The Twiga Foundation

“Studies show that a healthy balance between work and family will produce happier and more productive employees, which will benefit the rest of society as well as the economy.  This is why I am cosponsoring Senate Resolution 296, with Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, which designates October 2009 as “National Work and Family Month.”  A lack of job flexibility for working parents negatively affects children’s health in ways that range from children being unable to make necessary doctors’ appointments to children receiving inadequate early care, which leads to more severe and prolonged illness.”

 - Senator Mike Crapo (ID), Oct. 2009 - 

Dec. 2, 2009 – Governor Extends Four-Day Workweek, Extends Services in Targeted Areas

SALT LAKE CITY – The majority of state government will continue on the four-day workweek, with some modifications to better serve Utah citizens, Governor Gary R. Herbert announced today.

In addition to state government operating from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, one centrally located office will provide an extra 11 hours of Friday access to the Division of Motor Vehicles and Driver License Division.

“Our top priority is to provide the best possible customer service to Utah citizens,” Governor Herbert said. “Utahns have told us they like the extra hours in the morning and evening, but that they also need access to these two areas of state government on Fridays, and we’ve listened.”

While a recent Dan Jones and Associates survey indicated a majority of Utah citizens prefer Utah’s four-day, 10-hour schedule, it did identify the Division of Motor Vehicles and Driver License Division as the two main areas where the initiative could be improved with service on Fridays.

Under the Governor’s direction, the Utah Tax Commission and Utah Department of Public Safety will fully staff the agencies’ co-located South Valley Office, 14555 South Minuteman Dr., Draper, for those needing assistance on Fridays. Operating hours at that office will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning Feb. 12, 2010.

“This is a ‘win-win-win’ all the way around,” the Governor said. “It is a win for the citizens, who will continue to have extended service hours Monday through Thursday, and now access to the DMV and Drivers License Division on Fridays.

“It is a win for the state’s workforce, with 82 percent of employees saying they want to see the program extended, and it is a win for the state and the taxpayers in terms of cost savings and other benefits.”

The Working 4 Utah initiative was launched in August 2008. Data collected during the pilot program indicate the initiative has resulted in several million dollars in cost savings and a 10 percent decrease in energy usage at state-owned buildings over the past year.

Sixty percent of those recently polled indicated the program was a good thing for Utah residents, while another 25 percent were undecided. Another 72 percent said the program was a good way for the state to save money.

In addition to providing a no-cost benefit to current state employees, the four-day workweek has emerged as a valuable recruiting tool for the state to attract qualified candidates who appreciate the opportunity for a modified workweek.

Utahns continue to have 24/7 online access to many state services through Utah’s award-winning website, www.utah.gov. Also, Governor Herbert is finalizing details for a new information line that will use existing state resources and allow Utah citizens to receive personal attention on Fridays.

The state’s final Working 4 Utah performance report and the results of the Dan Jones and Associates survey are available online at www.dhrm.utah.gov.

# # #

• Working 4 Utah – Initiative Performance Report – Final
  State of Utah, Dec. 2009
     
• Working 4 Utah – Summary of Key Questions report
  Dan Jones & Associates, Oct. 2009
     

Title:                 State Agencies Use Flexibility:
                                       Learn what they do and How they do it
Date:                  Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Time:                    2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST
Attended by:    Agencies from 14 states

PRESENTERS

Carolyn Pitre Wright is the State of Arizona’s Work-Life Program Manager with over 17 years of experience in work-life, diversity, change management, human resources administration and training and development.  In this role, she is responsible for developing and promoting programs and policies that increase the effectiveness of State of Arizona employees and their organizations.

Jeff C. Herring, JD, MBA, SPHR
Executive Director, DHRM

Jeff is the Executive Director of the State of Utah’s Department of Human Resource Management. Herring is responsible for providing the State of Utah’s leaders the tools and expertise to navigate the workforce through these challenging times. Herring has his certificate as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). 

RESOURCES

• Utah PowerPoint Presentation (Jeff Herring)
• Arizona PowerPoint Presentation  (Carolyn Pitre Wright)

By Harriet Shaklee, Diane Demarest, Patti O’Hara and Janica Hardin, University of Idaho
Presented to the Annual Meeting of the National Conference on Family Relations
San Francisco, November 14, 2009

Recent concerns about global competitiveness have led to state initiatives to strengthen math and science skills, with a focus on the junior high and high school years. However, research suggests that children’s early experiences play an enormous role in the development of their understanding of mathematics.  Between birth and five years of age, children develop mathematical concepts of space, shape, size, pattern, number, and operations (Ginsburg, Lee & Boyd, 2008). Young children’s emerging math concepts serve as a foundation for their later cognitive development, and can predict later school success from the elementary through the high school years (Duncan, et al., 2007).

