I’ve been a Livescribe Pen fan for a couple of years now and use one myself all the time. I’ve recommended them to friends and acquaintances as they make note taking extremely simple and effective.

A quick note to let you know that I’ve received a new Livescribe Echo Pen for evaluation from them. I’ll let you know about the new features, and we’ll probably have them on the radio show.  I’m really looking forward to this one.

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• Livescribe Echo Smart Pen Even Cleverer than Predecessor (fastcompany.com)

Congratulations to Brian S. of Manchester and Todd E. of Nashua, our winners of the Klipsch S4 in-ear speakers. These high-end in-ear speakers will allow them to have a private concert experience anytime they listen. Thank you to Klipsch for providing these give-aways to our listeners.

Just visit BookSwim.com and search your favourite book and order. They will ship the book to you at your doorstep. You can read at your own pace at your home or vacation for a low monthly subscription. Not only this, if you find the book interesting, you can keep it by paying a discounted rate. So, what do you think about this interesting idea?

BookSwim offers gift cards for Father’s Day. Give your Dad total choice of what books he wants to read. BookSwim gift cards can be purchased with no minimum amount online. Monthly rental plans start at $14.99 for upwards of two books per month. BookSwim is offering a special Father’s Day promo code on its site that will provide $5 off a $30 gift card purchase (or higher) and $15 off a $90 (or higher) gift card purchase. The promo code is “FATHERSDAY1.”

About 20 million trees are cut down annually for virgin paper used in the production of books sold in the U.S. alone. Renting a book instead of purchasing means that less paper is consumed and, ultimately, fewer trees are cut down.

Below is BookSwim’s Rental Plans. Also, check out for other subscription plans such as yearly plans and gift membership.

$14.99/mo – 2 Books At-A-Time (return 2 at a time, hold 0)
$19.99/mo – 3 Books At-A-Time (return 2 at a time, hold 1)
$23.99/mo – 5 Books At-A-Time (return 3 at a time, hold 2)
$27.99/mo – 7 Books At-A-Time (return 3 at a time, hold 4)
$31.99/mo – 9 Books At-A-Time (return 3 at a time, hold 6)
$35.99/mo – 11 Books At-A-Time (return 4 at a time, hold 7)

Subscription includes fee shipping both ways. There is no contract and you can cancel at any time. BookSwim will not charge and due dates and delays. You can opt for any of the three plans – yourself, an account, or gift membership.

During any given week, the average bestseller costs more than $20. Read three of these in a month and you’re spending over $60! What you’re paying for is the right to own the book.

If you fall in love with a book and want to keep it? No problem! You can pay for it online and then immediately receive another book from your list. It’s that easy! This is a unique feature of BookSwim.

So, happy reading with low cost ever.

George Burke
Co-Founder and CMO
Bookswim

George Burke – A biography

George got his start as lead web designer for the Aviation Department of the Port Authority of NY & NJ, charged with the maintenance of websites for John F. Kennedy Int’l Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty Int’l Airport. In addition to developing websites for Teterboro Airport and Downtown Manhattan Heliport, George developed and maintained an Air Cargo website. You can thank him for that time your luggage didn’t end up on the other side of the country.

He later utilized his web experience as the Director of Internet Marketing for online graphic design school, Sessions.edu. There, George developed his passion for search engine optimization, managing advertising accounts and developing new market initiatives.

Before co-founding BookSwim, George started the new media design company, Circular Orb, LLC, becoming a leader in the growing market of Artisan e-commerce. Under Circular Orb, he personally managed projects for over 40 of clients before selling the company in 2006.

George holds a BS in Information Technology, with a Multimedia Concentration, and a Minor in Management from New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he spent many an evening reading at his local bookstore due to the utterly inequitable lack of girls on campus. An avid musician and songwriter, George brings his guitar to work every day.

