Health First expanding in Melbourne, it opens child`s center to public

BBN Vol. 28 No. 16

Brevard

Business

April 19, 2010

News

A Weekly Space Coast Business Magazine

Health First expanding in Melbourne, it opens child’s center to public By Ken Datzman Some good news for parents in the region, the Center for Child Development on the Holmes Regional Medical Center campus in Melbourne is opening to the public, and now accepting enrollments for the 2010–2011 school year. Operated by Health First Inc., the roughly 11,000–square–foot day–care center previously served only the children of Health First associates. Located at 611 E. Sheridan Road, next to Health First’s Pro–Health and Fitness Center, it is one of the largest facilities of its kind in Brevard County. The center is licensed to serve 407 children. Recently, Health First purchased a 10,000–square–foot building behind its current Center for Child Development and is widening its reach in the market with the targeting of enrollments from the general community. Now, the operation will have more than 20,000 square feet of space devoted to child–development activities. “The new building gives us the capabil-

ity to open the center to the public for enrollments of 3–, 4–, and 5–year–olds, which is exciting,” said Health First’s Vasu Vasudevan, manager of the Center for Child Development, which is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. “I think we will have from 40 to 50–plus openings, including 10 to 15 slots for the state–funded Voluntary Prekindergarten program,” she said. The VPK program provides 4–year–olds access to quality education experiences that are proven to prepare them for future success in school and in life. “There is considerable documentation of the successes of VPK programs in Florida,” she said. Vasudevan started working at the Center for Child Development 19 years ago as a weekend staff member and rose through the ranks to become its manager. She has watched the organization grow. “We started in a small modular unit, across from Holmes Regional on Sheridan Road, with an enrollment of about 30 Please see Health First, page 19

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Health First’s Center for Child Development is now open to the public. Previously, it catered only to Health First associates. Health First purchased a 10,000–square–foot building on the Holmes Regional campus in Melbourne to expand the operation, which now touts more than 20,000 square feet between two buildings dedicated to child development. Vasu Vasudevan, left, is the center’s manager. Kathy Turner is the childcare and education coordinator.

Federal government takes charge of the student–loan program President Barack Obama recently signed a bill that ends a 45–year–old program under which banks and other private–sector lenders such as Sallie Mae receive a federal subsidy for making government–guaranteed college loans. Instead, the U.S. Department of Education — which already makes roughly a third of these loans through its direct– lending program — will make 100 percent of them starting July 1. The change will have a big impact on

some lenders and colleges but relatively little on borrowers. They will continue to get the same loans — including Stafford loans for students and Plus loans for parents and graduate students — on largely the same terms. Students who previously had to choose a private–sector lender for their guaranteed loans will now have only one choice: the government. Banks can continue to make private, non–guaranteed college loans, but these are generally more expensive than guaranteed loans. With a single lender providing all guaranteed loans, some fear that customer

service could deteriorate or that discounts once offered by private–sector lenders will disappear. On the upside, the interest rate on Plus loans is only 7.9 percent in the direct–loan program versus 8.5 percent in the bank program. Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of

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Finaid.com, says the approval rate on Plus loans is also higher in the direct program. The rate on Stafford loans is the same in both programs. The change will not affect any loans Please see College Loans, page 16

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McCormick survives lymphoma, competes in Disney marathon VIERA — Paula McCormick, vice president and branch manager of Seacoast National Bank’s office in The Avenue, recently celebrated multiple milestones in completing her first marathon, surviving lymphoma, and closing in on her fund–raising goals for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Her journey began in mid–2009 when she discovered an abnormality in her eye while preparing for a July 4 celebration. What she originally thought was an irritation turned out to be later diagnosed as a treatable form of lymphoma, which led her to learn more about the disease and what she could do to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In November, McCormick began four months of training with the Central Florida Chapter Team in Training to prepare for the Disney Princess Half–Marathon, which benefited the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. During her training, she also underwent four weeks of radiation treatments to arrest the lymphoma, during which time she suffered a spasm in her coronary artery that resulted in a subsequent heart attack on Christmas Eve of 2009. Undaunted by these challenges, McCormick successfully completed her treatments in mid–January 2010 and continued to train and raise sponsorship funds. Placing 7,364 out of 11,352 runners that finished the marathon on March 7, she has raised more than 72 percent of her fund– raising goal to date. The 11 Team in Training chapters have raised more than $750,000 to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. “I was diagnosed with a form of lymphoma, which is treatable through radiation, and wanted to do something for all the people who have to endure longer chemo– therapy treatments,” said McCormick. “I was a non–runner when I decided to train with Central Florida’s Team in Training. Fortunately, there wasn’t any tissue damage to my heart muscle and I was able to continue my training and my fund–raising efforts.” Members of Central Florida Chapter’s Team in Training program are trained by local athletes. They attend training sessions and nutrition and fitness clinics in preparation to run or walk a 26.2–mile marathon or a 13.1–mile half marathon, cycle a 100–mile ride, or complete an international distance triathlon — all in honor of a community member affected by leukemia, Hodgkin’s or non–Hodgkin’s lymphoma, or myeloma. To learn more how you can become a Team in Training sponsor, visit http://pages.teamintraining.org/cfl/dipihalf10/ Seacoast.

Rossetter House Museum event set The historic Rossetter House Museum in the Eau Gallie Arts District in Melbourne will present a free–of–charge “Public Archaeology Day” on Saturday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The address is 1320 Highland Ave. Representatives from the Florida Public Archaeology Network will survey the historic “Houston Cemetery.” The program will include archaeological displays and demonstrations. For more details about this event, call 254–9855 or visit www.rossetterhousemuseum.org. APRIL 19, 2010

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EDITORIAL Study: To predict student success, there’s no place like home By Larry Lansford Current school reform efforts, like No Child Left Behind, emphasize teacher quality as the most important factor in student success, but University of Florida researchers have identified another, stunningly accurate predictor of classroom performance — the student’s home address. Right down to the neighborhood and street number. The researchers attribute their finding to a profound correlation they documented between home location, family lifestyles and students’ achievement on state standardized tests. “The core philosophy of school reform today is that effective schools and quality teaching can correct all learning problems, including those of poor minority students who are most at risk, and if they fail it’s the educators’ fault,” said Harry Daniels, professor of counselor education at UF’s College of Education and lead investigator of the study. “While school improvement and teaching

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4300 Fortune Place, Suite D West Melbourne, FL 32904 (321) 951–7777 fax (321) 951–4444 BrevardBusinessNews.com PUBLISHER Adrienne B. Roth EDITOR Ken Datzman OFFICE MANAGER Frank Schiffmann Brevard Business News is published every Monday by Brevard Business News Inc. Bulk Rate postage is paid at Melbourne, FL and Cocoa, FL. This publication serves business executives in Brevard County. It reports on news, trends and ideas of interest to industry, trade, agribusiness, finance, health care, high technology, education and commerce. Letters to the Editor must include the writer’s signature and printed or typed name, full address and telephone number. Brevard Business News reserves the right to edit all letters. Send your letters to: Editor, Brevard Business News, 4300 Fortune Place, Suite D, West Melbourne, FL, 32904, or email [email protected]. Subscription Rates for home or office mail delivery are $26.00 for one year (52 issues). Send all address changes to: Circulation Department, Brevard Business News, 4300 Fortune Place, Suite D, West Melbourne, FL, 32904, or email [email protected].

