Local Businesses Join Together For 10th Annual Charlotte Coat Drive

Charlotte Stories
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Local Businesses Join Together For 10th Annual Charlotte Coat Drive

The fall is here, which means cooler weather is in the forecast. With the ongoing pandemic, many will be unable to provide their families with one of the most basic winter essentials – coats. Over 40 businesses around the Charlotte region have now joined together in the mission to collect coats for those in need during the 10th annual Charlotte Coat Drive. CES is excited to work with long-time customer Charlotte Mechanical to help make a positive impact in the community.

“I heard about it on the radio,” said City Electric Supply’s Gary Tubbs. “Hearing kids’ voices on there – it pulls at your heart strings. When you hear kids talking on the radio about their families not being able to afford coats. That’s more of what spoke to me.  I knew Charlotte Mechanical since they are one of our customers, so I reached out to them.”

The mission kicked off in the month of September and will continue through Nov. 13. Last year, the drive collected around 5,100 coats. They’ve bumped the number up this year to 6,000. One hundred percent of the proceeds and coats raised will go to the Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had widespread impacts on our community, and lower-income families are feeling its effects the most,” said Major Todd Mason, Area Commander for the Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte. “The need in Charlotte is always great, but this year, we expect it to be even greater. No woman or child in our community should have to bear a winter without a coat.”

COVID-19 has affected much of the way the drive is run this year. The number of drop-off locations has increased, and many new barrel partners have decided to do their own internal drives as they’re not allowing people in their offices during the pandemic.

Charlotte Mechanical will be hosting a Zip-Up Day event to give everyone in the community the opportunity to participate. It will be on Friday, Nov.13, from 7 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Dilworth Bar and Grill’s parking lot at 911 E Morehead St., Charlotte, NC 28204. The event includes free food, music, mascots, giveaways, and some zippy surprises. A contact-free drive-thru will also be available.

Charlotte Mechanical’s Charlotte Coat Drive started 10 years ago by owners Steve and Nancy McLaughlin and their friends. What first started as a small coat donation — with around 250 coats and 10-barrel partners — is today the company’s biggest community event, with 45-barrel partners. All collected coats are donated to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte and distributed via their men’s, women’s, and youth programs. Charlotte Mechanical funds everything with zero cost to The Salvation Army or any location.

You can find out more information and a map of all the drop-off locations around Charlotte at CoatDriveCharlotte.com

South Carolina Ranked As 2020’s 49th Safest State for Schools to Reopen

Charlotte Stories
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South Carolina Ranked As 2020’s 49th Safest State for Schools to Reopen

With some students learning online or experiencing a hybrid of online and in-person classes due to COVID-19, WalletHub today released its report on the Safest States for Schools to Reopen.

To identify which states have the safest conditions for reopening schools, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 15 key metrics. Our data set includes such things as the number of child COVID-19 cases per 100,000 children, the average public-school class size, and the ratio of students to school nurses.

South Carolina was ranked 49th in the nation, just behind Mississippi as the 2nd least safe state to reopen their schools. North Carolina ranked just under the half-way mark at #27 in the nation.

