Category Archives: Personal Empowerment

Round was led by Andrew Nikou, CEO of established private equity firm OpenGate Capital, who will join Goalswell's board

The funding will be used to help the company soft launch in Canada, conduct several large-scale pilots, and prepare for its global launch this summer

PASADENA, Calif., May 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Goalswell, Inc. today announced the closing of $1.5 million in seed round funding led by Andrew Nikou. Mr. Nikou is the founder and CEO of OpenGate Capital, a Los Angeles and Paris-based private equity firm that was founded in 2005.

Research has shown that financial literacy alone does not drive long-term behavior changes. At a time when close to 70% of Americans do not have enough to retire and student debt exceeds $1.7 trillion, financial empowerment is more important than ever. Founded in March of this year and based in Pasadena, California, Goalswell seeks to help high school and college students develop healthy financial habits by leveraging the latest insights from behavioral science and cognitive psychology research. Led by Dr. Amanda Lash, the team's senior cognitive psychologist, Goalswell blends social goal setting with interactive and gamified learning of financial literacy to drive learning by doing.

"Developing healthy financial habits at an early age has never been more crucial," said Andrew Nikou. "Goalswell goes beyond teaching students financial literacy and actually helps them discover their own habits and behaviors will lead them to financial success. Most importantly, the gamification, competition and community aspects of Goalswell's not only differentiate it from other services, but also ensure that the lessons it teaches really resonate with its target demographic at this early age."

"We are honored to have Andrew, who shares our passion and belief in instilling healthy financial behavior at an early age, join Goalswell as an investor," stated Walter Yuan, CEO of MobLab, the parent company of Goalswell. "In addition to the capital infusion which will help us bring this innovative platform to market, he brings us financial acumen, an unparalleled network of potential resources, and practical business advice that I have no doubt will be immediately accretive to the company. I know I speak for the entire company when I say how excited we are for this next phase of our growth."

As a result of the seed round, Dan Goldstein, a renowned computer scientist and cognitive psychologist from Microsoft Research will also join the Goalswell board with Mr. Nikou and Mr. Yuan. Best known for his experimental work with real-world products on a large scale, Mr. Goldstein brings additional domain expertise in behavioral finance and deep know-how in information and choice architecture design to the team.

About Goalswell, Inc.Goalswell, Inc. is going beyond financial literacy to teach learners of all ages how to develop healthy financial habits by leveraging best practices based on behavior science and cognitive psychology research.Goalswell follows the same guiding principle of learning by doing for learners to practice personal finance management and social accountability in a mobile app oniPhone and Android devices later this summer. Goalswell is a wholly owned subsidiary of MobLab, Inc. For more information please visit: https://www.goalswell.com

About MobLabMobLab, Inc. is the EdTech leader in interactive behavioral games and their applications in education and career assessment. The company was founded in 2011 by a pair of Caltech scientists, Stephanie Wang and Walter Yuan, based on the concept that learning through experimentssimilar to what has always been done in biology, physics or even psychologycould also be applied to the study of more abstract subjects such as economics, business strategy, or the social sciences in general. The experiments, which can take the form of games, produce real-time analytics that empower teachers to engage students in data-driven discussions on how their behavior relates to theory. For more information please visit: https://www.moblab.com.

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SOURCE Goalswell, Inc.

https://www.goalswell.com

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Financial Empowerment Startup Goalswell Announces the Closing of a $1.5 Million Seed Round - PRNewswire

You may find this article stressful. At least, I hope you will. Because stress isnt something to avoid or flee: its a sign that were challenging ourselves, learning and growing.

Humans are antifragile: we need stressors to become strong. Astronauts must exercise daily or they lose muscle tone and bone density, and its the same with the mind: if we dont practise, we rust. The right amount of stress builds our capacity for resilience and enables us to cope with new and bewildering situations like the one weve been dealing with this last year.

But too much stress can have the opposite effect, sapping our resilience and ability to cope. No organisation should model itself on the pressure-for-its-own-sake mentality of some City firms, where workers are expected to put in 95-hour weeks and still ask, Twist-like, Please sir, can I have some more?

Neil Young sang that its better to burn out than it is to rust. Its better to do neither. Instead, we need to find the perfect amount of beneficial stress that keeps teams constantly engaged, learning and growing.

Good stress, bad stress

What does resilience mean to you? For many people, its the ability to stick it: to cope with pressure and not come unstuck. But whats often missed is the sense of recovery and recharging in the face of adversity or change.

Experiencing the right kind of stress builds this ability to recharge our ability to perform under pressure. We call this the challenge state, where our minds are perfectly prepared for whatevers thrown at us. When were challenged our thinking is far more likely to be creative, logical, clear-sighted and strategic. Whats more, a heightened state of alertness and vigilance makes us more consistent in our behaviours and performance.