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quality are vital, we are demonstrating that the most important factor in student learning may be the children’s lifestyle and the early learning opportunities they receive at home. “Where students live — their neighborhood and even the street — may be the most accurate indicator of academic achievement.” Since 2006, the researchers have conducted ongoing studies in two Florida school districts, in Alachua and Bay counties, tracking children from working poor families compared with more well–off counterparts. Daniels and co–researchers Eric Thompson and Dia Harden, both UF graduate students in counselor education, reported their findings March 20 in Pittsburgh at the American Counseling Association’s annual conference and exposition, the world’s largest gathering of counselors. Collaborating with UF business geography professor Grant Thrall, the Florida researchers produced special “geo–demographic” maps of the two school districts, showing every student’s home address, color–coded to indicate their household lifestyle traits. The researchers borrowed “lifestyle segmentation” profiling methods used by direct marketers and political strategists to classify every student into one of several lifestyle groups (four in Bay County, three in Alachua), each based on a common set of values, income level, spending patterns, education level, ethnic diversity of neighborhood and other shared traits. “The color–coded patterns on the maps reflect the tendency of families with like lifestyles to live in clusters in the same neighborhoods, and family income level is just one of several variables they share,” Daniels said. The researchers then examined the relationship between each group’s lifestyle profile and their math and reading scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, the state’s standardized exam used to evaluate student and school performance. Researchers discovered the groups’ socio–economic level corresponded with their group ranking on FCAT scores. The most affluent lifestyle group registered the highest FCAT scores, the second

richest group ranked second in test scores, and so on. On the math tests, the gap between the highest and lowest scoring lifestyle groups was more than two grade levels. “The testing patterns in both counties virtually mirrored each other,” Daniels said. “Every lifestyle group improved in FCAT scores from year to year until the 10th grade exam (which students must pass to graduate high school), when improvement leveled off. But they all improved at the same rate, so the achievement gap persisted year to year.” On the researchers’ special maps, the color–coding patterns by neighborhood were almost identical for both FCAT achievement levels and lifestyle profiles. While neighborhood location and a student’s home life are factors beyond teachers’ control, Daniels said such home–based variables merit heightened attention in bridging the achievement gap in America’s schools. “The promise of this approach is its potential to help schools reach those younger students in time to improve their chances for success,” he said. The UF study entailed analysis of massive student test results. Researchers tracked five years’ worth of test scores for Bay County public schools (2003–2007), and three years’ worth (2004–2006) in Alachua County schools. They analyzed scores only from students who took the FCAT every year of the study–more than 14,000 in each county. Over the years, those students generated more than 42,000 FCAT scores each in reading and math in Alachua County, and some 72,000 test scores in each subject in Bay County. Overall, more than a quarter– million test scores were analyzed. William Goodman, supervisor of guidance and student services for Alachua County Public Schools, said the UF team’s data–mapping methods can help school districts target specific neighborhoods and schools for federal and state grant money to improve educational services. “Data mapping and life–segmentation research is likely to become more prevalent as there is a growing awareness about how this decision–making tool might best be used to improve the quality of life for students,” Goodman said.

Space Coast Scramble to benefit Brevard youngsters AMIkids Space Coast will hold its annual Scramble Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 1, at Viera East Golf Course. The fund–raiser assists the nonprofit in the redirection and rehabilitation of Brevard’s male youth who have committed crimes. Supporters and golfers attending the event will have a breakfast provided by the culinary art students at AMIkids Space Coast and the barbecue lunch will be provided by the Brevard County Sherriff’s Office. Brevard Sherriff Jack Parker, board member of AMIkids Space Coast, said, “It’s an honor to be involved with a program that’s effective in eliminating crime in our community.” Graduates of AMIkids Space Coast, formerly known as the Space Coast Marine Institute, have an 83 percent success rate, meaning they are unlikely to become repeat offenders in the community. “With the involvement of our 22 board members, the popularity of the Space Coast Scramble has grown and so has the need for our services,” said Wendell Watson, executive director of AMIkids Space Coast. “We’ve been holding this event for the past 21 years and the results have been a great asset in helping us continue what we do best — putting kids first. Brevard’s community members, businesses, volunteers and board members work together in organizing the event so students’ needs are met and their educational opportunities grow.” Golfers who are interested in participating in the tournament as individuals or as part of four–player teams can learn more about the event by visiting www.amikidsspacecoast.org or calling 752–3200. The cost is $125 per player or $500 per team. Sponsorship opportunities are available starting at $100. Registration and breakfast begins at 7 a.m., with a shotgun start at 8 o’clock. Call Adrienne Roth at 321-951-7777 for Advertising Information

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Florida Tech is among university participants at CERN in Geneva The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva, Switzerland, has launched a new era for particle physics. On March 30, the first particles collided at the record energy of seven trillion electron volts (TeV). These collisions mark the start of a decades–long LHC research program and inaugurate research by thousands of scientists around the world. Florida Institute of Technology is among four Florida universities, including Florida International University, Florida State University and the University of Florida, participating in the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at CERN. The CMS is one of the international experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. Florida Tech Department of Physics and Space Sciences faculty members have been actively involved with constructing and commissioning the CMS particle detectors. The Florida Tech team includes Marc Baarmand, who initiated the school’s participation in the CMS project in 2001; Marcus Hohlmann; five graduate students; and research scientist Igor Vodopiyanov. Florida Tech also hosts a “Tier–3” computer center, built under the direction of Hohlmann, which is one of the many regional hubs in the LHC Computing Grid. The Florida Tech CMS research group, which has received nearly $2 million in funding to support its research from the Department of Energy, will analyze collision data collected in the coming years, searching for signs of new fundamental particles and forces in nature. This could lead to major discoveries and publications in the field of elementary particle physics. “Today’s first 7 TeV collisions are a great start for LHC science,” said Dennis Kovar, associate director of science for High Energy Physics at the U.S. Department of Energy. “We eagerly anticipate the work of the world’s physicists as they begin their search for dark matter, extra dimensions, and the ever–elusive Higgs boson particle.” More than 1,700 scientists, engineers, students and technicians from 89 U.S. universities, seven DOE’s national laboratories and one supercomputing center helped design, build and operate the LHC accelerator and its four massive particle detectors. United States participation is supported by the DOE’s Office of Science and the National Science Foundation. Now, the real work begins for the LHC teams. Over the next 18 to 24 months, the LHC accelerator will deliver enough collisions at 7 TeV to enable significant advances in several research areas. More than 8,000 LHC scientists around the world will sift through the flood of data in search of the tiny signals that could indicate discovery. CERN is the world’s leading laboratory for particle physics. Its headquarters are in Geneva.