About Bookswim:

BookSwim.com, is a Netflix for books, offering unlimited rentals per month on a monthly subscription plan. BookSwim is the first online book rental library club lending you paperbacks and hardcovers netflix-style directly to your house without the need to purchase! Whether it’s New Releases, Bestsellers, or Classics, they have got over 200,000 titles to choose from, with free shipping both ways! Read your books as long as you want. — no late fees! Even choose to purchase and keep the titles you love!

So, let’s look at some ideas that you can use to overcome these obstacles / challenges during these summer.

• Biggest challenge is working around other people’s vacation schedules to get things done
• Work with web designer for improvement and keep update the contents
• Need to be very persistent and methodical in following up with people in order to keep projects moving along and meet deadlines
• Keeping the blog alive during this summer
• Adding a podcast features or add more podcasts on the site
• Incorporating RSS or widget capability to your website
• Summer is a great time for innovation due to the larger blocks of uninterrupted time!
• You can also do some marketing activities since it will give some leads once you end the summer
• Plan ahead for the coming months
• Summer is a great time to network – you can talk to others about how they are incorporating new technologies
• Summer is a great time to attend an industry trade show and see how technology advances are changing your industry
• Summer is a good time to implement changes that affect limited number of individuals in your company (e.g. – a new electronic filing system for business cards that only an Administrative Assistant would use).
• Hold off on implementing changes that involve training everyone in your company (e.g. – new computer system, new video e-mail software) until everyone’s back from vacation => minimizes potential confusion/disruption
• Also, you can work on new product development

Scott Swaney
CEO
Swaney Sports Consulting

Scott Swanay – A biography

Scott Swanay is a fully qualified statistical wizard and sports guru. He graduated from Harvard in 1987 with a degree in Applied Math & Computer Science, and worked as an actuary for the next 17 years, holding a series of positions with increasing levels of responsibility. He completed a series of ten rigorous exams to become a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) in 1998.

In 2004, Scott decided to combine his great knowledge of sports with his statistical and analytical expertise, leaving his previous field to pursue his dream full-time.  He spent the next two years developing the database that led to the creation of Fantasy Baseball Sherpa, a sports projecting web-site that stands out in the many, because Scott, the statistical expert, has figured out how to include unique elements into the player predictions.

About Swaney Sports Consulting:

Swanay Sports Consulting, located in New York, NY.  Swanay Sports Consulting’s line of business is business consulting services.

Fantasy Baseball Sherpa offers customized baseball player rankings for fantasy baseball team owners.   New Fantasy Baseball Sherpa product forecasts players’ performance for the rest of the season – it’s the first product of its kind!  He is also developing a Fantasy Football Sherpa website – will be launched later this summer.

• Find a Pro – this service helps small businesses outsource specific parts of their business operations and activities.  Small business owners can be more productive by outsourcing specific tasks, which are mundane or regular in nature to someone and focus on what they love to do. Try Find a Pro service.

• Selling a Business – More business sellers are choosing BizTrader.com because it is the most effective and affordable business selling solution in the world.  BizTrader.com’s massive distribution service lets sellers place one ad that gets distributed to dozens of other websites, keeping your time short (in just 5 mins) and reach wide for marketing a business for sale.

Implement a summer schedule allowing employees to leave early on Fridays to spend time with family or to start the weekend early.   Having a few extra hours to commute to weekend destinations will encourage employees to get some much needed R&R and will contribute to their overall well-being – and keep them more productive in the long run.

Hire a summer intern — Many college students are looking for summer experience to boost their resume and to test out different fields.  This is a great opportunity for your business to hire someone eager to work who can help out with extra tasks, especially the administrative ones, which may often be placed on back burner during vacation season.

You can also offer on-site child care services or discounts so employees do not have to spend as much time and money on summer day-care.

Take advantage of available technology and offer solutions to allow employees to telecommute on days when office presence is not imperative.

On the flip side – make sure employees ARE unplugging as much as possible during vacation time so they can relax and come back to work relaxed and recharged.