Play is a natural learning lab for young children where they can work out math ideas such counting, equality, addition and subtraction, planning, patterns, classification, volume and area, and measurement.  Informal concepts such as these provide the foundation for later formal math learning (Bergen, 2009).

Parents and teachers help young children learn by offering materials that promote construction of math concepts. Research shows that block play provides a particularly rich learning context for children (Cohen & Uhry, 2007; Hanlin, Milton & Phelps, 2001; Newburger & Vaughan, 2006; Sarama & Clements 2009).  Longitudinal evidence shows a link between block play and later math competence – that is, early block play predicts math interest and competence in junior high and high school, when the concepts get more complex and difficult to master. Even when IQ and gender were controlled, preschool block performance still accounted for significant variance in later math performance (Wolfgang, Stannard & Jones, 2001).

Block play also provides a natural context for exploration of the physical world as children experiment with structures and observe the outcomes of their building efforts.  Through this process they learn elementary concepts of physics such as mass, weight, proportionality and balance, and can use their new ideas to plan and predict outcomes.

Block play supports other aspects of development as well, including language as children talk about their structures with others.  Blocks also provide opportunities for social development as children build and share with others, and challenge children cognitively as they focus and solve problems as they build. 

The University of Idaho Extension developed a traveling interactive exhibit called Block Fest to bring this message of early math and science learning to parents of young children (8 months to 8 years) in communities of all sizes. Block Fest is a hands-on block building extravaganza incorporating 5 building stations, each featuring a different kind of blocks. A station with large cardboard blocks allows children to experiment with the architecture of big structures and enclosures, while the large geometrically shaped blocks at the foam block station pose challenges of balance, symmetry and shape.  One station features colored cubes with pattern cards for children to match as they build shapes with color patterns, while the unit block station invites exploration of proportional relations among blocks.  The final station has Keva blocks, uniformly shaped building planks that can be stacked into structures of all sizes and shapes. 

Children and their parents move through the stations over a one hour period. At each station, children enjoy block building while family adults learn about block play and ways to support their children’s math and science exploration.  Information about emergent math and science is available at each block station, and lessons are reinforced through the research-based take-home book we developed for parents, Playing and Learning with Blocks.

Since Block Fest was first launched in Idaho in 2006, we have reached over 8000 children, parents, and other family adults in 50 Block Fest events throughout the state, involving over 300 volunteers and staff members. Block Fest regularly fills to capacity when it comes to a community, with parents – both Moms and Dads – enthusiastically learning with their children. Results reported here represent outcomes at two large Block Fest events in Boise, ID, with 316 adults and 308 children in 2006, and 371 adults and 505 children in 2007.  Block Fest procedures and recruitment methods were comparable at the two events. 

Block Fest was designed to introduce parents to information about emergent math and science for their young children, and ways that they can support that learning. Parent learning at Block Fest was assessed immediately after the event, with a follow-up assessment three months later.

Parents and Children Learn at Block Fest

Parent learning:  After the Block Fest activities, parents to used a 7 point scale to rate their agreement with three statements about what they learned at Block Fest (-3 = strongly disagree, 0 = neutral, +3 = strongly agree). Ratings of +2 and +3 were combined as statement agreement, while -2 and -3 were taken as disagreement. Adults agreed that they could see how their children learned through block building at Block Fest (76%) and that they learned ways to support early math and science learning for their children (66%).  Participants also agreed that they learned how block building helps children learn early math and science ideas (76%).  69% of participants identified an idea from Block Fest that they will use with their children at home. These results show that Block Fest was an effective learning environment for parents. However, the Block Fest experience may be best described in the participants’ own words – see Table 1.

Table 1:  Selected parent comments about Block Fest 

Adults Learning

• It was an amazing exciting experience for myself as well as my children.
• What a great way to get down on the floor and see the world they do and build something amazing at the same time.
• It was fun for us as parents to see her “get” a certain concept and it was exciting for her.
• It was a great way to experience some of the learning a child works on every day!
• Learned new ways to help our child with math skills – not something I would associate with regular block play.