Safest States for Schools to Reopen

Overall Rank
(1=Best)		 State Total Score ‘Risk of COVID-19 Infections’ Rank ‘Health & Financial Infrastructure’ Rank
1 Vermont 80.48 1 1
2 Maine 74.65 2 4
3 Pennsylvania 69.66 6 6
4 Massachusetts 69.27 5 21
5 New Hampshire 68.65 4 26
6 Rhode Island 66.85 14 3
7 Ohio 66.54 7 16
8 New Jersey 65.69 8 20
9 Connecticut 65.47 19 2
10 Nebraska 64.71 15 7
11 Wyoming 63.86 3 45
12 Wisconsin 63.28 9 24
13 Delaware 62.60 11 25
14 Virginia 62.22 17 17
15 Montana 61.18 22 13
16 New Mexico 60.99 25 14
17 Kansas 60.89 13 34
18 Washington 60.29 20 23
19 Maryland 60.16 26 12
20 Hawaii 59.92 18 30
21 Iowa 59.77 29 9
22 New York 59.65 30 15
23 Alaska 59.13 38 5
24 North Dakota 59.03 28 18
25 Minnesota 58.88 33 8
26 West Virginia 58.76 16 35
27 North Carolina 58.74 24 29
28 Colorado 57.96 21 36
29 Oregon 57.85 10 44
30 Kentucky 56.88 23 38
31 South Dakota 55.56 27 40
32 Michigan 55.27 12 47
33 Idaho 55.11 32 37
34 Indiana 53.09 31 43
35 Texas 52.65 42 22
36 Alabama 52.37 46 10
37 Illinois 51.81 40 31
38 Oklahoma 51.52 44 27
39 California 51.09 39 41
40 Georgia 50.95 43 28
41 Florida 50.71 37 42
42 Louisiana 50.61 47 19
43 Utah 49.90 41 39
44 Missouri 49.88 35 46
45 Tennessee 46.85 50 11
46 Nevada 46.14 48 33
47 Arizona 45.71 49 32
48 Arkansas 45.00 34 49
49 South Carolina 43.61 45 48
50 Mississippi 43.04 36 50

 

Here are the metrics the site used to make the ranking:

Risk of COVID-19 Infections – Total Points: 60

  • Child COVID-19 Cases per 100,000 Children: Double Weight (~8.00 Points)
  • Child COVID-19 Deaths per 100,000 Children: Double Weight (~8.00 Points)
  • COVID-19 Cases in the Last Seven Days per 100,000 Residents: Double Weight (~8.00 Points)
  • Public Mask Usage: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
    Note: This metric measures the presence or absence of state action requiring residents to wear a face mask in public.

    • 1 – No state action on public face coverings;
    • 0.5 – State requires the use of face coverings for certain employees;
    • 0.25 – State allows local officials to require the use of public face coverings for the general public;
    • 0 – Face coverings required for the general public

     

  • Share of K-12 Public School Students Transported Through School Transportation: Double Weight (~8.00 Points)
    Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Public K-12 Students Transported Daily/ Total K-12 Students Enrolled.
  • Average Public-School Class Size: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
    Note: This composite metric takes into account primary schools, middle schools and high schools.
  • Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
  • Share of Seniors Living with School-Age Children: Double Weight (~8.00 Points)
    Note: This metric refers to “Seniors” as individuals aged 65 and older and “School-Age Children” as 5 to 18 years old.
  • Share of Children Living in Crowded Housing: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
    Note: This metric refers to the share of children under age 18 living in households that have more than one person per room.
  • Overall Likelihood of COVID-19 Infections: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
    Note: This metric refers to the current COVID-19 transmission number, which is an estimate of the average number of people to whom an infected person will transmit the COVID-19 virus.

Health & Financial Infrastructure – Total Points: 40

  • Comprehensive School Reopening Guidance: Triple Weight (~13.33 Points)
    Note: This metric scores how many of the 12 criteria considered are addressed in the respective state’s school reopening policies. The 12 criteria noted are: Core Academics, SARS CoV2 Protection, Before & After School Programs, School Access & Transportation, Student Health Services, Food & Nutrition, Parent Choice, Teacher & Staff Choice, Children with special needs / ESL / Gifted and Twice Exceptional, Children of poverty and systemic disadvantage, Privacy, Engagement and Transparency.
  • WalletHub’s “Best & Worst States for Children’s Health Care” Score: Double Weight (~8.89 Points)
    Note: This metric in based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst States for Children’s Health Care” ranking.
  • WalletHub’s “States with the Best Health Infrastructure for Coronavirus” Score: Double Weight (~8.89 Points)
    Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “States with the Best Health Infrastructure for Coronavirus” ranking, and includes metrics such as: Number of Hospital Beds per Capita, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Beds per Capita or Number of Hospital Beds Most Needed Exclusively for COVID Patients per All Hospital Beds Available.
  • Student-to-School-Nurse Ratio: Full Weight (~4.44 Points)
  • Total Current Spending on Elementary & Secondary Schools per Pupil: Full Weight (~4.44 Points)
    Note: Current spending includes per pupil spending for salaries and wages, employee benefit payments, current spending for instruction and current spending for support services. The per pupil spending amounts included are derived from current spending totals and the fall membership data. Per pupil expenditure does not include spending for non-elementary-secondary programs (community service, adult education), or spending by a school system for students not included in its fall membership counts.

