
• A National Retail Federation’s survey shows that 24 percent of shoppers went online for back-to-school purchases in 2008 compared with 21 percent the previous year. Yahoo lets consumers compare prices from online stores such as Target and JCPenney. Mobile comparison shopping and searching for products in the nearby area are on the upswing.
 
• Parents can save a bundle on back-to-school clothing if they (or their kids) can wait for September sales, but does anyone really wait? Waiting until September may have been a traditional method to save on opportunistic buys, but with inventories more available on-line that “hot item” might not be there in September. Still, lots of kids will retain some of their back-to-school allowance to be sure they can purchase the cool items others have the first week of school.
 
• Kid’s choice – who chooses the back-to-school supplies? A shift in parenting styles allows more choice (and consumer clout) to tots through teens.
 
• It’s chic to be cheap. Fashion-conscious teenagers might learn to pair bargain finds with a single pair of premium jeans to create a budget look that fits the recession. A laptop the family already owns might be updated by a computer repair company.
 
• For retailers in college towns, the back-to-school season is almost as good as Christmas. What do savvy retailers such as Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Bed Bath & Beyond do to attract these 18- to 21-year-olds and their parents to their stores?
 
• More colleges require or recommend laptops as wireless access becomes the norm on college campuses. This has boosted consumer electronic sales and changed the learning community.
 
Bridges can be contacted at (979) 845-0325 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Other contacts are Kelli G. Hollinger, (979) 845-5898 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and Tura King at (979) 845-4670 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
 
For more news about Texas A&M University, go to http://tamunews.tamu.edu.
 
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Toyota USA Foundation Announces $3.3 Million in New Grants Print E-mail

The Toyota USA Foundation, a charitable endowment supporting K-12 math and science education, today announced $3.3 million in new grants. The latest round of grants is going to 12 organizations from across the country.

"During these challenging economic times, we are pleased to support these excellent programs," said Patricia Salas Pineda, group vice president of Toyota Motor North America. "These grants are an investment in the future of our teachers and young people and will give them invaluable skills for the future."

The Toyota USA Foundation supports quality K-12 programs that improve the teaching and learning of mathematics, science, and environmental education. The foundation places a high priority on:

-Diverse programs that are broad in scope, incorporate inter-disciplinary learning, and use "real-world" classroom applications; and

-Innovative and cost-effective programs which develop students and teachers’ abilities.

Toyota USA Foundation 2009 Grants:

Organization

 

Program

Description

 Grant
Academy for Educational Development

New York, NY

 After-School Math Plus A two-year math enrichment after-school program for 1,700 third through eighth-grade American Indian students in the Wabanaki, Cherokee and Pueblo nations. $250,000
American Museum of Natural History

New York, NY

 National Center for Science, Literacy, Education, and Technology Support content development, dissemination efforts and website upgrades for Science Bulletins, a multi-media and on-line science news and scientific research program that delivers up-to-date science content knowledge at low cost to museums and free to schools across the United States. $300,000
Arizona Council on Economic Education

Scottsdale, AZ

 Mathematics and Economics for Grades K-12 Provide training, curricula, and classroom lessons to prepare teachers to help students achieve the Arizona Economics and Mathematics Standards in grades K-12. $100,000
Chicago Horticultural Society/Chicago Botanic Garden

Glencoe, IL

 Science First and College First Support two programs which encourage students from underserved communities to pursue science careers and education beyond high school through summer science camps, internships and school-year meetings. $65,000
The Children's Aid Society

New York, NY

 The CAS Environmental Education Curriculum Development and implementation of a school-based and an after-school environmental curriculum in the Flint, MI and Toledo, OH school districts to enhance existing components of the Children’s Aid Society’s program for 5th & 6thgrade students. $495,000
MIND Research Institute

Santa Ana, CA

 Algebra I Curriculum Development Project Adapt its highly effective non-language-based approach to teaching math in the development of an Algebra I curriculum which would provide educators an alternate and successful approach to teaching this subject. $200,000
MK Level Playing Field Institute

San Francisco, CA

 Summer Math and Science Honors (SMASH) Academy Support an intensive year-round math and science academy for 90 low-income, high-achieving students of color in the San Francisco Bay Area. $180,000
National Council for Science and the Environment

Washington, DC

 EnvironMentors Teacher Training Program Support the establishment of a high school teacher training component for the EnvironMentors program. EnvironMentors seeks to increase interest in the environment among under-represented youth by matching each participant to mentors working in environmental fields. $407,000
Research Foundation of SUNY

Stony Brook, NY

 Stony Brook University Biotechnology Teaching Laboratory (SUBTLE) Provide intensive modern laboratory experiences for in-service science and mathematics teachers in New York state. $493,875
New Mexico State University –

Southern New Mexico Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy

Las Cruces, NM

 Science Stars of New Mexico Expand the SEMAA program, a science, technology, engineering and mathematics program for kindergarten through second-grade students. $157,600
The After-School Corporation

New York, NY

 NYC Environmental Conservation Heroes Award Create a demonstration project that will inspire young people, especially children of color and girls, to become scientists through participation in environmental conservation clubs in after-school programs in New York City, targeting children in grades 3-8. $250,000
University of Texas at Austin

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Austin, TX

 UCHEM Launch an updated version of "ChemBridge," a dual credit on-line chemistry course for high school seniors that would create a smoother transition from high school to university. $403,758

The Toyota USA Foundation charitable endowment was established in 1987 to support education programs serving kindergarten through 12th grade students and their teachers in the United States, with an emphasis on mathematics, science and environmental science. For additional information about the Toyota USA Foundation, visit www.toyota.com/foundation.

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H-E-B Excellence in Education Award Print E-mail

Among the most meaningful phrases a teacher can hope to hear is a simple “thank you.” H-E-B is giving the community a way to thank those in Texas education by launching the nomination period for the 2009 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards. Just one nomination can place a teacher, principal or a school district on the path toward winning a cash prize ranging from $5,000 to $100,000. For the first time in the awards eight-year history, nominations will be accepted online at www.heb.com/education. Nomination forms can also be picked up at H-E-B stores. All nominations are due by November 21, 2008.

Teachers, principals and school districts are also strongly encouraged to submit their names for consideration. “A nomination is a simple yet powerful way to show appreciation for our educators that are daily demonstrating a true passion for teaching children to aim high in life,” said Jill Reynolds, H-E-B Community Relations Program Manager. “They deserve to be thanked and rewarded for this dedication.” Following the close of the nomination period, all nominees will be sent an application form to complete. This form requests additional information from the nominee for judging purposes including written responses that communicate their teaching and learning experiences, their teaching philosophies and what inspires them to make a difference in the lives of their students. Completed application forms will be due January 2, 2009. Following a regional judging process, 225 semifinalists will receive an H-E-B Gift Card and a certificate of recognition from H-E-B Chairman and CEO Charles Butt. Additionally, 48 finalists representing five Texas regions will be selected and invited to compete further for an H-E-B Excellence in Education Award and cash prize.


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