Cocoa Village Playhouse board to meet The Cocoa Village Playhouse Board of Directors will meet at 8 a.m. on Friday, April 30, in the Cocoa Village Playhouse, 300 Brevard Ave. The Cocoa Village Playhouse is a direct–support organization of BCC. For more information, call BCC’s Jim Ross, vice president for advancement and public affairs, at 433–7023. APRIL 19, 2010

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TRDA to conduct seven statewide small–business owner workshops Small businesses receive more than $2 billion in federal grants and contracts each year through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, but the road to receiving this funding is filled with competition. Florida’s Technological Research and Development Authority “understands that small–business owners need this funding and works to help them receive it.” Continuing its assistance, TRDA has put together seven workshops around the state featuring the “best SBIR trainers in the business.” The workshops will occur between late April and September and will feature nationally renowned SBIR trainers Mark Henry, president of Grow Emerging Companies in Colorado; Jim Greenwood, president of Greenwood Consulting Group in Sanibel Island; and Sharon Ballard, president of Enable Ventures in Arizona. “Florida has some of the brightest entrepreneurs across the nation, and TRDA strongly believes in helping these companies get the funding they need to make a difference in their respective sectors,” said Chester Straub, TRDA executive director. “These workshops will be invaluable to small– business owners working to achieve that goal.” The schedule of events and locations: l April 29 — Melbourne, TRDA Business Innovation Center, 1050 W. Nasa Blvd. l May 4 — Jacksonville, University of North Florida University Center, 1200 Alumni Drive. l June 3 — Miami, University of Miami in Coral Gables. l June 10 — Tallahassee, National High Magnetic Field Lab at Innovation Park, 1800 E. Paul Dirac Drive. l July 15 — Largo, Star Technology Enterprise Center, 7887 Bryan Dairy Road. l Aug. 4 — Orlando, Disney Entrepreneur Center, 315 E. Robinson St., Suite 100. l Sept. 16 — Boca Raton, Enterprise Development Corp. Technology Business Incubator at FAU, 3701 FAU Blvd., Suite 201. The workshops are scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $49 per person, per workshop, and includes lunch. Parties must register at TRDA.org. Contact Bonnie O’Regan at [email protected] or 872–1050, extension 107, with questions or for more information. Support for this program was provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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Brevard Youth Expo set for Wickham Park Brevard County Parks and Recreation will host the Brevard Youth Expo from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 24 at Wickham Park Main Pavilion, located at 3845 N. Wickham Road, in Melbourne. This event provides parents with an opportunity to discover activities and programs that are available for children throughout Brevard. The event features local organizations and businesses that offer programs designed for pre–school through high–school age youth. For more information or to pick up a exhibitor application, visit the South Area Parks Operations office at 1515 Sarno Road, B–2, in Melbourne, or call 255–4400. This event is being sponsored by “Florida Today.” APRIL 19, 2010

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Executives Mitch Garner and Randy Koller of Symetrics Industries in Melbourne have been named revenue chairs for the 2010 March of Babies, the March of Dimes’ signature fund–raiser of the year. They have “personally committed to raising more than $30,000” toward the March for Babies goal of $250,000 to support March of Dimes research and community programs, which help mothers have full–term pregnancies and babies to begin healthy lives. In Brevard County, the March for Babies event will take place on April 17 at The Avenue Viera and April 24 at Jetty Park in Cape Canaveral. To walk with Brevard County’s leading businesses, sign up for the event at marchforbabies.org or call 775–0205. “In order for the March of Dimes to continue to support all the efforts in Florida, the need for Brevard County to participate in March for Babies is more important than ever,” says Garner, president and chief executive officer of Symetrics. “I challenge Brevard’s business leaders to join me to raise critical funds so that all babies have the chance to be born healthy.” “Without the support from Brevard County residents and businesses, the March of Dimes may have to cut back on research that saves babies’ lives and may not be able to help all the families who depend on its highly respected programs like NICU Family Support, which provides comfort and information for families with a baby in intensive care,” said Shanna Michel, of the March of Dimes. The most urgent infant health problem in the U.S. today is premature birth, Michel said. “It affects more than 500,000 babies each year, with the number growing every day.” Babies born too soon are more likely to die or have disabilities. The March of Dimes “is committed to reducing this statistic by funding research to find the answers to premature birth.” For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.

‘All That Jazz’ set for downtown Titusville The Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce will host “All That Jazz,” a street–party celebration, at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, April 23, in downtown Titusville. Guests can watch “the filming of Titusville’s first music video.” The event will feature live entertainment, jazz music, food, activities for youngsters, and more. A free movie night sponsored by Parrish Medical Center is part of the program. Jazz vendors and performers are needed for the event. Call 267–3036 for more information about the Street Party.

‘Fight for Air Asthma Walk’ May 1 in Viera The American Lung Association’s second annual “Fight for Air Asthma Walk” will be held on Saturday, May 1, at Space Coast Stadium in Viera. Event registration is set for 9 a.m. May is Asthma Awareness Month. The program will feature a number of activities and is suitable for all ages. In Central Florida, more than 45,000 children are affected by asthma. The American Lung Association is looking to raise $15,000 from this event for the fight against asthma. For more information, call (407) 425–5864 or visit www.fightforairwalkspacecoast.org. APRIL 19, 2010

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One Senior Place’s Kelsch and PMC’s McAlpine to lead Forum The Brevard Healthcare Forum has announced its incoming Executive Committee members. Shawna Serig Kelsch and Chris McAlpine will serve as the Forum’s chair and vice chair, respectively, beginning May 1. The organization serves as the health–planning body for Brevard County and seeks to foster collaborative relationships that facilitate the sharing of data and expertise to address the county’s most pressing health– care issues. Kelsch, who most recently was the Forum’s vice chair, has been an active member of the organization since 2004, participating on various committees since joining. She is currently employed as the marketing director for One Senior Place in Viera and is actively involved in a number of community and charitable organizations. McAlpine is senior vice president of professional services/administration for Parrish Medical Center in Titusville. He serves as co–coordinator for American Cancer Society’s North Brevard Relay for Life, and is a board member of the Central Florida Health Forum, Hospice of St. Francis, the Brevard Symphony Orchestra and the advisory panel of the American Heart Association. Keith Lundquist, outgoing chair, is the vice president of planning and marketing for Health First Inc. Since 2006, Lundquist has led the board in a number of successful initiatives to help improve the health of the community. Among them are ongoing programs designed to improve access to care, combat childhood obesity and address chronic drinking — priority issues identified by findings from a recent Brevard County community–health survey. A Patient Safety Task Force under the guidance of Lundquist also has been successful in implementing hospital–safety initiatives including coordination of a tobacco–free environment on all Brevard hospital campuses in 2009. Recently retired Brevard County Health Department health director, Dr. Heidar Heshmati, also served as vice chair of the committee from 2007–2010. Since 1996, the Brevard Healthcare Forum has been sponsored by Florida Institute of Technology and served as a countywide coalition of health–care providers and other organizations. Current membership includes representatives from these organizations: Brevard Community College, Brevard County government, Brevard County Health Department, Brevard Health Alliance, Brevard Public Schools, Circles of Care, Devereux Florida, Florida Institute of Technology, Health Council of East Central Florida, Health First, Healthy Start Coalition of Brevard, Parrish Medical Center and Wuesthoff Health System.