What do you think about the results? 

Top 10 Best Food Trucks in Charlotte

Charlotte Stories
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Top 10 Best Food Trucks in Charlotte

Charlotte is quickly becoming a food truck destination city, with an ever-growing number of food trucks all over our city.

In keeping with our ever-expanding Food Truck reputation, Yelp released a list of the best food trucks in Charlotte, based on user reviews and star rankings.

Here are the top 10 food trucks currently in Charlotte:

#10 Two Chicks and a Truck

Relay for Life in Ballantyne tonight! #cltfoodtrucks #foodtrucks @ballantynerelay

A post shared by Two Chicks And A Truck (@twochicksandatruck) on

#9 Street Spice

#8 The Dumpling Lady

Free Range Wednesday night! We will stay till 8:00pm . See you at the window.

A post shared by Thedumplinglady Clt (@thedumplingladyclt) on

#7 A Bao Time

#6 What the Fries

#5 Yummi Banh Mi Truck

#4 Bleu Barn Bistro

Chicken and Biscuit party. Need I say more?

A post shared by Bleu Barn Bistro (@bleubarnbistro) on

#3 Rico’s Acai

In case you were wondering where to stop for lunch 😉😋

A post shared by Rico’s Acai Food Truck (@ricosacai) on

#2 TIN Kitchen

#1 Papi Queso (recently featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives)

What is your favorite food truck in Charlotte?

5 Tips for First-Time Startup CEOs

Steve
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5 Tips for First-Time Startup CEOs

If you’re preparing to launch your first startup company, there’s no doubt you’re experiencing every emotion under the sun. It likely began with a strike of inspiration that lit a fire in you, but as the business development progresses, that eager excitement is quickly overshadowed by fear and anxiety. Where will I get funding? Can I really make this idea profitable? What if I’m making a mistake? Will I be able to get rehired at my day job? 

At the end of the day, you’ll have to take a big leap of faith to quit your career in pursuit of your entrepreneurial endeavors—but rather than basing your decision on hopes and prayers, you should put in all the time and research required to transition with confidence.

Becoming the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a company you’ve built from the ground up will be an accomplishment that you’re proud of for the rest of your life. But if you want to strengthen your odds of success and avoid a costly career move, you should take these five tips into consideration.

Tip #1: Establish a Clear Vision and Purpose

As a young startup company, you can expect to run into some recruitment challenges. Job hunters are looking for opportunities where they’ll have the opportunity to learn, develop new skills, and advance their career, which will be difficult to offer in the beginning stages considering that startups are known for being notoriously unstable. Beyond compensation and a path to promotion, however, a younger generation of Millennials hope to find an employer who they want to work for.

You need to give your team something worth fighting for, so clearly establish the company vision with a mission statement that defines your purpose. It’s not necessarily a matter of setting out to solve world hunger, per se, but you should be able to articulate what moved you to start the business in the first place and why.

Tip #2: Focus on Your Strengths

First-time CEOs typically have their eyes glued on the prize: profits. And one of the easiest ways to save money is to cut costs wherever possible. Search for the best deals on wholesale items to keep your overhead expenses low, but think twice before you take on tasks that fall outside of your abilities.