Exploration and Creativity

• Creative juices flow at Block Fest!
• This was a great and fun way for children to explore and problem solve through play.
• It has been great to see how creative the children are! They have a natural ability to build sturdy structures.
• It always amazes me how creative children are when they are given an opportunity to build.
• My child focused all the time. He was innovative.

Cognition and Problem solving

• Children loved it – stayed focused entire time.
• Go and let your child have fun while they develop their brains; and bring your camera!
• See how much fun the kids have – and how much they can learn from playing with blocks.
• Experience a fun time that inspires enthusiastic, truly interested kids.
• My child built from a plan.

Math and Science Learning

• Great way to encourage math and science at an early age. 
• A great opportunity to learn and play with kids. Blocks really do set the stage for school learning. 
• Block Fest is a good way for children to learn about creative play and working with others about science and a bit of math.
• My child created the patterns with an expertise unknown before.
• Color matching and shape recognition skills were enhanced as a result of the wide range of blocks used. Fantastic!

Enthusiastic children

• My five year old attended Block Fest last year too and he was waiting for this event all year long.
• The kids had a blast!
• I was surprised at how some very young toddlers were completely engaged.
• My children said spontaneously “This is the best place you’ve ever taken us!”
• See how much fun the kids have – and how much they can learn from playing with blocks!

Parent observations of children’s learning:  At the conclusion of Block Fest in 2007 parents reviewed 25 descriptors and circled those that characterize the behaviors of one of the children they brought to Block Fest. The behavioral descriptors represented one of five developmental categories including language, social development, science, math, and cognition.  Parents were asked to identify the age of the child they were describing.  The descriptors representing each behavioral domain were: 

• Language:  describing, asking, naming, listening, pretending
• Cognition:  focusing, thinking, problem solving, wondering, being creative
• Social:  sharing, watching others, building with others, planning together, taking turns
• Science: comparing, predicting, experimenting, balancing, observing outcomes
• Math: estimating, sorting, counting, adding, making patterns

175 respondents completed the parent observation survey (only one parent per family completed the form).  Individual descriptors were combined within behavioral domains, so that children with two or more behaviors circled within a category were tagged as showing that behavioral domain.  Table 2 shows the children in each age group described by 2 or more behaviors within each behavioral domain. 

Table 2:  Parents describe their children at Block Fest, 2007

Children with 2 or more behaviors observed per category:

                        Language       Cognition       Social              Science            Math               N

Age                 N         %              N         %            N         %           N         %            N         %

Under 3          9     20.4%       29   69.0%       28   66.7%       22   52.4%       13   30.9%       42

3’s                   17   41.4%       28   68.3%       27   65.8%       23   56.1%       24   58.5%           41

4’s                   20   52.6%       27   71.0%       27   71.0%       29   76.3%       25   65.8%       38

5+                    16   29.6%       43   79.6%       36   66.7%       41   75.9%       35   64.8%       54

As the table shows, parents were especially likely to report seeing social, science, math, and cognitive behaviors as their children engaged in the Block Fest activities, with language the least commonly observed category of behavior. Comparisons show that observed behaviors increased with age for language ( 12×2′> (3) = 9.96, p<.025), science ( 12×2′> (3) = 9.39, p<.025), and math ( 12×2′> (3) = 13.92, p<.01). Social behaviors were reported at a constantly high level across age, while observed language behaviors were low across age.  Age differences were not significant for either domain ( 12×2′> (3) = 2.03, p>.10 for cognition; .39, p>.10 for social behavior)

These parent observations suggest that Block Fest was very successful indeed at engaging children in several important aspects of development.  Interactions among the children offered plenty of opportunity for social development, and active play with the block materials challenged the children cognitively.  The block play environment also provided a rich context to explore concepts in math and science.  Even many of the youngest children showed behaviors in these areas, but the level of engagement was even greater for the older children at the exhibit.  Block play is sometimes considered to be for preschoolers — not challenging enough once children enter school.  However, these results show that older children were very interested in Block Fest and found an engaging learning environment there.

Block Fest Learning Goes Home

Three months after Block Fest 2006, an email survey was sent to the 110 parents who provided e-mail addresses, with a 49% response rate. Those parents reported many follow-up activities to Block Fest.