Honor America seeks parade applications Honor America and the Liberty Bell Memorial Museum are accepting applications from individuals and groups to participate in the annual 4th of July parade in Melbourne. There is no charge to enter the parade, which begins at 11 a.m. and travels through downtown Melbourne and ends at the museum on Oak Street. For more information on this event, call Honor America at 727–1776. APRIL 19, 2010

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BUSINESS Northrop Grumman steps up in tight economy with uplifting commitment to community, a laser focus on education and the environment; strong partnerships with Florida Tech, Brevard Zoo By Ken Datzman VIERA — Since the upheaval in the economy began more than two years ago, corporate America has whittled across a wide swath of its business foundation, including cutting research and development spending, slicing employment ranks, and reducing philanthropy and giving. Communities of all sizes around the nation have felt the impact of these recession–driven changes, particularly in the giving sector because it plays such a central role in supporting education, event sponsorships, and other areas that align closely with businesses needs. Some corporations though, both public and private entities, have held to their community– involvement agendas through the downturn, continuing to invest through dollar contributions and in other ways. Los Angeles–based Northrop Grumman Corp., with operations in 50 states, including Florida's Brevard County (where more than 2,000 people are employed), is one company that has kept its laser focus on supporting education and the environment, among other community involvements. That commitment is evident in Brevard, where the company has taken a leadership role in corporate citizenship. “I think it’s very critical to do so especially in today’s economy,” said Tom Vice, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector and the company’s business leader on the Space Coast. “Communities are where we live, where we go to church, where we send our children to schools. So part of our overall strategy is to focus on the community, as well as being environmental stewards. And we are stepping it up.” Northrop Grumman has been a “strong supporter of Brevard” since it first opened in Melbourne decades ago, with the Joint–STARS program, Vice said. The employees and the company have given tens of thousands of dollars in donations to many organizations, and thousands of hours of volunteer time to the community. “Our reach is wide and we have often been recognized by those groups for our support of them. We are humbled by, and proud of, those honors.” Northrop Grumman is the presenting sponsor for the Brevard Zoo’s signature fund–raising event, “Safari Under the Stars,” set for April 24 at the zoo and typically attended by hundreds of businesspeople in the community. “We are thrilled to have Northrop Grumman support us this year,” said Keith Winsten, executive director of the Brevard Zoo, a nonprofit organization BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 10

that does not receive government funding and generates its revenues from admissions and the sale of goods. “They have been supporting the Brevard Zoo in a variety of ways, and we feel we bring real value to the community, including to the employees of Northrop Grumman. We also share some similar missions, in terms of educating children in mathematics and science. It’s a perfect partnership for us,” Winsten added. Vice said Northrop Grumman has a global commitment to reducing its carbon footprint across 50 states and 25 countries where it operates. “Every employee is working to leave the planet in better shape than we were given, for our children and our grandchildren. I believe our support of the Brevard Zoo is another great example of how we are linking together our commitment to education and to the environment.” Like most corporations, Northrop Grumman prioritizes its funding resources in communities. Its strategy centers on two main audiences: the men and women who serve in the military, and the children and teens who will be the nation’s future work force. Vice said his company has a “very strong focus on energizing young people to consider pursuing a STEM career,” which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. “Education is a passion of mine,” said Vice, an aerospace engineering graduate of the University of Southern California. In 2009, Northrop Grumman made a $1 million gift to Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne. The donation funded the newly named Northrop Grumman Engineering and Science Student Design Showcase, a spring competition where students design and build original products, from robots to rockets. Florida Tech engineering and science students have been required to complete a hands– on, detailed senior project before graduation. “The $1 million endowment enables the university and our company to accelerate opportunities for enterprising college seniors to succeed and prepare them to join the work force,” Vice said. This year, Northrop Grumman launched the “NextGen” engineer program at its Melbourne facility to give 29 high–school juniors across Brevard a hands–on experience with some of the company’s “leading engineers on a variety of topics. The students’ enthusiasm and energy is boundless and we want to keep that going,” he said. To help strengthen that interest and enthusiasm beyond high school, “we offer a dedicated engineering scholarship to students entering their freshman year of college and pursuing a degree in engineering, math, or technology. It’s a very competitive applica-

BBN photo — Adrienne B. Roth

Tom Vice, right, is vice president and general manager for Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector. His company has played a role in strengthening the local community through significant corporate donations and employee volunteerism. An example is its partnership with the Brevard Zoo, where Keith Winsten is the executive director. Northrop Grumman is the presenting sponsor of the zoo’s 2010 signature fund–raiser, ‘Safari Under the Stars.”

tion process and the applicants are incredibly talented.” In addition to the $10,000 they receive toward their four–year college education, the “students are linked with one of our senior engineers, who are mentors to them for the entire four years. Personally, I think the greatest value to the program is the cross–generational collaboration that occurs from the experience and what the students end up with — and that is often a job at our company,” Vice said. Corporate planning for community involvement has moved out of the “crisis mode and into a recovering mindset,” according to a new annual survey of corporate–giving strategies of U.S. companies, released March 31 by The Conference Board, a global business research and membership association. Twenty percent of companies said they would reduce their giving budgets in 2010, compared with 53 percent in 2009. The report is titled “The 2010 Philanthropy Agenda: Is the Pressure Easing?” A growing number of business executives across the nation, including Vice, believe corporations should play a greater role in helping communities solve problems in education and other areas. “Absolutely. Businesses can play big roles in solving problems in communities. I think that businesses and the public sector have to work together to help solve these problems.”