You can attempt to do everything yourself—from the construction work to bring your building up to code, to the real estate negotiation on an office lease—but this can actually end up costing you much more in the long run if you make expensive mistakes.

Focus on what you’re good at and find ways to implement your strengths, then hire people to fill in the gaps. If you can’t afford employees quite yet, then enlist the help of online resources. With a little bit of digging, you can find everything from small business payroll to CLM software offered at very affordable prices.

Tip #3: Manage Your Team Efficiently

You might have previous experience managing a team of employees, but when you’re the founding CEO of a fragile startup company, there’s way more at stake on the line. You’ll need to map out your business organization and the roles therein, coming up with ways to foster synergy and collaboration at every step of the way.

Many CEOs now have to manage teams remotely in response to COVID-19 and the corresponding office closures, so you might want to invest in time-tracking technology to ensure you’re getting the most value out of your labor costs. Be mindful of micromanaging, however, because there’s no faster way to frustrate an employee than by breathing down their back around the clock.

Tip #4: Create a Brand No One Can Forget

With the wheels in motion and your company off the ground, it’s a wise idea to ramp up your branding initiatives. That’s how consumers are going to recognize who the company is and what it does. Between the name, font, colors, and logo, there is no detail too small or insignificant.

Tip #5: Identify Your Key Performance Indicators

Our last tip is all about growth: how will you measure it? Put key performance indicators (KPIs) in place to track your goals and monitor the company’s health so you can sleep a little easier at night knowing that you’re on the track to success.

Here’s What to Know about Car Insurance in North Carolina

Sarah Feldman
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Here’s What to Know about Car Insurance in North Carolina

Every person has a dream to buy his/her own car from middle-class budget to high-class budgets like BMW, Mercedes and other expensive ones, but every car owner knows that his/her car is not invincible, also car accidents are no big deal, unexpectedly it happens. So, why don’t you secure your car by setting up insurance, by which if your car got damaged by accident, you could claim the money by which you can renew your car? In this article, best car insurance in North Carolina will be discussed.

  • Geico Insurance Company:

Geico (Government Employees Insurance company) established in 1936 in a way to provide cheap auto insurance for government employees. After, then the company has turned into one of the largest in the insurance industry. People came up with a thought that this company has the highest rates, but this is not so, in fact, Geico has some of the lowest rates in the state. When we find a company with a solid reputation, then Geico stands.

In fact, Geico has beaten some other popular companies in this race. Geico offers some unique policy add-ons. You will get: Full glass protection in the case that a storm, road debris, or other object damage to the automotive glass, also, if your car is in a garage for repair, then your coverage will provide you for a rental car and if your vehicle is broken into, then you will need extra compensation for the items that are inside. 

  • USAA Car Insurance:

USAA provides you with the cheapest insurance around from any other companies. Also, are based on the zip codes, the brand of car you drive. But, there are some terms and conditions for getting the membership of USSA, like you have to be an active member of the military (air force, navy, marine corps, or coast guard) or you were the former member of the military or honourably discharged or you are a child or having a blood relation with a current or former USAA member.

Maybe, you think that the insurance comes at a low price, so the customer service will also be poor, but this is not so, USAA consistently wins the hearts of the customers for providing the best service.

  • Erie Insurance:

Erie Insurance established in 1925. The reason for its popularity is its low cost and strong customer service reputation. The company is a good choice for North Carolina drivers seeking cheap car insurance. Getting the membership of this company is easy as compared to the USAA insurance company. This company does not hold terms and conditions like USAA, but customers do need to be the NCFB members to qualify this policy and this costs around $25 per year.

However, drivers can easily pay up the cost by taking advantage of NCFB discount offers which include a discount for vehicle safety devices, discount for married couples, pay in full discount, discount for experienced drivers, multiple vehicle discount and also multiple policy discount.