Make sure working environment is comfortable for employees, especially if you’re in a hot climate.  Be sure to keep air conditioning in working order and encourage employees to take frequent breaks and to drink plenty of water when outdoors during high heat.

Colby Sambrotto
President and CEO
BizTrader.com

Colby Sambrotto – A biography

Colby Sambrotto founded BizTrader.com in 2007 and is directly responsible for leading the company’s growth and operation.

With a track record of founding, growing, managing and selling a series of successful web-based businesses including ForSaleByOwner.com, the internet’s leading resource for buying and selling real estate without a commission, Colby was inspired to start BizTrader.com to meet the needs of entrepreneurs and investors.

BizTrader.com is a global business resource – it is designed to connect business owners and operators with prospective buyers, lenders and investors.  BizTrader.com is a multilingual one-stop-shop for the small business owner who is looking to expand internationally, get a loan or be acquired.

Since BizTrader.com’s beta launch in 2008, the site has listed tens of thousands of businesses for sale and Colby has successfully brokered business partnerships with companies including Experian, and Microsoft subsidiary Franchise Gator to give the small business owners or investors the tools and resources needed to conduct business in today’s a global marketplace.

Prior to founding BizTrader.com, Colby was chief operating officer of ForSaleByOwner.com for seven years, where he directed the day-to-day operations of the company and was responsible for overseeing all operational aspects of the company including business development, web development, strategic planning and human resources.  Under his strategic leadership, ForSaleByOwner.com was acquired by Tribune Company in 2006.

Colby has provided his views and commentary on a range of business topics in hundreds of media outlets including The Today Show, Wall Street Journal, 20/20 and Businessweek.

Filled with unique tools for both buyers and sellers and led by a seasoned, successful management team, BizTrader is compiling an extensive network of business owners, brokers, and lenders to make this the most comprehensive site for buying and selling a business.

All content on BizTrader.com, including customer postings, articles and software programs, is available in English, Spanish and Mandarin.

If you are business owner and would like to:

• Sell a business, asset, or commercial property
• Value a business
• Coordinate a barter arrangement
• Find a lender, investor or potential buyer
• Multi-lingual translation
• Find a professional – from lawyers and insurance carriers to painters and computer repair

If you are an investor and buyer and would like to :

• Multi-lingual translation
• Check a company’s credit
• Buy a business
• Value a business
• Find a franchise

Pain-Free, Hair-Free is the next-generation of laser hair removal. It’s an effective and permanent hair reduction solution that is simple and easy. It uses cutting-edge medical laser technology and combines it with the comfort and convenience.

Pain-Free, Hair-Free breaks the mold of previous laser hair removal systems. The system’s unique IN-Motion™ technology, along with the sweeping motion of the laser, safely and gently heats the targeted area under your skin while you stay comfortable.

Most people find Pain-Free, Hair-Free treatments very comfortable.  While pain tolerance is subjective, many patients often describe the sensation as soothing as a “hot stone massage.”

The treatment works by using pulses of infrared diode laser energy to gradually heat the hair follicles in the subdermal layer of skin until they can no longer produce new hair. Using unique, IN-Motion™ technology and a patented DualChill™ treatment tip, the surface of your skin stays cool and comfortable. The sweeping motion also eliminates any skipped or missed spots common to other types of laser hair removal.

It’s safe for all skin types, hair types and most hair colors.  It can even be used on tanned skin. The bottom line is – if you have hair where you wish you didn’t, Pain-Free, Hair-Free is for you.   The body hair removal process is permanent, predictable, and virtually pain-free.

The Pain-Free, Hair-Free treatment performed with the Soprano device by Alma Lasers is the next-generation of laser hair removal.  It’s effective and offers long-term hair removal with NO PAIN (the first of its kind).

The Pain-Free, Hair-Free is great for busy dads as it requires no down time or recovery time.  You can have a treatment and return to work immediately.

Compared with a lifetime of shaving, waxing or plucking, help your dad in both time and money-savings with the Pain-Free, Hair-Free treatment.