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APRIL 19, 2010

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BUSINESS Timeless musical ‘Ragtime,’ with a record cast, headlines The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse during April; to be followed by ‘Man of La Mancha’; Playhouse tracking a ‘break–even’ season By Ken Datzman COCOA VILLAGE — Staci Hawkins–Smith is sitting in a small room off The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse stage, where racks of colorful, highly detailed costumes, many of which are handmade, are kept. One flight up is another room where even more costumes of a wide range are displayed. Many of the hundreds of outfits will be worn by the cast of “Ragtime, the Musical.” The cast consists of 104 people, with the youngest showman 5 years old. Each person in the cast has at “least three costumes” for the performances. “It’s the largest cast I’ve ever had to assemble, outside of a children’s show,” said Hawkins–Smith, who is in her 20th year as executive director of the Playhouse, a direct–support organization of Brevard Community College. “Ragtime is a very multicultural show and it takes all these performers because they are representing the different segments of our culture. At the turn of the last century, this nation was very sectional.” “Ragtime” opened April 2 at the Playhouse and is sponsored by community–minded Bright House Networks. It is an epic tale of a “young America” played out in song and dance. The play paints a nostalgic and powerful portrait of life at the turn of the twentieth century, she said. The costumes and sets for the production are creative pieces in their own right. The Playhouse team includes Wendy Brenier, choreographer; Dan Hill, costume designer; Ian Cook scenic designer; and Jeremy Phelps, associate designer. American novelist E.L. Doctorow created his unique novel, “Ragtime,” in 1975. Hawkins–Smith said Ragtime blends three fictional families with various historical figures between 1902 and 1917, poignantly illustrating wealth and poverty, among other themes. The historical figures include Henry Ford and John Pierpoint “J.P.” Morgan. “So you have these real characters through history intertwined with the ones that are fictional,” representing the “melting pot of America,” she said. The three major, complex storylines of Ragtime are: a businessman–explorer and his dissatisfied wife; the African–American composer “Coalhouse Walker Jr.” and his love, “Sarah”; and a Jewish immigrant, “Tateh,” and his daughter. The acclaimed musical won 1998 Tony Awards for “Best Score, Best Book and Best Orchestrations.” Locally, J. Thomas Black Jr. is the music director and conductor for Ragtime. Ragtime plays through late April on various APRIL 19, 2010

dates as part of the Playhouse’s “Broadway on Brevard” series. Individual tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for students and senior citizens and $15 for children 12 years and younger. To purchase tickets for Ragtime or other Playhouse shows, call the box office at 636–5050 or visit www.CocoaVillagePlayhouse.com. The full schedule and dates for of performances are listed on the Web site. The Ragtime cast includes BCC’s associate provost in Cocoa LeRoy Dabry as “Coalhouse Walker Jr.”, Yvana Clowney (“Sarah”), Brenda Sheets (“Mother”), Terrence Girard (“Father”), John Dudley (“Little Boy”), Jason Crase (“Younger Brother”), Bill Kienstra (“Grandfather”), Stacy– Hawkins Smith’s husband Brian Smith (“Tateh”), Adagio Leo (“Little Girl”), Eli Chamberlain (“Emma Goldman”), Rene LaDulce (“Evelyn Nesbit”), Tim Smolinski (“Harry Houdini”), Don Griffin (“J.P. Morgan”), and Steve Davis (“Henry Ford”). Following Ragtime on the Playhouse schedule is a single performance of “1776,” directed by Hawkins–Smith. The show is set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20, at the Maxwell C. King Center on the BCC campus in Melbourne. Tickets are on sale for $22. Set in Philadelphia, “1776” is the Tony Award–winning musical about the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Area actors will be showcased with a score that features hits such as “Sit Down, John,” and “He Plays the Violin.” The play will be adapted to the King Center stage using the sets, costumes, lighting, and sound systems from the production’s previous successful run at the Playhouse. “On Sunday night (April 18), we will load our equipment at the Playhouse and transport it in a truck to the King Center. There, we’ll set up to rehearse for ‘1776.’ So it’s going to be a pretty fast turnaround for the Playhouse team,” Hawkins– Smith said. Next up on the Playhouse’s Broadway on Brevard schedule is “Man of La Mancha,” the Tony Award–winning musical and perennial crowd– pleaser. It will open May 7 and run through May 23 on selected dates. The show is an “inspirational musicalization” of the Miguel de Cervantes masterpiece about Don Quixote and Sancho Panza and their adventures in 17th century Spain at the time of the Spanish Inquisition. One of the biggest successes of the Playhouse over the years has been the children’s program, “Stars of Tomorrow.” Typically, more than 200 area youngsters from 7 to 17 years old participate in the program. June is children’s month at the

BBN photo — Adrienne B. Roth

Staci Hawkins–Smith is executive director of The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse, which is faring well in a challenging economy. Dan Hill is costume designer. ‘Ragtime,’ now playing at the 490–seat facility, features a record cast of 104 people. Ragtime showcases handmade costumes and unique sets, depicting life in America at the turn of the twentieth century.

Playhouse and the Stars of Tomorrow will perform in three shows. First is Disney’s “Cinderella” junior, scheduled June 4–6. This is Walt Disney’s timeless version of the classic fairy tale presented as a live stage show. “Seussical Jr.” will take center stage June 11–13. The fun and magic of “Dr. Seuss” comes to life in this “fun–filled musical” for the whole family. The third performance is Disney’s “High School Musical 2,” the sequel to the original hit show. The schedule closes with “Friday FUNday,” a variety show on June 25 for young audiences featuring acts created by the Stars of Tomorrow. Tickets for the Stars of Tomorrow shows are $10 for general admission, and $8 for students, senior citizens and children. On July 10, the Playhouse will announce the schedule for its 21st season. Hawkins–Smith said as the current season winds down, “the Playhouse is looking at a break–even number at the end of the year if all goes well. It’s been a good year. We’ve worked hard. We are very appreciative of the support of the BCC Trustees, Dr. Jim Drake (BCC president), and the Cocoa Village Playhouse Board of Directors, working together for the success of the Playhouse.”

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DIGEST Patriotic sounds of Sousa to headline concerts set for Melbourne Auditorium

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The patriotic sounds of the man dubbed “America’s first music superstar” will “ring loud and clear” when the Melbourne Municipal Band presents a “Sousa Style Concert” on Wednesday, April 21, and Thursday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m. in the Melbourne Auditorium, 625 E. Hibiscus Blvd. It is the second in a series of concerts this year during which the band is auditioning candidates for the position of principal conductor and will feature Aaron Collins as the guest conductor. Collins is a composer and the conductor of the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra. He also serves on the Brevard Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors. The program will include Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide Overture,” Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Festive Overture,” Jacques Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld,” William Schuman’s “Chester,” and two works by one of America’s most popular contemporary composers, Frank Ticheli. Interspersed with these selections will be a variety of Sousa Marches, a program style that was typical of Sousa concerts. David Ewing and Phillip Vu, musicians with the Melbourne Municipal Band, will be featured as soloists on the program. Sousa was the creator of the American Pops concert and was the model for Arthur Fiedler when he started the Boston Pops. His concerts were a blend of “light classics, new works, virtuoso soloists, and Sousa’s own inspiring marches, blended by a master showman.” He is remembered for many patriotic songs and marches, including the celebrated “Stars and Stripes Forever.” There is no charge for the concert and tickets are no longer required. Call 724–0555 or visit www.mmband.org for more information.