Compare this with the threat state: the defensive, fight-or-flight response that comes when were overburdened and struggling to cope. Threat makes us freeze or flee from challenges and make us prone to bad decision-making, emotional reasoning, and catastrophising.

Threat state is particularly damaging in team contexts. A break in the chain can send out ripples that disrupt other individuals, tipping them out of challenge and into threat, damaging the cohesiveness and effectiveness of the group.

To foster resilience, we need a way to absorb shocks: the unexpected grenade lobbed into your already-busy working day, or what Harold MacMillan (supposedly) called events, dear boy. When the unexpected happens, we need to draw on the resources of the entire team, so stresses are spread evenly according to each individuals resilience.

Drains and gains

Its fair to say that buying a new vacuum cleaner wasnt a priority for most people when the pandemic struck. So Dyson could easily have gone into the threat state, halting operations and slashing costs in a bid to survive the coming crisis.

But the Dyson team did exactly the opposite. They went on the offensive and applied their skills to solving one of the biggest challenges facing the country: the shortage of ventilators for seriously ill Covid patients. Working around the clock, Dyson developed a new ventilator in just 30 days, to the eternal gratitude of the nation. This is a great example of an entire organisation operating in challenge state. But how did they get there?

Think of resilience as a battery. Just as it can be discharged by negative stresses, we can also recharge by identifying positive practices and mindsets. Examples of these gains are having a clear and shared sense of purpose, alignment on goal priorities, a collective identity and the ability to review and change goals rapidly. Conversely, a lack of common values, clear leadership or a focus on defensiveness and the short-term are examples of drains on our resilience.

Dyson clearly dont see themselves as mere manufacturers: they identify as problem-solvers. This subtle yet profound shift in thinking is used by everyone from businesses to top sportspeople to give them a crucial competitive advantage. Ask yourself whether your teams have coped with the crisis as effectively as Dyson did, or whether theyd have responded better had they been better able to maximise gains and minimise drains.

The stress toolbox

Shared purpose, common values, collective goals: these are words beloved in the boardroom (and rightly so) but you cant wish them into existence. Creating a culture of resilience starts with building a toolbox of techniques for fostering mutual support while enabling leaders constantly to assess whether employees are in the challenge state.

The first tool is the buddy system, which is not just a one-to-one relationship but a safe space for anyone to vent, raise questions and concerns, and support one another. But the buddy system isnt just about self-care: done right, it provides the opportunity for everyone to gain a perspective thats different from their own. This is especially important when were tipping over into the threat state, our judgement becomes clouded, and our thinking becomes defensive and self-defeating.

Secondly, implement a daily check-in system. Dont just ask people how theyre doing; most people answer with Im fine, but especially when theyre not. Instead, ask everyone to give themselves a score out of ten. Not only will this elicit more honest responses, it also enables leaders to predict how well each person is prepared for the rigours of the coming day, and help them identify who may be vulnerable and need support. This is the system used on many Covid wards, where team leaders also score workers at the end of shift.

Businesses thrive on data, so why eschew the most valuable information imaginable? Something as simple as tracking peoples resilience over time enables you to identify when people need to be pulled out of the frontline to recuperate, while the rest of the team picks up the slack.

The third tool involves building a sense of personal empowerment within each worker. This might sound vague, wishy-washy even. Its anything but. Empowerment is all about self-awareness, a quality thats not constant but which waxes and wanes depending on ones mental state.

At times of uncertainty, were apt to be self-critical and forget the value we bring to the team.

Empowerment rests on helping people build and retain an understanding of their skills, behaviours, knowledge and attitudes: how they contribute, and what they need from others to perform at their best.

You shouldnt expect to build a culture of resilience overnight, nor should you try. After all, you cant institute a workplace revolution before teams are ready to respond well to sudden change. But a small investment can have a massive impact, and what starts as a fairly alien process will soon become a natural part of peoples approach to work: an attitude, not a workflow. You will quickly see the benefits as teams begin to embrace stress and achieve mastery of the mind.

So if youre feeling a little stressed at the task that lies ahead, good. It means youre serious about developing a competitive advantage that will benefit your business for many years to come.

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Stressing The Benefits - Forbes

Lockdowns have changed social networks and, in some cases, strained relationships. Researchers at University College London found that 22 percent of adultsreported that their friendships had degradedduring the pandemic which might create a barrier when it comes to reaching out.

"Coming out of the pandemic, our interactions are going to be more strained, says Timothy Levine, chair and distinguished professor of communication at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. It'll feel a little awkward at first, but it will become familiar pretty quickly.