You can locate a doctor near you.   To know about the after effects of hair removal, click here.

Dr. Douglas Senderoff
Plastic Surgeon
Pain Free- Hair Free

Dr. Douglas Senderoff -  A biography

Dr. Senderoff is experienced in the latest techniques in cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery including tumescent liposuction and endoscopic surgery. He specializes in body contouring procedures including breast enlargement and liposuction, as well as face and eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty.
Dr. Douglas Senderoff completed his undergraduate degree in Biology at Emory University and his master’s degree in Human Nutrition, at Columbia University. After he received his medical degree from State University of New York Health Science Center, Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Senderoff trained in general surgery at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.

Dr. Senderoff completed his residency in plastic surgery and a Microsurgery Research Fellowship at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. He is the author of numerous publications relating to wound healing and has received local and national recognition for his research in the field of microsurgery. Dr. Senderoff has lectured both nationally and internationally on the various areas of his expertise. Dr. Senderoff is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the National Board of Medical Examiners.

He is a Clinical Instructor of Surgery at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

About Pain-Free-Hair Free:

A revolution is underway, for body hair removal that is virtually painless. The Pain-Free, Hair-Free treatment, offered by spas and physicians around the world, can now free you from daily shaving, painful plucking and expensive waxing to give you silky smooth and beautifully bare skin.

Pain-Free, Hair-Free is the next-generation of laser hair removal. It’s an effective and permanent hair reduction solution that is simple and easy. It takes cutting-edge medical laser technology and combines it with the comfort and convenience of a trip to the spa. In fact, Pain-Free, Hair-Free uses new breakthrough technology that has been described as one of the most comfortable laser hair removal options available.

There are now Space Camp programs for Children, Adults and even for Corporate events. Children will learn more about space, space shuttle, robotics, mars etc in these camp programs. These programs enhance teamwork, self-confidence and communication and these will be achieved through state-of-the-art simulations, missions, rocket building and robotics.  For scholarship, photo gallery, international camps, and more information about these camps, visit http://www.spacecamp.com/category.php?cat=Space

Participants will have three fields of specialized study (or track options) to choose from: Aviation, Space, and Robotics tracks.

Aviation Track

Kids will learn flight dynamics, wilderness survival, teamwork, and spend time in high-performance jet fighter simulators. They learn all the skills that an American fighter pilots use to rule the skies.

What makes an airplane fly? It’ll teach them the principles of flight, not in the classroom, but standing next to an F-16 or F-14 planes!

Space Track

In addition to a Shuttle Mission, space track campers go through extensive Mars training to prepare for interplanetary travel. They will learn about the planet, its soil, geology, climate and atmosphere. They will also receive crew assignments, and set ready to go!

Settle into your new home – Mars Outpost – Alpha Station. Explore the surface of Mars. Conduct experiments on the soil and rocks collected, as well as keeping everything on board the Mars Outpost running smoothly. Once the mission is complete, it is time to head home to Earth.

Robotics Track

Kids will learn how to rescue astronauts from the International Space Station! 10 hours of designing and programming a robot using LEGO Mindstorm software and materials.

Kids form team of four to five and create the ultimate robotic rover, using an unlimited array of gears, pulleys, sensors, and other parts. Then they program the robot to perform tasks at the ISS using the latest computer software. They test their creations and compete with other groups to save stranded astronauts and deliver supplies to the space station.

There are 10 space programs to choose depending on your age. All the below mentioned programs follow the above three tracks.

Space Camp program duration is 3 – 6 days. It uses space to excite and educate children ages 9-11 in the fields of math, science and technology. In space camp, everything you will learn about Space Shuttle Systems and life aboard the Orbiter and Space Station. Kids can try out space food, learn to sleep in space and even how to go to the bathroom in space! To know more about the program, click here.