 

Making More Money by Working for Yourself

Sheep Bell
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Making More Money by Working for Yourself

Most people have to work for many years so that they can earn an income and put a roof over their heads and food on the table. However, while some people earn a limited amount of money for years on end, others take steps to boost their income so they can enjoy the food life rather than just scraping by. When you work for someone else, you have to be able to get into a pretty good job to earn decent money, and with stiff competition for good jobs, this is not always easy.

One of the ways in which you can make extra money is by working for yourself rather than for someone else. By setting up on your own, you can boost your earnings potential considerably as well as enjoying a host of additional benefits. More and more people these days set up on their own these days, and modern technology has made this much easier. In this article, we will provide tips to make more cash by working for yourself.

Great Ways to Make Money Working from Home

When you set up your own venture, you can look forward to setting up a home office and working from your own home. So, you can look forward to total convenience as well as being able to earn a very good income. Some of the types of work you can do working from home are:

Online Accountancy

If you enjoy working with numbers, you are happy to work alone, and you want to help many small businesses and individuals while earning great money, online accountancy could be a great choice for you. When you do this type of work, you can work remotely and help small business and individuals to deal with their finances, book-keeping, taxes, and much more. This is a great way to put your financial and mathematical skills to good use and to make great money at the same time.

Selling Online

Some people want to do something more practical, and what better than online retail? In fact, you can set up your own little online empire by selling online, and you can do this by setting up your own website as well as through measures such as using platforms like eBay. You can sell whatever types of products you want, and the popularity of online shopping means you can build up a customer base quickly.

Content Writing Services

For those who are creative, love researching online, and want to make money doing something they enjoy, content writing online is a great way to make a great income. You can work for customers from around the world without even leaving your home, and you can get involved in all sorts of writing projects. This is a great choice for those who love writing and want to work from home.

These are just a few of the options you can consider if you want to boost your earnings potential, make extra cash, and set up on your own.

Addiction: A Joint Battle With Parent And Child

Kristian Schaefer
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Addiction: A Joint Battle With Parent And Child

Although parents are children’s first teachers, there’s only so much knowledge and wisdom that parents can impart to their children before letting them make their own decisions. Parents can only provide guidance and advice if their children make mistakes, but whether or not the children willingly follow or listen is another issue entirely. 

Thus, when we address sensitive topics such as struggles with addiction in adulthood, it’s a precarious boundary to navigate. On one hand, any parent would want to do everything in their power to help their kids and solve their issues, but on the other hand, these kids are full-grown adults and completely accountable for their actions. Therefore, it’s not uncommon to witness many parents break down in anguish over being helpless in their children’s situation; feeling utterly guilty and helpless in delivering their child out of their misery. What parents can do best is get professional medical care and support for their children to get them back on the right path. 

It’s Their Own Battles

However, as a parent, you must remember that you shouldn’t be investing more time and effort than your children are. Firstly, they should feel ready to enact change within themselves before any other external or secondary forms of assistance can be administered. This is a fundamental principle and truth that all counselors learn and acknowledge before being licensed to counsel. Help met with resistance is futile. 

Sadly, we often witness this reverse of parents significantly putting in a greater amount of energy than their children even though the addiction is not their battle to fight. Regardless of whether you chide, guilt-trip, or threaten your child into submission or abandonment, no severity of actions would be sufficient if your child remains stubborn, indignant, and oblivious to his or her situation. Until your child is ready to accept reality and begin the journey of recovery, nothing can change their mind.

Attaining Sobriety

I’m sure many parents of suffering addicts long for the day their child would finally be recovered — be it counting their lucky stars after being awarded a second chance at life or getting themselves back up on their own two feet and tackling their life with full fervor. All these instances are wonderful circumstances of which any parent would love to see their child flourish. Those are truly satisfying moments. 