Rather than continuing to isolate once it's safe to gather, Levine suggests being honest about your needs. It's OK to tell friends that you're only getting together one-on-one, outdoors orcontinuing to wear masksif that eases your anxiety about reengaging in social interactions.

While you might feel excited about getting back out into the world of dinners, celebrations and meet-ups, don't pack your social calendar too soon, warns Aderonke Pederson, M.D., a psychiatrist and instructor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Instead of parties and weekend trips, start with coffee.

"There is going to be a temptation to try to snap right back into our normal routines, she says. We're not robots; we can't switch back with an on-off switch."

Even brief social interactions with the best of friends might feel exhausting at first. For the past year, people have been on high alert, warned to avoid others and to avoid crowds or large groups of people. Pederson warns that the emotional toll of quarantine-induced social anxiety could cause you to burn out on social interactions faster than usual.

"It's so important for us to be patient with ourselves and the people around us. We need to pace ourselves through this process, Pederson adds. Burnout and the risk of depressive symptoms and anxiety come with trying to force yourself into a certain state of being when the emotional toll [of the pandemic] is very real."

Psychologist Robin Smith, author of Inspirational Vitamins: A Guide to Personal Empowerment who was therapist-in-residence on The Oprah Winfrey Show, refers to the pandemic as a form of trauma. In those initial social interactions, she encourages perseverance, adding, We can't assume that how we were a year ago is how we'll be today."

Smith calls it courageous to venture back into social interactions.

"Vaccines have come out and people are excited but a year in hiding, cloistered away, has taken its toll, she says. We need to be kind and gentle and soft with ourselves and with other people as we reenter social interactions.

Poornima Apte, 55, practiced self-described COVID absolutism over the past year, limiting contact with friends. She turned the garage of her Walpole, Massachusetts, home into an outdoor living room where she could meet with friends (mostly) outdoors while wearing masks and following social distancing guidelines.

The infrequent in-person social interactions coupled with texting and lots of Zoom gatherings helped Apte combat loneliness and stay in touch with friends, but she admits, A few friends fell off the radar and it was and continues to be difficult.

Although Apte compares the return to pre-pandemic social interactions with being told to jump from a fast-moving train without any safety net, she is looking forward to seeing loved ones again but she's not rushing to make plans. It definitely feels daunting to go back to activities as normal, she says. Trying to figure out the new rules is going to be hard, and I hope my friends patiently wait for me on the other side."

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5 Ways to Sharpen Your Social Skills After Isolation - AARP

Every fall, millions of monarch butterflies travel up to 3,000 miles from the U.S. and Canada to one forest in Mexico, where theyll stay for the winter. There in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, located on the border between the Mexican states of Michoacn and Mexico, they almost completely cover the trees and comingle until the spring, when they migrate back north, as their great-great-grandparents had done the year before.

Yet the number of monarchs that make this remarkable journey has been declining. Eastern monarchs, which are those that live east of the Rocky Mountains and make this annual trip, are typically measured by the area of the forest reserve they cover in the winter, which in the 1990s peaked ataround 21 hectares. Last December, the butterflies only covered 2.1 hectares of forest, a26 percent decreasefrom the same month in 2019 and a far cry from the minimum of6 hectares of coverage neededto ensure the species survival.

In total, the eastern monarch population is thought to have decreased by80 percent.And the western monarchs, a separate population that lives west of the Rocky Mountains, has gone down by a whopping99 percentwithin the last two decades.

But whats been the cause of this beloved species decline?

The WWF has reported afour-fold increasein illegal logging in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve between 2019 and 2020 as compared to the previous year, and this deforestation has certainly affected the monarch. Additionally, the butterflies are very sensitive tochanges in weather, which cue them on when to reproduce, migrate and hibernate and climate change is only seeing weather patterns become increasingly unstable.

But a main cause of their path to extinction is the decline of a native plant called milkweed (of the genusAsclepias) to complete their life cycle, and the loss of this plant through pesticides and changes in the landscape is a primary reason for the drop in numbers. Monarch caterpillars feed solely on the leaves of milkweed, which is commonly regarded as a weed by homeowners and farmers. Estimates vary, but it is thought that at least1.3 billion new milkweed stemsare needed to restore monarch butterfly numbers.

Agricultural lands make up77 percent of potential monarch habitat. In the past, milkweed grew in much of the corn and soybean fields grown in themonarch central flyway a major path that runs through the Midwest and southwestern U.S. that is used by eastern monarchs to migrate south and monarchs would travel across fields to lay their eggs across multiple milkweeds. Milkweed stems in farm fields support on average3.9 more monarch eggsthan those in non-agricultural areas.