Space Academy is an increased intensity program of astronaut and mission training and academics. Simulated missions to a space station and crew rotation highlight the week. Trainees who want to be Astronauts must learn to think like astronauts and our Space Academy Programs are designed to do just that! This program is kids aged 12 – 14 and length of this program is 6-day and 8-day. Trainees will participate in Shuttle Missions, Space Simulators, build & launch rockets and sample space food. To know more about the program, click here. Participants will go through Team-Building skills, Space Simulators Training and Space Shuttle Mission Training activities which are part of this program.

Advanced Space Academy is for ages 15 – 18 and offers programs for 6-day and 8-day. During this week-long program, trainees get hands-on training, as well as learn about the mental, emotional and physical demands astronauts must face. Fields of study include Engineering, Space Technology and Aerospace Science. The Advanced Space Academy program is a college-accredited program through the University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH). All Advanced Space Academy participants will earn one hour of Freshman-level general science credit from UAH. For details on activities and tracks, click here. Choose your path of study from one of the racks listed below.

• Pilot Track Trainees will take command of an orbiter on its mission to the International Space Station. A pilot will follow the checklist procedures of a mission and be required to make emergency decisions while monitoring and commanding the crew.
• Pilot SCUBA Track Trainees will continue to command or pilot an orbiter and learn Aerospace Science as their core basis for training, but instead of flying the Flight Simulators at Aviation Challenge, they will SCUBA dive in the UAT SCUBA tank.
• Mission Specialist Track Trainees will be instructed in the engineering and design of the shuttle and space station. Repairs to either will be conducted in the UAT SCUBA Tank creating and accurate environment for the space walk.

Parent / Child program is designed to give both of you an overview of space exploration, while experience very real space simulations. Parent Child Space Camp is a weekend for just the two of you, providing the opportunity to become partners in learning. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and lift off! Watch the rocket that you and your child built together soar. Share the pride that your child will feel while manoeuvring the orbiter through space. What better way to build a lasting relationship than through Parent Child Space Camp?

Get ready for a weekend of non-stop activities. Together, you and your child will explore the history – present and future – of space flight. You will also experience the excitement of being there while watching an IMAX movie! See Shuttle astronauts perform missions in space, ride along as Aviators throttle up, or explore the surface of mars.

Participants also get a packet of exciting activities to explore scientific concepts at home. Click here for details on Parent/Child Program activities.

Adult Programs will put your skills, abilities and talents to the test in training simulators and simulated missions. Experience four G’s of force when you blast off 140 feet on SPACE SHOT. Feel what it’s like to walk on the moon in the 1/6th Gravity Trainer, then experience a simulated tumble in space in the Multi-Axis Trainer. You’ll also alternate roles in mission control and shuttle crew during two different Space Shuttle missions.

Witness space exploration almost firsthand in a giant-screen IMAX Spacedome theater presentation. You will also spend time in our world class Space Museum containing America’s largest collection of space artifacts.

Special Programs are for blind and visually impaired and the deaf and hard of hearing, these programs offer all the excitement of Space Camp & Aviation Challenge.

The Space Camp and Aviation Challenge programs specifically designed for blind, visually-impaired, deaf and/or hard-of-hearing attendees have attracted students from across the United States and around the world.

Over the years, we have worked closely with several organizations, including the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, and most recently, the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, to develop a meaningful, inspirational experience for these students.

Program highlights may include a presentation by blind and/or deaf NASA professionals on career choices and working in the space industry. Enlarged print, sign language interpreters, attention to mobility hazards and other special considerations are extended to put trainees at ease.

Blind students also benefit from the latest technology in the field, including tactile Braille displays and synthetic speech for computers.

Day Camps offer exciting opportunities for learning, friendship and adventure. It has split into two groups, 7-8 year old and 9-11 year olds. You can choose from any of the three programs – Expedition camp, Space Camp and Aviation Challenge sessions. For more details about this day camps, click here

Educator program offer professional development opportunities for both formal and informal educators, as well as a variety of programs for students.

Corporate program take corporate development training and incentive programs to a whole new level… letting you jump into a flight suit and take on the role of an astronaut or fighter pilot!