Space Coast Writers Guild workshop set The Space Coast Writers Guild will present its spring workshop, “Is Print–on– Demand Right for Me? The Benefits and Downsides of Self–Publishing,” from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on April 17 at the West Melbourne Public Library, 2755 Wingate Blvd. Bethany Brown, co–owner of the Cadence Group, will answer this question and many more regarding print–on–demand, book services, sales and marketing for self–published authors and small to mid–sized presses. The workshop fee is $20. The Cadence Group provides consulting, editorial and book services for self–published authors and small–to– mid–sized presses. The Web address is www.thecadencegrp.com. Amy MacGregor, former sales director of Adams, F&W and Sourcebooks, launched the Cadence Group three years ago and has built a “thriving business with an impressive client list.” For more information about the workshop, e–mail Joyce Henderson at [email protected].

‘The Sunshine Boys’ to open at Henegar Center Neil Simon’s Broadway comedy “The Sunshine Boys” will open at the Henegar Center in downtown Melbourne on Friday, April 23. The show will run through Sunday, May 16, on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. The cast includes: Don Cross, Gordon Ringer, Jim Schweller, Kaleb Lankford, Noah Marines, Kelsie Currie, Betty Schweller, Pete Jacobsen and Joe Hennessy. The show is produced by the Henegar Center and Red Carpet Productions. Gail Jean is the director, with technical direction by Brock Tucker. The Henegar Center is at 625 E. New Haven Ave. Tickets are $22 for adults and $20 for senior citizens. Reserved tickets may be purchased at the Henegar Center box office Monday through Friday, or by calling 723–8698. Tickets can be purchased online as well, at www.henegar.org.

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Central Florida Chamber Winds will perform a concert free of charge at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 2, at Suntree United Methodist Church, 7400 N. Wickham Road, in Melbourne. The group will be joined by Nancy Clew to perform “Poem for Flute” by Charles Giffes. Clew is the founder and director of the Space Coast Flute Orchestra and instructor of flute at Brevard Community College. Carl Adams, who has performed at the Kennedy Center for the Arts and the Carnegie Recital Hall, will be featured, too. The Chamber will also perform “Octets” by Carl Reinecke and Josef Mysliveck. The final work on the program will feature an expanded group for a suite for wind orchestra, “The Little Three Penny Opera,” by Kurt Weill. To receive tickets to ensure admission for the concert, call 223–6688 or visit www.cfwinds.org.

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DIGEST BBN Two international opera stars to perform April 25 at Florida Tech’s Gleason Center Two internationally acclaimed opera stars, one formerly and one currently with New York City’s Metropolitan Opera, will sing show tunes, old favorites and well–known arias in a concert that will delight people of all musical tastes. The performance will be held at 4 p.m. on April 25 at Florida Institute of Technology. Likely to be included in the program will be numbers from “South Pacific,” “Les Misérables,” and “Carmen.” The event, to be held in the university’s Gleason Performing Arts Center, was organized by the South Guild of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra. The singers, who have homes in Brevard County, are tenor Mark Baker and baritone Dean Peterson. Also featured on the program will be guest soprano Carla Cortner Mueller, a Brevard County native who has performed operatic roles in both the United States and Europe. Baker, who performed more than 200 times at the Met since his debut in 1986, has appeared with Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, and has sung leading roles in the opera houses of Paris, Buenos Aires, England, Chicago, San Francisco and more. Among his many roles are the title role in “Peter Grimes,” “Don Jose” in “Carmen,” “Siegmund” in “Die Walkure,” and “Samson” in “Samson et Dalila.” Retired from the Met two years ago, he teaches voice at Brevard Community College and lives in West Melbourne. Peterson, who continues to perform at the Met, has appeared at opera houses all over the United States and Canada, including the Spoleto U.S.A. Festival, and in Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Among his favorite roles are “Mustafa” in “L’Italiana in Algeri,” “Mephistopheles” in “Faust,” “Trulove” in “The Rake’s Progress,” and the king in “Aida,” all performed at the Met. He has a home in Satellite Beach. Tickets are $50 each. All profits will benefit the Brevard Symphony Orchestra. For tickets, visit The Symphony House at 1500 Highland Ave., in the Eau Gallie Arts District of Melbourne, or call the office at 242–2024. Tickets may also be purchased at Wesche Jewelers, 8145 N. Wickham Road, in Viera, and at RE/MAX Olympic Realty, 445 5th Ave., in Indialantic. The Gleason Performing Arts Center is located on University Boulevard at Babcock Street in Melbourne.

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Indialantic Chamber Singers to perform two concerts The Indialantic Chamber Singers, in its 11th season, will present “Life, Love and Lord Nelson” at two venues in Brevard. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 23, at Suntree United Methodist Church, 7400 N. Wickham Road, in Melbourne; and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 25, at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 106 N. Riverside Drive, in Indialantic. The concerts are free of charge and open to the public. Donations are accepted to cover the cost of music and the orchestra. For more information, call The Indialantic Chamber Singers, under the direction of David Vogeding, at 960–5000 or send an e–mail message to [email protected]. “Our selections will include two works, Franz Joseph Haydn’s exquisite ‘Lord Nelson Mass’ and John Rutter’s delightful ‘A Sprig of Thyme.’ These two pieces are absolutely magnificent,” said Tony Spadafora, president of the Indialantic Chamber Singers.

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Alzheimer’s professional caregiver training set A class titled “Special Care of Persons with Alzheimer’s and Related Dementia” will be presented from 1 to 5 p.m. on Monday, April 26, at One Senior Place in Viera. The program will be conducted by professionals from the Legacy Harbor Memory Resource Center, East Central Florida Memory Disorder Clinic, and One Senior Place. This class is geared to the health–care professional and provides an overview of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders, communication challenges, and dealing with difficult behaviors. The class is approved by the University of South Florida Training Academy of Aging and meets the requirements of Florida’s mandated Alzheimer’s disease training for nursing home, hospice, adult–day care, home health, and assisted living. At the conclusion of the class, each participant will receive a certificate of completion. The class fee is $15 per person, payable to East Central Florida Memory Disorder Clinic. To make a reservation to attend the event, call One Senior Place at 253–6320. One Senior Place is at 8085 Spyglass Hill Road. APRIL 19, 2010