However, with any form of addiction, it’s a long-term battle. You’ll win some and lose some; sometimes the victories can last for months to years, but sometimes all it takes is one tiny trigger to dismantle all the progress that you’ve made so far. However, it’s pertinent to realize that if your child messes up and relapses, it’s okay. The fear of recidivism is an understandable cause for concern for recovering addicts. No one ever gets it right during the first try. It’s only through experience that we learn how to avoid the same mistakes in the future and improve with time. 

Time to Celebrate?

Although sobriety is a definite occasion for celebration, there are healthier ways to celebrate than to offer your child a bottle of champagne. Even if it’s for congratulatory purposes, enabling them access to the slightest drop of alcohol can have potentially devastating consequences as it undermines all their efforts so far by triggering a spiral back into their addiction. Having “just a glass” will be the trigger for more glasses and subsequently, more bottles to come. Alcohol has plenty of effects on our body, one of that is Alcohol Flush, if you want remedy for it, you can check asian flush cure online. 

However, this doesn’t insinuate we start being hypervigilant and overly-restrictive on our children. Your child isn’t incapable of self-control and discipline. They are their own person with their own strengths and faults; there’s no use “hawk-eyeing” their every move. If they fail, they fail but as long as you’ve provided them with the necessary support and concern in every step of their journey thus far, it’s all that they could’ve ever asked for. 

Thus, help your children from afar by ensuring that their environment is supportive and nurturing to begin with. Remove or at least hide away any sources of alcohol or substances in the household, be it the family home or their own personal apartment. Physically disabling them access to any source of addiction will greatly minimize their risk of relapse. 

The Limitations of Stewardship

Also, although common sense and the human experience dictates that the propensity to relapse might be higher as a coping mechanism in times of difficulties and hardships, we must remain steadfast in the belief that the first step to true recovery is trust. Without the foundation of trust, there’s no basis for mutual understanding and confidence in your child by not believing in their ability to overcome their struggles from the get-go. As a result, you’re essentially setting them up for failure from the start. 

Hence, having trust in your child translates to not over-worrying or stressing over every single inconvenience that he or she faces. Life waits for no one and will continue on with no reservation. Regardless of your child’s present condition of recovering, he or she will still continue to face other typical difficulties in life such as occupational stresses or relationship troubles. Whatever it may be, you must stay grounded as their parent and number one supporter. If they’re to succeed, you mustn’t suspect them of resorting to their original habits of addiction for every problem they encounter. 

Sometimes, a parent’s fears for their children will outweigh their own personal fears. The sense of stewardship for children’s wellbeing stemming from maternal and paternal love is incredibly strong, placing parents in the position to look out for warning signs in their children’s lives before they themselves are aware. Hence, this is the fatal flaw of parenthood — parents will foresee potential roadblocks and be aware of the full consequences for their children’s poor choices and insufficient commitment or willpower to sobriety. Yet, they’re unable to “force” or “prevent” their children from them. They just have to let them make those mistakes and learn from them.

Conclusion

Even though your child is back on the right track, we must acknowledge that a “new normal” now exists within the household. Despite the tag of sobriety being labeled, life wouldn’t quite be the same with the new tension of recidivism precariously looming over your shoulders. Be aware of these demons but also remain a positive outlook on life. Fear and negativity never got anyone anywhere, only love with a healthy mix of optimism and realism can truly guarantee success.

 

Charlotte Suburb Just Ranked Among Money Magazine’s ’50 Best Places To Live in America’

Steve
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Charlotte Suburb Just Ranked Among Money Magazine’s ’50 Best Places To Live in America’
via Jim Schmid Photography

One of Charlotte’s biggest suburbs was just ranked among Money Magazine’s “50 Best Places To Live in America”.

Concord, NC, located just northeast of Charlotte, made the #24 spot on the list (Raleigh’s suburb of Morrisville, NC also made the list in the #10 spot).

To compile the list, Money Magazine ranked 1,890 locations that had at least 25,000 residents based on each location’s economy, housing market, cost of living, diversity, public education, health and safety, weather and lifestyle, and amenities.