For scholarship, photo gallery, international camps, and more information about these camps, visit http://www.spacecamp.com/category.php?cat=Space

Camp is the best demonstration of moral and spiritual order—democracy is the core purpose. Children learn life skills that become habits of the heart. It is tough to be a kid these days. It is tough to be a parent. In a society where the nature of the family, the work place, and the community have changed dramatically, we can no longer assume that the natural process of growing up will provide children the experiences and the resources they need to become successful, contributing adults.

The American Camp Association, New England is dedicated to enriching the lives of children and families through quality camp experiences.

The American Camp Association, New England is a community of camp professionals who, for more than one hundred years, have joined together to share knowledge and experience and to ensure the quality of camp programs. ACA New England accredits nearly 350 day and overnight summer camps in the six New England states.

ACA conducts camps for all ages and offers various types of camps.

Day camp can begin as early as age three and is geared to children who get to experience camp and still return home each evening! They have the best of both worlds—the camp community which is built exclusively for kids and their own home which provides the security they need at a tender age. Day camp focuses on “what is right” than “what is wrong.” Day Camps typically serve children ages 3-15 during daytime only. For more information, click here.

Camp provides one of the very few links with a world larger than the consumer culture we inhabit—and day camp is one important choice in a quiver of options. The camp experience helps children and youth develop an appreciation of their place and their responsibility in a much larger universe. A preschooler—or even an older child who might be reluctant to go to overnight camp—can join a community that is created especially for her to practice growing up.

Specialty Camps offer a program for every interest. It can be found at day or resident camps and offer opportunities to concentrate on certain program areas such as horseback riding, the arts, travel, sports or computers, among others. Imagine a place where you get to be totally immersed in the thing you love to do (or want to try) the most . . . from being wrist-deep in cake batter or filming a movie to jamming all day with rock stars or learning to drive a race car. Specialty camps offer just that type of fantasy-come-true experience – from fine arts, performing arts, and chef camp, to learning a foreign language, science, engineering, motor sports . . . and much, much more. These camps have very focused programs, they typically have more intensive and professional-level instruction, and often include guest speakers, such as artists, musicians, and those who’ve made a career of that particular activity.

Many specialty camps have informal, hands-on, or immersion approaches to various academic subjects, such as math, science, or language, which may help children who struggle in a traditional classroom to learn material and develop confidence for the upcoming school year. For example, at Camp Motorsport, a race car driving specialty camp for kids ages ten to sixteen, campers participate in racing-related activities that convert abstract math and science concepts into hands-on applications—such as figuring out how resistance and drag impact making the car go faster.

Overnight / Resident / Sleepaway Camps usually serve children ages 6-17 for one to eight weeks at a time; children sleep at camp.

General Camps offer a range of activities. Many provide opportunities to focus on one or two activities while allowing campers to try a variety of others. General camps sometimes offer the opportunity to specialize in an activity.

Trip & Travel programs are often camp-based. Most involve adventure and wilderness. Campers spend most of their time traveling away from base camp.

Camps for Special Populations serve specific clientele such as children with particular medical conditions or diseases or individuals with special needs.

Space Car Camp deal more with real experience of space shuttle and its working.

Going Green and preserving environment:

ACA also encourages Children to go green. Camps across the country are encouraging children to put on their plates only what they will eat, then camps teach children about recycling by converting the leftovers into compost. The compost is then used to fertilize the fields that create food for the campers!

Many camps implement an environmental awareness program entitled, “Leave No Trace.” This program teaches and encourages children to clean up after themselves in nature, so as to not pollute the environment.

Camps create educational programs with local wildlife agencies or even the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

A Camp for Every Budget

While it’s hard to put a price tag on your child’s learning and growth, you certainly have your family’s budget to think about when you consider camp. The good news is that there is a camp program to fit nearly every budget.

For more information about fee, click here

Here are some benefits of ACA Camps:

• Every child deserves a camp experience.

