Neuroscientists reconstruct movies in your mind.

Soon we all shall be ushering in the New Year of 2012. We want to help celebrate this special occasion by putting up a visual that we hope will inspire us all during the up and coming year ….

Wishing each and everyone a Merry Christmas this Season; from our family to yours …

About Gender Equality and Unicef


UNICEF’s mission is to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF aims, through its country programmes, to promote the equal rights of women and girls and to support their full participation in the political, social and economic development of their communities.

UNICEF recognizes the human rights principles of equality and non-discrimination as central to the consideration of gender equality and believes that gender-based discrimination is one of the most ubiquitous forms of discrimination that children face. The organization promotes equal outcomes for girls and boys, and its policies, programmes, partnerships and advocacy efforts seek to contribute to poverty reduction and the achievement of the MDGs through result-oriented, effective and well-coordinated action that achieves the protection, survival and development of girls and boys on an equal basis. The organization seeks to engage boys and men in transforming gender relations towards more gender-equal societies. UNICEF strives to mainstream gender equality in all of its work for children, with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as a principal reference, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) as the other important underpinning of the organization’s mandate and mission. UNICEF recognizes the mutually supportive relationship between the CRC and CEDAW.

The importance of mainstreaming gender in humanitarian programming to ensure an effective response is increasingly reflected in UNICEF’s policies and guidance for humanitarian action. The Core Commitments for Children in Emergencies (CCCs) guides the work of UNICEF in its humanitarian response.

Following up on an evaluation of the gender policy implementation in UNICEF completed in 2008, UNICEF carried out a one-year plan as an immediate response to its findings and to lay the foundation for longer-term transformation towards achieving excellence in promoting gender equality. The momentum generated by the one-year plan was further built on in 2010, a pivotal year for gender mainstreaming in UNICEF. UNICEF issued its new Policy on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Girls and Women. A Global Consultation was held in February 2010 in Istanbul to take stock of progress realized in the context of the one-year plan. The Global Consultation marked the beginning of the second phase of transformation in UNICEF. A three-year Strategic Priority Action Plan for Gender Equality: 2010-2012 (SPAP) was drafted by participants, building on lessons learned, and outlining organizational priorities, activities and benchmarks to advance UNICEF’s gender equality efforts. The SPAP, launched globally in June 2010, operationalizes the new gender policy. It forms the basis for gender mainstreaming efforts in UNICEF from 2010 to 2012, laying out eight areas of change: accountability and strategic framework; capacity and knowledge; leadership, influence and advocacy; programming; ‘doing what we advocate’; partnership; financial resources; and communications. Both the Policy and the SPAP can be found on this site -- please take a look!

About the Challenge
Introduction
Inspired by the Educate to Innovate Campaign, President Obama’s initiative to promote a renewed focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education, the National STEM Video Game Challenge is a multi-year competition whose goal is to motivate interest in STEM learning among America’s youth by tapping into students’ natural passion for playing and making video games.

The 2012 Challenge
The 2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge is launched in partnership with Digital Promise, a new initiative created by the President and Congress, supported through the Department of Education. The initiative is designed to unlock the promise of breakthrough technologies to transform teaching and learning. The 2012 Challenge builds on the success of the first year by:

Reuniting the original Challenge Sponsors (AMD Foundation, the Entertainment Software Association, and Xbox 360) and adding the CPB / PBS KIDS Ready To Learn initiative as a new Sponsor.
Reuniting the original Implementing Partners, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and E-Line Media.
Convening the original Founding Outreach Partners, (American Library Association, American Association of School Librarians, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the International Game Developers Association and BrainPOP) and adding the George Lucas Education Foundation, Girl Scouts of the USA and One Economy Corporation as new Outreach Partners. Together, these partners reach over 10 million children between the ages of 5-18, with reach into the nation’s most vulnerable communities, where advancing STEM skills is a key national priority.

Another activity that I have been engaging in during the last two months past is becoming involved with a organization called Literacy Volunteers of America: Prince William Inc. a 501(c )(3) non-profit. During this time I have attended two training sessions which I have been certified as a tutor. Their primary purpose is to find volunteers that will tutor in English, Reading, Writing, and the General Education Diploma.(G.E.D.).

Currently, I tutor two very energetic and bright students, one is a young lady from Ethiopia wanting to improve her ESL; the other is an exceptional gentleman from Mexico who wants to work on his G.E.D. and English. They are indeed a blessing to get to know and work with, exceeding their own expectations by learning more about English as a second language and studying for their G.E.D.

For more information about this organization please click on this link: https://sites.google.com/site/litvolpw