The general concept is dont put all your eggs in one basket. [The monarchs] know there are predators out there. There are things that can happen to the milkweed, so theyre forced to keep moving on and find that next patch, says John Pleasants, an Iowa State University professor who has researched how farming practices affect monarch butterfly populations.

This was before the extensive use of glyphosates, one of the worldsmost widely used herbicides, on corn and soy fields. As intended, such herbicides have likely made crop fields become milkweed deserts, andnearly 40 percentof milkweed stems are estimated to have disappeared since 1999.

Given their effectiveness, herbicides like glyphosate are likely going to stay on farms in the near future. However, there might be ways to reintroduce milkweed onto farms without reducing crop output, such as by taking advantage of theConservation Reserve Program(CRP). The CRP pays farmers to take a portion of their cropland out of agricultural use to grow vegetation that is good for the environment, andalmost 8.5 million hectaresof farmland were active CRP lands as of January 2021. Farmers entering new CRP contracts can opt for theCP42, a CRP type specifically devoted to protecting pollinators, and at least nine species of pollinator-friendly wildflowers, legumes or shrubs must be planted to qualify.

Although milkweed loss on farmland has been linked to the decline of monarch butterfly numbers, Pleasants emphasizes the need to help farmers benefit from protecting the environment [Farmers] are not really to blame. Its not like they knew that monarchs would disappear if they used these farming practices that people told them they should use.

You have to think about the bottom line and whats in the self-interests of farmers, he says. They have needs, and times have been tough for agriculture lately, so they need some sort of either financial or personal incentive to do various things.

Fortunately, conscious growth of more native species has been gaining traction in more densely populated parts of the U.S. too.

A group of researchers from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service used LIDAR data to examine the possibility for four cities in the monarch central flyway to provide milkweed for monarch butterflies. The team, led by conservation ecologist Abigail Derby Lewis of the Field Museum, used asuite of tools developed to help city planners calculate estimates of current and potential milkweed stem numbers across any region according to land use type.

When the researchers applied the milkweed-calculating tools for the Chicago region, they were not surprised to find that residential areas presented the greatest opportunity for increasing milkweed stems. But when this was extrapolated to all U.S. cities east of the Rocky Mountains, what the team found was shocking: that urban areas could provide fornearly a thirdof the 1.8 billion more milkweed stems they regarded as needed for monarch survival.

Although urban residential areas might have the greatest potential to increase milkweed stems, other parts of cities should also come into play more, most notably corporate campuses and rights-of-way, which will entail collaboration with businesses, utility companies, the Department of Transportation in different states and railway providers. Under theMayors Monarch Pledge, city, local and tribal governments commit to creating habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators.

However, some have been concerned that cities might serve as ecological traps. For example, ithas been suggestedthat roadsides might be less suitable for monarch habitats because the butterflies may be hit by cars, or because the heavy metal pollutants emitted by vehicles could harm them. Derby Lewis also notes concerns over milkweed plantings potential to lure butterflies into places that undergo mosquito abatement spraying or that simply dont have enough milkweed to support them.

She notes, however, that resolving this dilemma will come down to community science, such as acurrent monitoring projectalso run by the Field Museum: People are just knocking down the door to be able to be a part of this research project. They go out every single week, and they count their milkweed, and they count the number of [monarch] eggs. They count the [developmental] stages of the caterpillars, and they count the number of flowering plants they have. They record that and submit it.

And thats really going to help us understand how productive these small gardens and small spaces can really be. We need empirical data to really answer [the ecological trap] question, but from what we know qualitatively, these are not ecological traps.

There are also steps that just about anyone can take to add some of the wild to their homes to help monarch butterflies survive, and a number of organizations, such asMonarch WatchandMonarch Joint Venture, have called for individuals to take action, such as byplanting pollinator gardens.

People are bananas for monarchs. And it is one of the most successful species that Ive ever seen at convening people through public attention and interest, says Derby Lewis. And thats great, because when you do things to help monarchs, youre helping all of these other species too.

Many organizations recommend that people plant native milkweed plants in their yards (or balcony gardens), as well as native nectar plants that provide adult monarchs with the energy needed for their epic journey south. Harmful chemicals should be avoided in pollinator gardens, and milkweed should be organic and free of neonicotinoids, a widely used insecticide that has been proven to harmpollinators such as bees.

However, Derby Lewis recognizes that there are some barriers. One is the public perception of what a garden and lawn should look like, which still entails the frequent mowing of grass-covered turf and the use of chemicals to keep unwanted weeds away, which is often reflected in legislation as well.

[Municipalities] will often have a height restriction as part of weed ordinances. So, for instance, anything over 10 inches would be considered a weed and therefore inappropriate to have on the landscape, says Derby Lewis. All of our native plants are typically 10 inches or higher.

