State Schools Chief Jack OConnell Announces Free Online Tool to Help Families Find the Right Colleges for Their Children

Sacramento (Vocus) September 20, 2010

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack OConnell today urged college-bound students to sign up for CollegeWeekLive UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAY, a free online event on October 7 showcasing all of the University of California (UC) campuses.

Parents know its expensive to pack up the car and visit each college or university that their children are interested in attending, said OConnell. Now you can take virtual tours of every UC campus and explore several academic programs right from your computer. Its fast, its free, and it makes economic sense to narrow down your search for schools online before you actually visit them.

CollegeWeekLive is a virtual college fair that connects hundreds of thousands of students to colleges and universities worldwide online at http://www.CollegeWeekLive.com. Families can get tips on preparing for college admissions tests, writing a winning application essay, and the interview admissions process. Families can speak directly with admissions experts, get information on scholarships and how to pay for college, and even take virtual tours of campus. CollegeWeekLive connects colleges directly with students, parents, and counselors live online in real time. Prospective students can also connect with current UC students for networking via live video webcasts and text chat.

CollegeWeekLive, University of California Day is unique because each of the nine undergraduate campuses will be represented, said Walter A. Robinson, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director of UC Berkeleys Office of Undergraduate Admissions. UC Day gives any prospective UC applicant a chance to get to know each of the campuses, from anywhere in the world. Each campus will staff virtual booths, feature live video streams, and be available for chats. We urge all prospective students, their parents, and counselors to participate and discover the special qualities each campus has to offer.

Prospective students can explore different aspects of student life at each of the schools, such as admissions, academics, athletics, financial aid, and campus housing. Attendees can also participate in any of several live video webcam sessions with currently enrolled students from the different UC system schools to get a more informal take on collegiate life.

To register for the next CollegeWeekLive UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAY on October 7, please visit http://www.CollegeWeekLive.com.

The California Department of Education (CDE) is a state agency led by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell. The core purpose of CDE is to lead and support the continuous improvement of student achievement, with a specific focus on closing achievement gaps. For more information, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov or by mobile device at http://m.cde.ca.gov/. You may also follow Superintendent O'Connell (@SSPIJack) on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/sspijack.

About CollegeWeekLive

CollegeWeekLive (http://www.CollegeWeekLive.com) provides the worlds largest college fairs and online admissions events. With hundreds of colleges and universities exhibiting and more than 350,000 registrants, CollegeWeekLive revolutionizes college admissions, making the process easier and more cost-effective by bringing students, parents, counselors, and colleges together online, transcending time and distance. CollegeWeekLive is free for students, parents, and counselors.

CollegeWeekLive is produced by PlatformQ, whose mission is to connect people, companies, organizations and associations worldwide to meet, interact and learn from leading experts and thought leaders through proven interactive tools at online events.

CollegeWeekLive and PlatformQ are trademarks of PlatformQ, LLC. All other trademarks or service marks are property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Tina Jung

PHONE: 916-319-0818

E-MAIL: tjung(at)cde.ca(dot)gov

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Home Sweet Home's "Schools That Care" Campaign - A Grassroots Approach to Raising Awareness and $1 Million Dollars for Veterans

Gilbert, AZ (PRWEB) April 27, 2009

The Home Sweet Home Campaign kicked off their first "Schools That Care" T-shirt design contest in Gilbert, Arizona this month. This grassroots approach is the first in a series of community outreach campaigns focusing on building awareness and raising funds for war veterans. The Home Sweet Home Campaign has pledged to raise $ 1 million dollars for USA Cares, a 501(c)3 organization who helps post 9/11 military families bear the burdens of service with financial and advocacy support. Ask campaign founder Beth Ann VanHoose how she will do it, "One city and one T-shirt at a time", is her reply.

Beth Ann was motivated to take action after hearing, piece by piece, one local veteran's post Iraq and Afghanistan experience. Tim Little, an Army reservist who has served two tours of duty, Tim found himself unable to return to his pre-deployment job, causing extra financial stress on himself and his family. His story is not unlike the thousands of National Guard, Reserve and Active Duty soldiers who have fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

"It shouldn't be so difficult for our soldiers to find help and resources while they are being evaluated by the VA," says Beth Ann. "This is why I started the Home Sweet Home Campaign, to hopefully make it a little bit easier for the next soldier in need." So working closely with Superstition Springs Elementary and Highland High School, over 250 students have entered the contest. Judges representing many walks of life, all with one thing in common, their commitment to our country and to support our soldiers will be picking the top 3 designs. The jury included Ryan Fitzpatrick, NFL Quarterback for the Buffalo Bills and a 2005 Highland High Graduate; Ruth Knowles, president of the Arizona Artist Guild; Tim Little, War Veteran and Purple Heart recipient; and Maria Martens, member of the American Gold Star Mothers.

Three winners will be announced on April 28th and their "one of a kind" T-shirt designs will be featured on the Home Sweet Home website at http://www.OurSoldiers.org. For every T-shirt sold, $ 5.00 will be donated to USA Cares. According to Kim Moorman, Director of Business Development at non-profit USA Cares, who said, "One of the things I like about what they are doing is that they provide a tangible product to everyone who helps them raise money to assist military families."

The "Schools That Care" contest will travel across the country this fall working with schools in the states of Washington, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina and Georgia. By the end of 2009, the Home Sweet Home website will have over 20 "one of kind" T-shirts featured on their site.

About the Home Sweet Home Campaign

The Home Sweet Home Campaign is a grassroots approach to raising awareness and funds for our post 9/11 war veterans. Partnering with local schools, businesses and organizations in key cities across the country the Home Sweet Home campaign has pledged to raise $ 1 million dollars for USA Cares, a 501(c)3 organization. For any purchase made from the website $ 5.00 will be donated to USA Cares. To learn more about campaign and USA Cares, go to http://www.OurSoldiers.org or contact Beth Ann VanHoose at 618-567-1384.

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