Parents pursued more information: Nearly all respondents (96%) told someone else about Block Fest, and 78% talked with their child about their time at Block Fest.  Parents reported reading the parent handbook, Playing and Learning with Blocks, which they received at the event (83%).  Many respondents checked out the Block Fest website (40%) and 24% talked to their child’s preschool teacher or care giver about early math and blocks.  Only 17% inquired about Parents as Teachers, the Block Fest event host.

Block activities at home:  Since attending Block Fest, respondents have done many block related activities with their children at home, including getting out their blocks and making them more available (70%), playing blocks with their child (89%), building with objects instead of blocks (61%), purchasing blocks (31%), making blocks (13%), and looking for information on the internet about blocks (28%). 

Science and math at home: Parents said that they increased their math and science interactions with their children, using more math and science words (44%), seeing opportunities to talk about math and science ideas with their children (55%), and finding math and science in everyday activities (72%).

Parenting strategies: Parents took also took parenting lessons home from the ideas presented at Block Fest, with 46% of parents reporting that they’re using more open ended questions with their children, 36% encouraging their child to clean up in different ways, 54% playing on the floor more often with their child, and 50% describing their child’s play more rather than directing it. 

In summary, evaluation results show that Block Fest was a hit with the kids, and that parents saw their children engage in challenging cognitive and social activities, including math and science concepts and behavior.  Parents increased their understanding of early math and science learning at Block Fest, and became more aware of the math and science in everyday events.  Even 3 months after the event, Block Fest lessons were still strong in parents’ thoughts and in their activities at home with their children. 

Extending the Impact of Block Fest

Block Fest is an Extension program with a message for families about early math and science learning.  We have extended that outreach though a suite of interconnected events to increase program impact.  At the launch of Block Fest we raised visibility for our message by hosting a Block Fest Gala in the Idaho State Capitol featuring Governor and Mrs. Kempthorne (February 2006).  We also hosted Block Fest in the capitol building during the legislative session to increase understanding about early learning among our policy makers (February 2006 and 2007).  In addition, we developed a block building challenge for adults and youth, sponsored by area businesses, to spread our message about math/science learning further in the business and educational community (February 2006 and 2007). We have also reached over 300 educators and early childhood professionals with training on early math and science learning, enabling them to strengthen the learning environments for children in child care and school settings. Block Fest events have received generous coverage by television and newspapers in host communities.

Block Fest has been able to travel so extensively throughout the state through partnerships with community agencies and organizations.  In many cases, county Extension offices were central players, but even more frequently other family-serving programs hosted the event.  Parents as Teachers programs throughout the state were especially helpful in program outreach, and Block Fest served as a way to raise visibility for these parenting education programs.  At each site, Block Fest was launched through partnerships and coalitions. Youth groups have provided volunteers and made blocks to sell, Lions and other civic organizations have provided funding and food, Parents as Teachers programs have promoted the event and set it up, schools and churches have donated space for the event, child care and Head Start centers have helped spread the word to parents.  This strategy has strengthened relationships between Extension and family-serving agencies, schools, child care, and parenting programs throughout Idaho, extending the educational reach of the University of Idaho well beyond the capacity of our county offices.

Block Fest is designed to draw business sponsorship as a funding strategy.  The message of early math and science learning fits well with business concerns about workforce development, and sponsorship allows businesses to raise their visibility with area families. Block Fest has helped cement new partnerships between University of Idaho Extension and companies in science and technology, architecture and construction, and early learning, as well as other family-oriented Idaho companies. Business sponsorships have generated over $60,000 for Block Fest exhibit development and travel.

In sum, Block Fest has provided a platform for the University of Idaho Extension to bring a message of early math and science learning to parents and young children throughout Idaho.  Evaluation evidence shows strong program impact, with continuing effects on family behavior three months after the event.

References

Bergen, D.  (2009).  Play as the learning medium for future scientists, mathematicians, and engineers, American Journal of Play, 1(4), 413-428.

Cohen, L. & Uhry, J.  (2007).  Young children’s discourse during block play, Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 21, 302-8.

Duncan, G., Dowsett, C., Claessens, A., Magnuson, K., Huston, A., Klebanov, P., Panani, L., Feinstein, L., Engel, M., Brooks-Gunn, J., Sexton, H., Duckworth, K., Japel, C.  (2007).   School readiness and later achievement.  Developmental Psychology, 43, 1428-46.