In both urban and rural areas, it remains to be seen if these efforts will be enough to save the monarch butterfly. But despite the enormity of the task at hand, there is no doubt that these butterflies can serve as an entry point for many into the conservation world, and for self-empowerment.

So many things in the world right now feel out of our control, or feel like an individual action just cannot make a difference, says Derby Lewis. And so to be able to say, What we plant matters. What you do counts. If you put this milkweed into the ground, they will come, its something that is exciting for people.

Its gratifying and satisfying.

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Saving the monarch butterfly: What can be done? - Landscape News

10TV is partnering with Nationwide Children's Hospital for an in-depth look at the new free resources the On Our Sleeves movement has started offering.

Stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic have changed childrens lives forever, disrupted routines, and in some cases kept them separated from friends and family for long periods of time. This is on top of data showing one in five children lived with a mental condition before the Coronavirus took hold of the world. 10TV is partnering with Nationwide Childrens Hospital for an in-depth look at the new free resources the On Our Sleeves movement has started offering to parents and educators to help them help kids navigate their own mental health.

On Our Sleeves, has released on Monday a collection of resources called How to Foster a Childs Emotional Development. This contains information about sharing feelings, boosting mental wellness and self-care.

According to Parker Huston, Ph.D., clinical director, On Our Sleeves and pediatric psychologist, Nationwide Childrens Hospital, children have a better opportunity for social-emotional wellbeing if they learn mental health skills early in life.

Waiting until a problem presents itself is too long, Dr. Huston said.

The Emotional Empowerment guide will help adults help kids learn how to: identify emotions, recognize emotions, understand emotions in others, express emotions appropriately, and regulate strong emotions.

This is the ability for a child to know words that describe different emotions and distinguish between them.

This is the ability for a child to identify an emotion and pick them out in real-time experiences.

Express Emotions Appropriately

This is the ability for a child to be able to feel comfortable communicate their own emotions, and not avoid them.

Understand Emotions in Others

This is the ability for a child to recognize how others are feeling, or to develop empathy, and use this to help strengthen personal relationships.

This is the ability for a child to learn how to calmly react and control their own actions and behaviors during times when they experience strong emotions.

This How To guide on kids emotional empowerment is free to anyone who wants to use it. It contains explanations of the five steps to emotional empowerment for kids, and offers tips for adults, games, book suggestions and even activities for adults and kids to do together.

We wanted to make it really approachable and something that literally anybody can do with the kids in their lives, Dr. Huston said.

Empowering Emotions is from the On Our Sleeves Alliance, which was founded by Big Lots, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and other sponsors. It will provide free mental health curriculum to over 100,000 teachers nationwide while helping to meet the goal of reaching over one million classrooms by World Mental Health Day on October 10, 2021. Mental Health Discussion Guides will also be distributed at Boys and Girls clubs across the country.

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On Our Sleeves: Navigating Kids' Mental Health - 10TV

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Patient Safety Authority (PSA) has released its 2020 annual report, offering accounts of ingenuity, tenacity, and teamwork amid COVID-19 and key insights to improve patient safety in Pennsylvania and beyond.

Stories of patient involvement, collaboration, creativity, and empowerment from eight hospitals across the Commonwealth are highlighted. They include Allegheny Valley Hospital, Einstein Endoscopy CenterBlue Bell, Forbes HospitalAllegheny Health Network, Pennsylvania Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, UPMC Lock Haven, and UPMC Magee Women's Hospital.

The report also showcases winners of the annual I AM Patient Safety awards who rose to the occasion in 2020 with achievements in patient safety. They hail from Allegheny Health Network Ambulatory Surgery Center Division, Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, Lehigh Valley Physicians Group LHVN ExpressCAREFogelsville, Moravian Manor Communities, Pennsylvania Hospital, Temple University Hospital, UPMC Carlisle, Veterans Administration Pittsburgh Health System, UPMC St. Margaret, WellSpan Health. Fox Chase Cancer Center at Temple University Hospital won the Executive Director's Choice Award for achieving the unachievable by preventing falls for an entire year.

"Like everyone else, much of the PSA's efforts in 2020 focused on COVID-19. Our staff worked around-the-clock supporting "at-risk" facilities in their darkest hours to secure personal protective equipment (PPE); stay apprised of the most current, ever-evolving research; and develop facility-specific plans to protect patients and residents," said Patient Safety Authority executive director, Regina Hoffman.

"But the real focus this year is on healthcare facilities. We share their accounts as a reminder that what they do each day matters, and they have met the COVID-19 challenge with bravery and sacrifice."