The unique power of a camp experience complements and reinforces what children are taught at school, at home and at extracurricular activities — rounding out children’s development in optimal ways. Camps specialize in providing physical activity, time spent in the out-of-doors and experiences in teambuilding, athletics and the arts — activities that have been eliminated or are at risk of elimination for more and more school systems.

• Childhood is compromised without a camp experience.

Camp is vital! Camps have the capacity to change children’s lives — influencing, even transforming, their choices and chances and their characters and capabilities.

• Campers learn life lessons.

Camp memories often stay alive in people’s hearts and minds well into adulthood. Lessons include: becoming a responsible member of a group and community, personal and group decision-making, the art of compromise, resilience, how to bust out of one’s own comfort zone to try something new and many more. Campers are often attracted by a specific activity or two; they usually get an added bonus and learn something new and important about themselves at camp.

• Camp gives kids a world of good.

Expect camper growth in independence, self-esteem, leadership ability, peer relationship skills, spirituality, environmental awareness and decision-making when children attend day or resident camp. The largest study of camper outcomes in the U.S., conducted by Philiber Research Associates and ACA, confirmed these benefits of the camp experience — that camp gives kids a world of good!

ACA also offers volunteering and employment opportunities for adults.

Bette S. Bussel
Executive Director
American Camp Association, New England

Bette S. Bussel – A biography

“I had no idea when I went to summer camp at age 4 that one day I’d be in charge of thousands of campers who are looking for a positive summer camp experience, just like I was. Life is truly one big circle.”

Bette has been involved with camps since age 4, where she began as a day camper. She evolved to an overnight camper, Counselor-in-Training (CIT), Counselor, Program Director, Camp Director and is now the Executive Director of ACA New England. Bette brings a rare blend of organizational and interpersonal skills to this position, which she has held for more than 17 years. She has established herself as a person with professional competence, strong commitment and the ability to build on the established strengths and esteemed history of the regional nonprofit organization she leads.

Bette received a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management from Ithaca College and a Master of Science in Recreation Management from the University of Maryland.

Prior to coming to ACA New England, she served as the Program Director, Teen Director, Group Services Director and Day Camp Director for the Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven. In those roles she received a special citation from the Kovod Society of the JCC, and a Women in Leadership award from the YWCA.

Since taking over as ACA New England’s Executive Director in 1990, Bette has been honored with the New England AIC Award (1994), National AIC Award (1996), ACA National Service Award (1999), and ACA Special Recognition Award (2004).

Bette is a well-informed resource on legislative issues that impact camps throughout New England. She has been effective establishing positive relationships with legislative and regulatory bodies that monitor camps and has worked to strengthen respect of and input by camp professionals in legislative matters.

Bette serves as a member of the national ACA’s Technology Task Force, which advises all 24 regional offices of the association on the use of technology. Currently, Bette plays a leadership role on a committee which is reinventing ACA’s online camp search tool—the Find A Camp Tool.

The Austin Film Festival summer camp started 15 years ago and has drawn thousands of participants who write and review screenplays and direct, produce and star in their films. Each camp provides a summer fantasy for around 200 children who get to perfect their various film-making interests.

The purpose is to present the concept of communication (of an idea or a message) to students in a way that enables them to connect with the media which they consume on a daily basis. Ideally, this will help to make them better communicators and more critical consumers of media. They learn script writing, craft story telling, marketing, communication, understanding audience and produce films.

The program offers in two modes. Children aged 9 – 12 will learn the entire process of conceptualization of story for a short film to finished piece and marketing. Students produce their shorts using digital video cameras with digital non-linear editing systems. Children get the opportunity to work in these technology areas, which is not a normal industry practice.

The second mode is for children aged 13 – 17. In this program, they will learn scripting, comedy shows, video class and make a film. Additionally, one of the inherent aspects of the film process which they learn is collaboration, as the medium. Parents are more excited than their children.