Ginsburg, H., Lee, J., & Boyd, J.  (2008). Mathematics education for young children: What it is and how to promote it.  Social Policy Report, 22, 1-23.

Hanlin, M.F., Milton, S., & Phelps, P.  (2001).   Young children’s block construction activities: Findings from three years of observation.  Journal of Early Intervention, 24(3), 341-355.

Newburger, A. & Vaughan, E.  (2006).  Teaching Numeracy, Language and Literacy with Blocks.  St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.

Sarama, J. & Clements, D. (2009).  Building blocks and cognitive building blocks, American Journal of Play, 1(3), 314-337.

Wolfgang, C., Stannard, L., & Jones, I.  (2001). Block play performance among preschoolers as a predictor of math achievement.  Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 15(2), 173-81.

November 21, 2009
The Huffington Post
Pat Earley

Today’s workplace is not the same as our parent’s traditional workplace where a high school education and a willingness to work was a ticket to success. For a majority of our parents, their employment expectations included full-time employment with a fixed career objective and a comfortable retirement package to reward their efforts. They defined themselves through their jobs and identified themselves through the work they performed believing that if they were loyal employees, worked hard and followed the rules they could eventually climb the corporate ladder and achieve financial and personal success. For many, their work environments consisted of telephone land-lines and IBM Selectric typewriters, and figuring out how to load the paper in the office Xerox machine was considered high tech.

In contrast, today’s workers can expect to change jobs and even their careers many times during their employment. They must be able to keep up with the increased pace of technological changes and no longer does a high school diploma guarantee employment. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, today, 62% of all U.S. jobs now require two-year or four-year degrees or higher, or they require special postsecondary occupation certificates or apprenticeships.

At the same time, according to the PEW Research Center, as of October, 2008, approximately 15% of young adults ages 18 to 24 did not complete high school; in fact, currently the United States is now the only industrialized country where young people are less likely than their parents to earn a diploma. Further, according to a newly released Census Bureau report, although college enrollment among 18 – 24 year old young adults has increased to 39.6%, approximately 60% of these students are projected to drop out of college before completing their degree programs. Contrast these figures to the fact that the percentage of jobs that will require a two-year or four-year degree or special occupational training is projected to be 75% by the year 2020, and one begins to understand the workforce dilemma facing today’s labor market.

With the decline in skilled workers including the massive exodus of baby boomers expected to leave the workforce in the next decade, the elimination of low-skilled jobs and the drop in talent necessary to fill high-tech/knowledge-based positions, many employers are beginning to experience a shortage in their labor pools. A new sense of urgency has entered the workforce and although the unemployment rate is projected to reach approximately 10.5% by next year, the need for highly skilled workers is accelerating at an alarming rate. STEM jobs, (i.e., jobs that are emerging in the science, technology, engineering, or mathematical fields), are even now being outsourced to countries such as Japan, Singapore or other countries with highly educated labor pools. And this situation is only projected to get worse. According to a recent article published in “The Futurist” and written by Edward Gordon, within the next decade “some technology-based industries will be seeking to replace 100% of their workforce.”

How we choose to address these challenges determines the economic stability of our country for years to come. Business leaders, educators, labor and union organizations and government officials must play a more active role in investing in an improved educational system; while at the same time, employers must look to creating new workplace strategies for tomorrow’s workers. Cooperative efforts must take place to promote and expand successful public-private partnerships which include mentoring programs, internships and vocational and technical opportunities, just to name a few. It is imperative that workforce leaders recognize that our educational system is directly proportional to our country’s economic success.

In addition, shifts in generational values and attitudes need to be addressed. Today’s workers are more interested in maintaining a work-life balance; they are seeking jobs that offer flexible work arrangements to address both the needs of their employers but also the needs of their families. They are looking for jobs that offer arrangements such as workplace health programs, telecommuting options, green sustainability and job share and part-time options. In order to recruit and retain the talent pool necessary to address tomorrow’s challenges, employers must seriously consider the deficiencies in today’s workforce and begin to develop solutions to better improve our educational system, create new incentives to attract tomorrow’s workers, and stay competitive in a global marketplace.

# # #

Oct. 24, 2009 – Hosted by Parents as Teachers of Olathe Unified School District 233

“Olathe PAT just finished our first Block Fest and it was very successful.  We had 80 children and their families in 2 sessions.  They chewed, stacked, pushed, climbed through, tumbled over and stood on blocks!  They learned math and science vocabulary and concepts!  It was really fun. 