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The Cancer Care Foundation Cordially invites you to attend the Caring Hearts Benefit In loving memory of Peter Bailey Fine Wines, Lavish Buffet Live Auction of Wines, Art Work & Jewelry Music by Frankie Lutz - Steel Drum Sounds of the Carribean Saturday, May 1, 2010 At the Riverside home of Ed and Jeanne André 3800 N. Riverside Dr., Indialantic, Florida 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. Reservations are limited $125.00 per person / Sponsorship Opportunities Available In keeping with Kentucky Derby Day hats tradition, we invite our guests to wear their “Derby Hats”. Proceeds will assist the uninsured cancer patient in Brevard and Indian River Counties with basic living expenses. For more information please contact Marta Fiol at (321) 952-8837 or [email protected]

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From walking on the moon to “Dancing with the Stars,” the next leap for former “moonwalker” Buzz Aldrin is onto the auction block for charity. A private dinner with Aldrin is just one of the unique one–on–one astronaut experiences featured in the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s semi–annual Astronaut Experiences and Memorabilia Auction, which debuted its catalog at www.astronautscholarship.org/ auction. The auction, which benefits the nonprofit Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, offers 40 lots in all — eight experiences with celebrity astronauts and 30 space memorabilia and artifact lots straight from these American heroes’ personal collections. From deep–sea fishing with former Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter, to owning a piece of netting that was on the moon’s surface, the auction’s lineup is varied. More than 80 American icons have joined forces to offer these extraordinary experiences, personal memorabilia and signed items, all in the name of charity. Highlights of the auction include a segment of lunar– surface safety line used on the moon in 1971 during Apollo 14; segments of the actual heat shield that protected the Apollo–Soyuz test–project capsule upon its re–entry into Earth in 1975, and a John Glenn–signed vintage “Life” magazine. Auction–goers must secure a virtual paddle number at http://www.astronautscholarship.org/auction in order to participate in the online bidding starting at 9 a.m. on April 30. The auction will close at 5 p.m. on May 8. Winning bids, over fair market value, “should be considered a charitable donation.” Auction proceeds go directly to support the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to aid the United States in “retaining its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships for college students who exhibit motivation, imagination, and exceptional performance in these fields.” Call 455–7015 or visit www.AstronautScholarship.org for more information.

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Roger Anderson, a member of the American Institute of Architects, has joined Melbourne–based BRPH as the firm’s director of design. He is a licensed architect with nearly 20 years experience in the industry. Anderson most recently served in a “high–profile role” with a nationally recognized design firm, tvsdesign — Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback and Associates in Atlanta, where he spearheaded the development of the company’s 2030 Carbon Neutral Program. He has worked on projects across all industry sectors, including aviation, commercial, corporate and education. Anderson will oversee the design development for BRPH’s entire portfolio of projects across all of the firm’s offices. He will “initiate a design network between offices, strengthen BRPH design capabilities to build upon the competitive advantages of the company and will work directly with clients to design cutting–edge facilities.” Anderson will work out of BRPH’s corporate headquarters in Melbourne, but will frequent the firm’s regional offices. APRIL 19, 2010

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Space Florida, Lockheed Martin to sponsor Undergraduate Academy KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — Space Florida recently announced that Lockheed Martin is the sponsor for the May 10–14 Undergraduate Academy program. This work force and education program will be held at the Kennedy Space Center, and is provided free of charge to accepted applicants. Additional partners include the Florida Space Grant Consortium and NASA at KSC. The Academy goals are to provide opportunities for Florida undergraduates to visit KSC and interact with the knowledgeable work force, while gaining valuable hands–on experience by building scientific payloads. During the weeklong Academy, students design and build their own scientific payloads equipped with GPS locators and live cameras. These payloads are then attached to weather balloons and released from KSC. Scientific balloons and payloads are capable of soaring to nearly 20 miles high, at which altitude the students will be able to see on their monitors the curvature of the Earth and the blackness of space. Another valuable element of the Academy engages students in stimulating science and math activities, as well as providing them with opportunities to meet key employers and scientists from KSC and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. “Lockheed Martin is proud to sponsor this opportunity for Florida undergraduate students,” said Adrian Lafitte, Lockheed Martin director of Florida government relations. “In the past few years, we have witnessed the benefits of the Academy program in the students that enter the work force. This is a great opportunity for undergraduate students to get hands–on experience and excite them toward the future of our space program.” Space Florida’s Tony Gannon, director of education added, “We are most grateful to Lockheed Martin for this support. Sponsorship of these Academies provides practical aerospace work–force experience for engineering students.” To be eligible, applicants must attend a Florida university or community college and be a U.S. citizen. Application forms are available at www.spaceflorida.gov/ index.php/en/education.

Volunteers launch ‘Neighbor 2 Neighbor’ More than 70 Cocoa Beach community volunteers have joined in a grassroots effort to lend a hand to neighbors in need. Cocoa Beach “Neighbor 2 Neighbor” initiative is part of the Save our Neighborhoods group recently formed to investigate options for improvement to the overall community’s appearance. The Neighbor 2 Neighbor goal is to provide assistance to Cocoa Beach homeowners unable to clean up their yards, paint their house exterior, or to perform minor repairs to their residence, with no cost to the homeowner. If you want to improve your property but are unable to, because of physical limitations of age, illness or other situations beyond your control, you may qualify for their help. Those interested in becoming a candidate for assistance, or as a program volunteer, should contact Jack Kirschenbaum at 258–6356 or respond to P.O. Box 1870, Melbourne, Fla., 32902. APRIL 19, 2010

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DIGEST Annual Spring Festival April 17 at Centre at Suntree The fourth annual Spring Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, at the Centre at Suntree. The family festival has free admission and free activities including pony rides, horse and carriage rides, face–painting, a rock–climbing wall, and a host of children’s activities. The Brevard County Professional Firefighters will also be selling chili at the festival. The Centre at Suntree is a plaza just north of the Pineda Causeway on Wickham Road. It is anchored by Charlie & Jake’s Brewery Grill and the YMCA. These nonprofit organizations will be taking part in the festival: Boy Scouts of America, Congregations for Community Action, Coastal Poodle Rescue, Devereux Foundation, Epilepsy Association of Central Florida, Florida Wildlife Hospital, Green Brevard, Guardian Ad Litem, Habitat for Humanity, Harmony Farms, Indialantic Chamber Singers, Keep Brevard Beautiful, Literacy Alliance of Brevard, Rolling Readers Space Coast, Sea Turtle Preservation Society, South Brevard Sharing Center, S.P.C.A. of North Brevard, The Women’s Center, and Yellow Umbrella.