The annual report also highlights patients' important role in scientific publishing. In 2020, Patient Safety, the PSA's quarterly, peer-reviewed journal of scientific research and patient commentaries, was read by more than 45,000 people across every state in the United States and in 164 countries. It won three awards for publication excellence.

Along with its annual report, the PSA released figures from its database, PA-PSRS. Event reporting remained robust, despite an unparalleled pause in elective care for several months, which may reflect improvements in patient safety culture across Pennsylvania.

The PSA is an independent state agency that collects and analyzes patient safety data to improve safety outcomes and help prevent patient harm. http://patientsafety.pa.gov/

SOURCE Patient Safety Authority

http://patientsafety.pa.gov/

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Patient Safety Authority Releases Actionable Insights and Stories of Triumph for Pennsylvania Health Systems - PRNewswire

Founded in January 2020, Wellbeing Radio has been going from strength to strength by bringing listeners everything from positive psychology to mindful parenting.

The station also hosts an array of shows covering Zen practices, mindfulness, ageing gracefully, personal empowerment and nutrition.

With over six million plays dedicated to bringing fresh, unedited wisdom thought and opinions whilst offering nourishing, positive and heart-centered content to listeners.

The station began with a small vision and over time this vision has grown into a collective of international experts creating conversations for positive change.

Wellbeing Radios founder, Scott Hutchinson-McDades journey began after struggling with depression while living and working in the US and the Philippines managing large multinational teams, before going on to work for the NHS, giving him a unique perspective on how people can overcome adversity.

Scott has a unique approach that draws on a fusion of ancient practices from different cultures and belief systems to form a systematic approach to emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing.

Presenters at the station are bringing fresh new perspectives for business owners also on topics such as social media strategy and digital wellbeing, publishing, leadership mindset, business coaching, and magical marketing and alchemy in publicity.

Wellbeing Radio aims to share inclusive, relevant and positive content to help lift the spirits around the globe. With shows offering insight into wellness in every facet listeners will find topics that resonate and inspire.

Thank you for reading this article on our free-to-read website. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

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Kirkcaldy radio station that highlights positive change set to relaunch - Fife Today

Nothing captures the importance of educating women better than the old African proverb - If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation. Unfortunately, even though theres general consensus on the immense benefits of educating and empowering women, implementing women education and empowerment projects are often stymied by antiquated social customs and the medieval belief that a womans role is restricted to housekeeping, bearing children and bringing them up. To make matters worse, emancipation of women through education and skill development is perceived as a threat in many male dominated societies and hence discouraged.

The state of women education in J&K isnt very promising. As per the last census held in 2011, while the literacy rate in Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh was 68.74 percent, literacy amongst women was just 58.01 with the high school dropout rate of women being much higher than their male counterparts. What is most disquieting is that on converting these percentages into figures, it emerges that one out of three women in this region cant read or write, which by any standards is unacceptable in the twenty first century! As such, this issue merits greater deliberation.

Even though a National Sample Survey on education held in erstwhile J&K from July 2017 to June 2018 indicates a definite improvement in the overall literacy rate, which stands at 77.3 percent, the female literacy is only 68 percent. Considering the fact that National Sample Survey deems anyone of the age of seven and above who can read and write a simple message in any language with understanding as being literate and percentage of such persons as literacy rate, the data on female literacy in J&K as well as Ladakh reveals a serious deficiency. This sorry state of affairs warrants institutional intervention.

So, J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinhas recent announcement of a scholarship scheme to finance education of meritorious girls from poor families in professional disciplines like medicine, engineering, skill acquisition in Industrial Training Institutes [ITI] and humanities that would contribute to nation-building is indeed a welcome step in empowering the womenfolk of J&K. Launched on International Womens Day, this initiative has been named Super-75 scholarship scheme to mark Azaadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav- India@75 and has many positives. Firstly, this scholarship isnt a largesse being doled out on personal whims and fancies; its based purely on individual merit and as such will serve as an incentive for the deserving who dont have the financial means to achieve their professional ambitions.

However, Super-75 Scholarship isnt the only scheme to bolster women empowerment in J&K. Lt Governor Sinha also announced launch of Tejaswini- a scheme under the Mission Youth programme, which will provide financial assistance ofupto 5 lakhs to girls between in the age group of 18 to 35 years to start their own business. Mission Youth will not only provide 10 per cent of the project cost but will also pay the annual interest of the loan as well as facilitate access of women entrepreneurs to the global market and provide them details about innovative products. In order to enhance the literacy rate in J&K, the Lt Governor also announced exemption of tuition fees from girl students upto 12th standard studying in government schools and a total of 5,89,000 girls would benefit from this free education scheme.