           

A big thank you to Dorothy Hiatt, our trainer and organizer!  It ran like clock work!  We were worried about numbers and moving around the room and all worked very well. ”

Wednesday, October 28
Written by Ken Kingery
University of Idaho | News & Events

MOSCOW, Idaho – The University of Idaho is celebrating the accomplishments of several faculty, staff and students who – through developing innovative technologies – have furthered the university’s mission as a land-grant institution to improve the lives of Idahoans and Americans.

Faculty, staff and students will receive inaugural Innovation Awards on Friday, Nov. 6. They will be recognized during a public reception at 3 p.m. in the university’s Student Union Building, and at a private evening celebration. The private dinner awards recognize those individuals who have moved technologies from their research labs into the marketplace or have been issued U. S. patents.

“These university members embody the spirit of leading and innovation that are hallmarks of the University of Idaho in its pursuit of new knowledge that is applied to help develop economies and society,” said university President Duane Nellis. “The introduction and transfer of new ideas to the marketplace will help bring the university – and the state of Idaho – through these difficult economic times to a stronger future.”

The technologies licensed during the last two fiscal years through the university’s Office of Technology Transfer cover a wide assortment of fields, ranging from agriculture to nuclear energy. The technology creators, licensing company and brief description of the technology being recognized are as follows:  

• Chien Wai/AREVA NP Inc. – Technology designed to recover enriched uranium from the ashes of incinerated low-level nuclear waste.
     
• Ken Cain/ImmumoPrecise Antibodies Ltd. – An antibody for screening salmon and trout broodstock for the aquatic pathogen Flavobacterium psychrophilum, which causes Bacterial Cold-Water Disease and Rainbow Trout Fry Syndrome.
      
• Harriet Shaklee/Twiga Foundation – BLOCK Fest, a program designed to help parents support the development of pre-math and science skills through block play for children ages eight months to eight years.
       
• Donald Crawford/Natural Industries – The use of Streptomyces bacteria to protect the root system of plants and create a healthy growing environment within soil. The microorganism breaks down dead plant tissues and frees up soil from harmful thatch accumulation.
     
• Keun Seok Seo/Veterinary Medical Research and Development Inc. – FOXP3 Monoclonal Antibodies that detect FOXP3 regulatory T cells in cattle, which are involved in the regulation of the immune response. Also LND41A Monoclonal Antibodies that identify activated dendritic cells, which tells scientists if an immune response is beginning in cattle.
     
• Jeff Stark/Potato Variety Management Institute – A84180-8, a potato variety released in 2007, is a late maturing, medium-russet with good culinary quality. Compared to the Russet Burbank, it has good resistance to internal and external defects, has a high vitamin C content, is more resistant to common scab and Verticillium wilt, and is less susceptible to soft rot and potato leaf roll virus.
     
• Terry Quinn, Darren Owsley, Clifford Clark/Genesis Distributing, LLC – A Web-based secure access management program that reduces time, money, and headaches for granting and denying access to doors in multi-building managed complexes.
    
• Ron Crawford, Terry Soule, Tom Hess/BioXcelerator Technologies, LLC – An optimization software program that is used in combination with reiterative, parallel experimentation to optimize industrial processes and outputs.
       
• Monte Boisen/University of Texas at Tyler – The Polya Math Center’s video collection was licensed to help math teachers in rural east Texas upgrade their skill and understanding of mathematic principles and techniques.

Alumnus Russell Strong will be presented with The Outstanding Alumni Innovator Award for the innovative approaches he has pursued in his business ventures since graduating from the college of engineering in 1976. Strong is the CEO of Integrated Vision Inc. and 3D Agile Inc., and styled the merged Ford, New Holland and FIAT tractor lines in a worldwide contract. Currently, he is revolutionizing the world of the military foot soldier by developing a 3,000 pound carrier of a 2,000 pound payload that provides new opportunities and agility in military applications.

Strong will give a presentation entitled “Mining for Innovation” at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, in the Student Union Building’s Gold Room. The talk will be immediately followed by the 3:00 p.m. reception in the Appaloosa Lounge.

In addition, the University of Idaho also will recognize individuals who have completed steps along the process to patenting a technology. These recognitions include 64 disclosures of discovery and 11 patent applications from July 2007 through June 2009.