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Continued from page 1 made before July 1. Borrowers who already have bank loans and take out direct loans in the future will have a chance to consolidate them so they only need to make one payment. The government estimates it will save $61 billion over 10 years because it has a lower cost of funds than the banks it is replacing and won’t have to pay them a subsidy. Some of that money will go toward Pell grants for needy students, community colleges, and minority–serving colleges. The rest will go to other uses including deficit reduction and health–care reform. Banks have been making government–guaranteed loans under what is now called the Federal Family Education Loan Program, created in 1965. The Education Department didn’t start making direct loans until 1994. Most colleges signed up with one of the two programs and offer students loans from that program only. The loans were essentially the same under both programs because the government sets the rates and terms. At times, borrowers could get bigger discounts on rates (contingent on timely payment) or origination fees from banks than on direct loans. Since the credit crisis hit, those discounts have largely evaporated. In 2006, direct loans accounted for about 20 percent of federally guaranteed loans. When credit dried up, private–sector lenders started backing away from this market and the government stepped in. The share of direct loans grew to 25 percent in fiscal 2008–09 and to 35 percent in the first half of 2009–10, Kantrowitz says. In reality, the government’s role in the market has been much larger. Since mid–2008, it has been providing most of the capital that private–sector lenders used for loans. After one year, the banks had a chance to either repay the capital or turn the loan over to the government. Most chose the latter. Because of the credit crisis, many colleges have already switched from the bank program to the direct program. The Department of Education has always hired outside firms to service direct loans and will continue to do so after July 1. Some of these servicers are the same companies that originate student loans, such as Sallie Mae and Nelnet. When servicing direct loans, these companies are not allowed to use their own brand names or promote their own products. The previous bill increased the maximum Pell grant from $5,350 this school year to $5,550 next year. Because of the recession, more students than expected qualified for Pell grants “and there was a funding shortfall,” Kantrowitz says. The new bill fills the funding shortfall. That ensures that the maximum Pell grant will be $5,550 next year and everyone who is eligible will get one. Starting in 2013–14, the maximum will be indexed to inflation for five years. Obama had proposed indexing the Pell grant to the inflation rate plus 1 percentage point, but the final bill links it to the consumer price index only. The bill also makes changes to the new income–based repayment program, which helps borrowers who have large debts relative to their income. Under this program, loan payments are limited to 15 percent of discretionary income and any balance remaining after 25 years is forgiven. The new bill will limit payments to 10 percent of discretionary income and forgive balances after 20 years. But these changes only apply to loans taken out by new borrowers on or after July 1, 2014. They are not retroactive.

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Continued from page 1 children and quickly grew to 300 youngsters,” she said. “We have created a very caring, nurturing environment for children. They come to us as infants and they leave us when they are 5 years old. However, many of them come back to the center as teen volunteers while enrolled in high school and pursuing their community–service hours. They remember the great experiences they had at the center.” Part of the center’s core mission is administering the VPK program. It is designed to give children a jump–start on kindergarten by preparing them for school and enhancing their pre–reading, pre–mathematics, language and social skills. “And the VPK program doesn’t cost the parents anything,” said Kathy Turner, childcare and education coordinator for the Center for Child Development. “The program is designed to prepare children who are planning to attend kindergarten in the fall. We think it presents an outstanding opportunity for children in Brevard to get a jump on kindergarten.” In the state of Florida, children who turn 4 years of age by Sept. 1 are eligible for the VPK program. The child can attend one of two programs offered annually. One begins as early as May 1 and the other in August. The state’s VPK program is jointly administered by the Department of Education, the Agency for Workforce Innovation, and the Department of Children and Families. VPK classrooms offer programs that include high– literacy standards, developmentally appropriate curricula, and qualified teachers, said Vasudevan. “The VPK curriculum is very challenging. The children from our center fare well when they attend kindergarten. The teachers tell us that they are good learners.” According to the 2008–2009 Voluntary Prekindergarten Readiness Rate results announced two weeks ago by the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation, more than 120,000 students in the Sunshine State entered kindergarten “better prepared” as a result of their participation in a VPK program. Based on the results, children who completed VPK last year performed better on key kindergarten–readiness measures than children who did not participate. Additionally, children who only attended a portion of a VPK

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program outperformed students who had no exposure to the program at all. Vasudevan says she has seen this firsthand at her center, especially on the Early Childhood Observation System (ECHOS) portion of the kindergarten screening, which measures readiness in multiple areas. The system assesses whether youngsters are “ready” for kindergarten. “For example, there was one 4–year–old at our center who was asked to count from one to 10 during the testing portion. He looked up at the teacher and asked, ‘Do you want me to count in English or Spanish?’ We’re very proud of our students,” said Vasudevan. “We generally test about 40 children and our scores are consistently very high,” added Turner. “That says a lot about the students and the dedicated staff we have at the center.” The center’s staff is comprised of 30 associates. On the ECHOS part of the kindergarten screening, 93 percent of children who completed a Florida VPK program were assessed as “ready” for kindergarten compared to 87 percent of students who completed only part of the program and 83 percent who did not participate. On the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading portion of the screening, which measures “pre–reading skills,” 74 percent of the children who completed VPK were assessed as “ready” compared to 59 percent of students who completed only part of the program and 55 percent who did not participate. The youngsters attending the Center for Child Development are grouped in the various classrooms according to their ages, said Vasudevan. “We do not combine different age groups. They learn and develop their skills with their age–related classmates. We think it provides for the best learning environment.” The years before kindergarten are among the most significant in shaping a child’s foundation for learning and school success, Vasudevan said. Research has shown that a child’s learning begins at birth, and takes shape as children are nurtured, challenged, and engaged in high– quality learning environments and in relationships with parents and other caregivers. Every day, more than 11 million children under the age of 5 spend time outside the care of their parents, and in a

variety of environments — each of which should promote and encourage their early learning and development, according to the U.S. Department of Education. However, the report say the quality of early learning settings varies greatly, despite some progress. “Quality–oriented lesson plans, programs, and assessments drive our mission,” said Turner, who joined the Center for Child Development seven years ago as a classroom teacher in the program for 3–year–olds. She added, “We do monthly assessments on every child in the school. It’s part of our role to make sure the students are meeting their growth goals and are reaching new heights in the classroom.” In January, the Center for Child Development was accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children under a new, rigorous system, said Vasudevan. “It took two years of planning and preparation to achieve this accreditation. And it required a big commitment to training, credentialing, and other key areas of the operation.” The NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation of Washington, D.C., evaluates a host of areas when it reviews child–development centers seeking this voluntary accreditation. The NAEYC accreditation looks at all aspects of a program, but focuses on “what really happens to children over the course of the day” at a child–development center. For instance, are the teachers and caregivers loving and responsive? Are groups of children and adults consistent over the course of the day and over time, fostering good relationships? The NAEYC says about 5,000 child–development programs (or roughly 5 percent of the market) have achieved the accreditation. An additional 10,000 programs are working toward that goal. The evaluation includes leadership management, the physical environment of the center, the teaching staff, the center’s relationships between families and the programs, and the promotion of nutrition and health of the children. Health First stood out in all of these areas, and more. “We tallied some very good scores and we had some very strict criteria to follow under the new system,” Vasudevan said.

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