In describing Concord, Money Magazine says:

“NASCAR fans will know Concord as the real home of the Charlotte Motor Speedway. But car racing isn’t the only thing at the 84,000-seat complex. On Wednesdays this summer, the venue hosted drive-in movie night, showing films like “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Grease” on a 16,000-square-foot high-definition television.

Meanwhile, Concord’s historic downtown features a museum, a library, a French chocolate shop, a pottery studio and a botanical garden. The focal point of the former mill town is the Cabarrus County Courthouse. Built in 1876, the eclectic building is on the National Register of Historic Places and is now home to a 227-seat theater, art galleries and a local history museum.

Employment in Concord has grown 33% since 2010. Though the job market was dinged by the pandemic, it has been recovering relatively quickly. With a median home price of $226,000, Concord is more affordable than popular North Carolina destination Raleigh ($297,000), but with demand outpacing supply buyers need to act fast.”

Do you agree with the ranking? 

What do you think about Concord? 

STEM Scholarships Available to Charlotte-Area Girls For Unique Virtual After-School Club

Charlotte Stories
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STEM Scholarships Available to Charlotte-Area Girls For Unique Virtual After-School Club

Project Scientist, a Charlotte non-profit known for its one-of-a-kind summer STEM academies for girls, is launching a virtual after-school club open to girls ages 4 to 12.

The Project Scientist STEM Club will give girls an after-school program that connects them to other girls who love science, technology, math and engineering.  Every Wednesday afternoon, Project Scientist certified teachers will lead girls in STEM learning and hands-on science. Girls will be divided into smaller age groups for personal attention and maximum fun. Each girl will receive a STEM kit in the mail with all the supplies to conduct experiments at home that month.

Many schools have dropped hands-on science this semester as classes have shifted online.  The club is designed to give girls all the fun and learning of hands-on science while building their confidence that they can pursue any STEM career they desire. All teaching and kits will be aligned with Next Generation Science Standards.

The Project Scientist STEM Club costs $250 for 2 months. Register by September 30 at www.projectscientist.org. The Club starts Wednesday, October 14.

Project Scientist serves students from low-resourced households. Financial aid is available for the Project Scientist STEM Club for girls who receive free or reduced-price lunch at school. Find out more at https://projectscientist.org/stem-club or by emailing rebecca@projectscientist.org. We anticipate that up to 50% of our students will be on scholarship.

Each week will explore a different theme.  Themes include what it takes to propel objects from point A to point B through the science of elastic energy, and discovering how sound works by building your own musical instruments.

The new virtual STEM club builds upon Project Scientist’s successful virtual summer camps in 2020, which brought together more than 600 girls from across the U.S.  “They were able to interact and teach these girls in a completely virtual environment,” said one dad in a review. “They made it so the girls were really able to ask questions and feel involved.”

This new extracurricular activity from Project Scientist is made possible through generous sponsors.  They are dedicated to helping Project Scientist change the world’s view of who a scientist is and what a scientist does. These strategic partners are joining us to transform the face of STEM by nurturing today’s future scientists, who will lead the world in solving tomorrow’s greatest challenges.

2 of Charlotte’s Biggest Facilities Awarded Nation’s Top Cleaning Accreditation

Charlotte Stories
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2 of Charlotte’s Biggest Facilities Awarded Nation’s Top Cleaning Accreditation

The Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, has awarded GBAC STAR™ accreditation to 57 new facilities this week. The Blumenthal Performing Arts and the Charlotte Convention Center are both recognized for their thorough approach to cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention.

“Each week, we see more organizations achieve GBAC STAR accreditation and others commit to completing this process because they are dedicated to protecting their patrons and employees,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “While it’s unclear when the COVID-19 pandemic will end, we are certain that accredited facilities have the highest regards for health and safety in this new normal along with a commitment to continuous improvement going forward.”