“The Office of Technology Transfer and the university want to encourage others to begin thinking about applying their discoveries in ways to directly benefit society by creating commercial products and services,” said Gene Merrell, associate vice president for research and chief technology transfer officer. “By recognizing those who have paved the way, we hope to inspire others to follow their lead.”

The public reception from 3-5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, is in the Student Union Building’s Appaloosa Lounge, 709 Deakin Ave. in Moscow. It is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit www.uidaho.edu/research/innovations. 

# # # 

By Patricia Earley
Twiga Foundation, Inc.
October 23, 2009

The Twiga Foundation is a non-profit corporation dedicated to inspiring, promoting and maintaining family consciousness at home, in the workplace and in the community.  As part of our efforts to promote family consciousness we continue to encourage the exploration of how modern workers and entrepreneurs, especially women, are actually faring in today’s workforce at the same time balancing issues such as family, work, education, healthcare, faith and community participation. 

Twiga’s continued commitment to promoting workplace flexibility and identifying innovative and progressive strategies for employers and their families has led to a greater understanding of family roles and the work-life fit.  This summer the Twiga Foundation and the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Region X conducted a limited study to gather current information focusing on how employers in our region are maintaining or expanding their workplace flexibility in light of the current economy.  Surprisingly, despite declining revenues and operating budgets, a majority of companies that we interviewed indicated that their flex-option arrangements still offered effective strategies for their businesses and organizations, including increased ability for recruitment and retention, creating an environment of employee loyalty and productivity, and sending a clear message to their employees that family values and personal issues are important.

According to Heather Boushey, Executive Director of the Center on Health, Economic & Family Security at the UC Berkeley School of Law, “Over the past generation, a seismic change has occurred in the family role and work life of American Women.” Recent statistics indicate that eighty-five percent of wage and salaried workers live with a family member and have family responsibilities off the job.  Due to the increase in the number of senior workers, working women, and the increased percentage of women working full time, most families have had to change how they cope with their work and family responsibilities, creating even more of a need for flexibility both at home and on the job.

Challenges such as transportation and energy conservation, the decline in skilled workers, a widening global economy and budget restrictions are all issues that are facing today’s employers.  While at the same time, the stress and demands placed on employees are also at a greater level.  The National Study of the Changing Workforce conducted by the Families and Work Institute found that workers today want more workplace flexibility to care for family members, including a sick child or aging parent.  Not only are both spouses working in a majority of working households, but they are working longer hours and are working into their senior/retirement years.  The implementation of flexible arrangements in today’s workplace is even more important if these baby boomers and skilled workers continue to exit the workplace at alarming numbers.  For the first time in history there are a greater number of senior citizens in the U.S. than younger people.  Consequently, as the baby boomers continue to age, a greater number of people will exit the labor force than ever before, leaving fewer available workers to succeed them.  This presents a problem as employers look to replace skilled workers, particularly in healthcare and governmental positions.

Workplace flexibility has shown to be part of an effective strategy and management consideration for employers as they continue to deal with this changing workforce and current economic uncertainties.  Workplace flexibility is about innovation and creative ways to address employer needs while at the same time complimenting and respecting employee and family issues.  Flexibility offers a variety of solutions to “get the job done.”  Options such as re-scheduling the hours of full-time employees, offering multiple points of entry and exit into the workforce, telecommuting, meeting-free flexibility, personal days off and floating holidays, wellness programs and transportation alternatives are but just a few of the strategic arrangements that companies can consider to help their employees and their supervisors have some choice and control over when, where, and how work gets done.

Research indicates that the 21^st Century employer has ushered in new ideas and improved ways to facilitate and address the needs of their workers.  No longer does “9 to 5” address the issues confronting today’s employers.  Management and business proprietors are starting to understand that programs and policies must be embraced that take advantage of the changing technology and the changing workforce.  Workplace effectiveness and flexibility offers employers additional options and organizational strategies to help address these issues while at the same time helps to preserve employee performance and family integrity. Creative strategies such as “bring your child to work” programs and “time off for pounds off” wellness activities not only benefit employees but they also help businesses and organizations create an environment that preserves the family.  As one employer commented in our recent study, “Flexibility sends a clear message that (name of organization) values family and personal issues as well as career issues . . . people are drawn to work here.”

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