To help girl students residing in remote areas, the establishment has operationalised made 88 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya and an equal number of girls hostels operational. A total of 13 scholarship schemes to support higher education of meritorious girls belonging to financially weak sections of society have also been announced. The government is playing its part to improve literacy rate amongst women in J&K as well as empower them and give wings to their dreams. Now its the turn of parents and girls [both students and entrepreneurs] to ensure that they derive maximum benefit from these schemes. Everyone knows that when it comes to excelling in any sphere of activity, Kashmiri girls are second to none, and many who have brought laurels for both the community and country.

Take for example Sabbah Haji, who has started Haji Public School in a remote village of J&K in order to provide quality education to children, or Nadiya Nighat who stormed into the predominantly male football bastion by becoming Kashmirs first female football coach. Then we have Tajamul Islam who represented India in the Under 8 World Kickboxing Championship and did the country proud by winning a gold medal! Pursuing her dream, law graduate Mehvish Zarger co-founded the Me n U Caf in Srinagar and became the first woman entrepreneur in the eatery business in Kashmir. Roohi Nazki is another entrepreneur who founded Chai Jaai- a popular tea room in Srinagar. The list goes on.

However, a word of caution. The crying need of the hour is to ensure that unscrupulous elements dont sabotage government initiatives concerning education and empowerment of women by making it an arena of conflict just to derive petty political gains or further separatist agenda. It needs to be understood that if this happens, then no one but the local girls of J&K would be the ultimate losers!

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New Impetus to Women Education and Empowerment in J&K - Brighter Kashmir

The COVID-19 pandemic has been disproportionately devastating for mothers, and especially mothers of color. According to the National Women's Law Center, 2.3 million women left the workforce in the last year, putting the women's labor force participation rate at 57%the lowest it's been since 1988. That's thirty years of progress for women, erased in a matter of months.

That's why this Mother's Day, more than ever, we need to do more than just thank our moms. We need to advocate for the systemic changes they really need and compensate them for their unseen and unpaid labor.

"A dozen roses are not going to cut it this year," said Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code and the Marshall Plan for Moms. "The pandemic has intensified what was already a national crisis for working moms, and especially for moms of color. Every year on Mother's Day we come together to celebrate our moms, but the truth is, this year, we have to repair the broken structure of motherhood in America. Because what moms really wantwhat they really needis a national reckoning: one that reimagines our culture and rebuilds a system to actually value our work."

Unlike the floral display at the grocery store, this flower shop features bouquets as valuable as the women they're intended for. Their prices spotlight the various ways in which our national policies and COVID relief efforts are failing to adequately support mothers. The highest price tag belongs to the Unpaid Work Bouquet, which is based on new data released last week from Oxfam showing that women around the world lost $800 billion in income as they lost jobs or left the workforce to care for family. Other bouquets highlight long standing issues that directly impact women's finances and their ability to work and have children. The store also features stories from moms across the country who are feeling the real world impact of our broken system.

Bouquets in the Moms Deserve More Flower Store include:

"We need systemic changes to our policies that compensate moms for their work," said Saujani. "If nobody can afford the cost of these bouquets, let's ask ourselves why we are continuing to ask women to pay that price."

The Moms Deserve More Flower Store is supported by well known moms, advocates and organizations including Amy Schumer, Grace Meng, Ai-jen Poo, co-founder and Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Mara Bolis, Associate Director of Women's Economic Empowerment at Oxfam America, National Women's Law Center, Paid Leave for All, PL+US, and Scary Mommy. These advocates agree that the usual Mother's Day gifts are simply not enough to show mothers we truly value them and the enormous amount of work they do every day.

"Child care should be universally accessible and affordable to all families, and child care workers must be able to earn living wages and be treated with dignity and respect, said Ai-jen Poo, co-founder and Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. "For far too long, those in power have devalued caregiving and allowed for women, especially women of color, to be forced out of the workforce and care workers to be underpaid. Parents and care workers are doing the crucial and challenging work of nurturing the potential of future generations. As a nation, if we're to realize our potential, they must be supported by our public policy, our systems and a culture that values care."

"Care needs have spiked during the pandemic, and womenwho are the shock absorbers of societyhave stepped in to fill the gap at the expense of their own of economic and emotional wellbeing," said Mara Bolis, Associate Director of Women's Economic Empowerment at Oxfam America. "Across the world, women in the formal sector lost $800 billion last year due to lost jobs and stepping out of the workforce to care for children, the sick and elderly. This year for Mother's Day, we are asking for an economic recovery plan that works for moms and invests in our nation's care infrastructure so that mothers don't have to continue to serve as society's safety net."

"The lack of quality, affordable childcare for every mom in this country is a national crisis, said Amy Schumer. "When a family can't afford child care, the responsibility to take on the role of caregiver usually falls to the mom. We need to change this broken system now."