GBAC STAR is an important indicator of a facility’s ability to prepare, respond, and recover from infectious disease and biohazard threats. The accreditation is renewed annually to encourage organizations to document their progress and continually strive for improvement.

The following facilities are now GBAC STAR accredited:

Airport

  • Montreal-Trudeau International Airport in Montreal

Convention Centers

  • America’s Center in St. Louis
  • ASM Global – Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Buffalo Niagara Convention Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
  • Calgary TELUS Convention Center in Calgary, Alberta
  • Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C.
  • Edmonton Convention Center in Edmonton, Alberta
  • Edmonton EXPO Centre in Edmonton, Alberta
  • Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg, Tenn.
  • Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison, Wisc.
  • Oakland Convention Center in Oakland, Calif.
  • Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia
  • Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex in Raleigh, N.C.
  • Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Fla.
  • Visalia Convention Center in Visalia, Calif.

Hotels

  • Adare Manor, a Leading Hotels of the World member property, in Adare, County Limerick, Ireland
  • Andaz Singapore in Singapore
  • Due Torri Hotel in Verona, Italy
  • Grand Hyatt Jeju in Jeju-do, South Korea
  • Grand Hotel Majestic gia Baglioni in Bologna, Italy
  • Grand Hyatt at SFO in San Francisco
  • Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco
  • Hôtel Martinez in Cannes, France
  • Hyatt Centric Las Condes Santiago in Santiago, Chile
  • Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach in Honolulu
  • Hyatt House Augusta/Downtown in Augusta, Georgia
  • Hyatt House San Jose Airport in San Jose, Calif.
  • Hyatt House San Ramon in San Ramon, Calif.
  • Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale/Plantation in Plantation, Fla.
  • Hyatt Place Nashville/Franklin/Cool Springs in Franklin, Tenn.
  • Hyatt Place Zurich Airport The Circle in Zurich
  • Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa & Marina in Cambridge, Md.
  • Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa in Danang, Vietnam
  • Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center in Denver
  • Hyatt Regency Hengqin in Hengqin, China
  • Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill in London
  • Hyatt Regency Sacramento in Sacramento, Calif.
  • Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk in San Antonio
  • LEVEL Furnished Living – Chicago Old Town in Chicago
  • LEVEL Furnished Living – Chicago River North in Chicago
  • LEVEL Furnished Living – Los Angeles Downtown – Flower in Los Angeles
  • LEVEL Furnished Living – Los Angeles Downtown – South Hill in Los Angeles
  • LEVEL Furnished Living – Los Angeles Downtown – South Olive in Los Angeles
  • Llao Llao Resort, Golf & Spa in Bariloche, Argentina
  • Motif Seattle in Seattle
  • Okura Prestige Bangkok, a Leading Hotels of the World member property, in Bangkok
  • Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa in the Maldives
  • Park Hyatt Vienna in Vienna

Industrial/Commercial

  • Abington Reldan Metals in Fairless Hills, Penn.
  • Allied Restoration Services, Inc. in West Covina, Calif.

Retail

  • Japan House Los Angeles in Los Angeles
  • The Avenue Viera in Viera, Fla.

Stadiums/Performance Venues

  • BC Place, home to the MLS’s Vancouver Whitecaps and the CFL’s BC Lions, in Vancouver, B.C.
  • Blumenthal Performing Arts in Charlotte, N.C.
  • CenturyLink Field in Seattle
  • Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia
  • Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton, Fla.

“The GBAC STAR program is the gold standard of prepared facilities and will help the public gauge an organization’s commitment to the elevated standard of cleanliness that is now essential,” said ISSA Executive Director John Barrett. “We are thrilled to welcome additional facilities in North America, Europe and Asia this week.”

Apply for GBAC STAR facility accreditation at gbac.org/star. To view the list of accredited facilities, committed facilities, and industry supporters, visit https://gbac.issa.com/gbac-star-facilities-and-supporters/.

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