"This is a unique Mother's Day message still a celebration of Moms, but with a more focused point of view of the actual cost of motherhood," and Amy Frisch, Managing Director and Head of Client Services at SS+K, the agency that managed the visual identity, website and creative launch of the campaign, said. "It's about time we acknowledged the financial expense associated with motherhood. This project was personal. I'm a mom, and I worked alongside a team of other SS+K moms. Collaborating with Reshma, we knew we could create a campaign that could make an impact in forcing this long overdue conversation."

In January, 50 prominent women ran a full page ad in The New York Times calling on the Biden Administration to create a task force dedicated to implementing a "Marshall Plan for Moms": that is, paying mothers for their unpaid, unseen labor, and passing policies addressing parental leave, affordable childcare, and pay equity. Following the New York Times ad, Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) introduced the Marshall Plan for Moms (H.Res.121), a transformative piece of legislation to help women return to the workforce, and, for the first time, offer much-needed assistance to mothers who have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Marshall Plan for Moms was then introduced in the Senate by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). In February, 50 prominent male allies, including Steph Curry, Don Cheadle, Colin Farrell and others signed a letter in the Washington Post calling on Congress to support the "Marshall Plan for Moms."

Visit the Moms Deserve More Flower Store HERE

Find more information on the Marshall Plan for Moms HERE

Please send media inquiries to [emailprotected]

About Marshall Plan for Moms Marshall Plan for Moms is a national movement to center women in our economic recovery and champion public and private sector policies that support all moms. Our goal is to create sweeping cultural change to value women's unseen and unpaid work, and rebuild our broken system to make it possible for women to work and have kids. Together we are galvanizing moms across the country to finish the fight for women's equality once and for all.

SOURCE Marshall Plan For Moms

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Marshall Plan For Moms Launches "Moms Deserve More Flower Store" Highlighting What Moms Really Need This Mother's Day - PRNewswire

By Opinion May 1, 2021

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By Latashia Naidoo

The Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with lockdown restrictions, has wreaked havoc on the fitness industry.

But one nutrition and exercise expert is changing all that by fighting back with fitness.

Through innovation and working across multiple platforms to curb the effects of Covid-19 on a persons health, Durban-based fitness guru, Sandesh Moothee Ram, aged 34 has made it his mission to help people cultivate better relationships with food, exercise, and their bodies.

In recent months, the closure of gyms and fitness centres across the country has seen once-active gym goers taking a health hiatus due to a lack of available resources. But with over a decades experience and certifications in the fitness industry, Moothee Rams approach to tackling the Covid-19 pandemic head on is by helping clients through a variety of interventions that dont always include having to go to a gym, all while enhancing their lifestyles in a healthier way.

Moothee Rams journey into the world of fitness started 12 years ago, when he began selling sports supplements from the boot of his car.

Fast forward to today, and hes since helped dozens of people with becoming better versions of themselves through specialised personal training solutions, and the addition of sports supplements through his outlet, Gym Junkie.

According to Moothee Ram: With restricted movements through lockdown and a dramatic decrease in individuals abilities to get to gyms, I decided to establish a number of online platforms to help clients get and stay fit, and to ensure they had the tools necessary to do so at their disposal.

Through his online coaching site, Alpha 365 Online, Moothee Ram curates tailor-made solutions for clients to ensure their long-term sustainable health. But its his newest venture, MisFIT, which looks to be his most rewarding. Focused entirely on women empowerment, the soon-to-be-launched platform caters to women of all ages, shapes and sizes.

The Covid-19 pandemic saw an increase in women abuse and incidences of GBV. I decided to empower women by teaching them how to physically fight back. My goal is to also help women to be more self-confident with their appearance and within, especially in male-dominated environments, Moothee Ram said.

Fitness is a passion of mine and ensuring every individual attains physical excellence and mental strength is what I strive for daily. It is never a day at work for me, and money is a byproduct in my journey to uplift society.

Moothee Ram credits his strong sports upbringing as a child with the success hes attained in his career today. Hes excelled provincially and at national level in both cricket and rugby, and within the competitive bodybuilding arena. I encourage all parents to ensure their kids are involved in sports from a young age as the sports field is a great leveler and humbles everybody. Your work ethic and desire to succeed are the only things that matter, Moothee Ram said.

His future goals include uplifting disadvantaged sportsmen by empowering them with the knowledge of nutrition and exercise and conditioning for their applied sport to further their sporting careers in spite of any financial shortcomings they may have. His advice to would-be entrepreneurs looking to break into the fitness industry is: Provide an irreplaceable service offered from true passion for the betterment of your clients health and wellbeing.

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Meet this fitness junkie who is using his muscle to fight Covid-19 - IOL