The skills learned both from the equipment and from the process of filmmaking can be applied to future careers in not only film-making, but other media like advertising and consumer communication fields. Though many enrolled students are inherently interested in the artistic applications of camp, the technology opens up other significant opportunities after college. Many of the past campers are now enrolled in film schools throughout the US.

Since the late 90’s, the film industry has been in the process of shifting to digital technologies in all aspects of film production. Not only is film being shot in a digital format, but the editing, sound, special effects and finally projection have all moved out of the real world and onto the computer. Technology can make film making easier now a days that anyone can buy a digital camera and make film. Apple comes with its own software which can literally edit and make films.

New digital technologies allow innovative and original voices to be seen and heard because technology has knocked down many of the roadblocks which the entertainment industry constructed with the original studio system. These digital technologies have allowed even the youngest filmmakers to produce work of a quality which would rank with some professionals (HD camera/final cut editing system).

Children are very excited when they are behind the camera. Here is what they say after the program:

“I’ve learned so much at the Austin Film Festival camp that it’s inspired me to go on and create my own movies outside and put my hands on every project I can,” said Elizabeth Breazile, a former film student.

In addition to this Camp, the Austin Film Festival runs a program in two Austin public High Schools in co-operation with the school district. The unique program teaches screenwriting in the underserved school’s English classes. Through a technology grant from AT&T, we were able to expand the program to include production of the screenplays which the students write. This opened up the opportunity for students who would not normally have the opportunity to even consider a media career to also learn practical, applicable tech skills which can be applied in a variety of careers. The student’s inherent interest in media opens up the door for them to realize many other opportunities.

For more details and other information, visit here http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/new/summer_camp
For registration, click here http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/new/files/2008_AFF_Summer_Camp_Registration_Form_3.pdf

Barbara Morgan
Executive Director, Austin Film Festival

Barbara Morgan – A biography

Barbara Morgan co-founded the Austin Film Festival (AFF) in 1994 after a series of successful ventures in the music industry. In addition to running her own financing business for national broadcasters since 1988, Morgan managed musicians during Austin On the Road, a nation-wide tour of Austin singer/songwriters, which included Michael Fracasso, David Halley, Jimmy LaFave and Jo Carol Pierce; and also co-produced records with musicians such as Michael Fracasso and Charlie Sexton as an extension of her managerial career as well.

Since 1999, Morgan has served as the executive director of the AFF, the first festival to celebrate and recognize the screenwriter as the heart of the creative process of film making. In its fourteen-year history, the Festival has expanded to include a four-day screenwriter’s conference, eight-day film program, screenplay and teleplay contests and a film competition. In 2006, the AFF drew more than 2,500 registrants from around the world and sold more than 25,000 movie tickets. The AFF is one of the few U.S. festivals to be officially recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its jury winning films.

Regarded as one of the top three script contests in the world, the AFF’s screenplay competition initiated the process of combining talented, undiscovered writers with production companies. In its first year, the AFF introduced screenplay winner Max Adams to then head of production at Columbia Pictures, Barry Josephson. The result of their meeting was the production of Adams’ script, Excess Baggage. The industry attention created by the sale of Adams’ script not only propelled the AFF to greater notoriety, but also encouraged Morgan to develop and produce a film from a screenplay competition submission. The film was 1996’s semifinalist Natural Selection, whose writers, B.J. Burrow and Allen Odom, had already signed a contract with Gotham Entertainment based on their Festival success. The finished film, which stars David Carradine (Kung Fu), Michael Bowen (Jackie Brown), Darren Burrows (Northern Exposure), Stephen Root (News Radio) and Bob Balaban (Waiting for Guffman), was completed in early 2000; has been aired on Showtime and the Sci-fi channel; is in DVD distribution and has been released internationally. In 2005, Morgan co-produced the feature documentary Antones: Home of the Blues, which was released internationally and is available on DVD; and in 2007 Morgan produced the locally made documentary, Teaching Austin: 150 Years of Public Education.

Morgan’s most recent project has been the expansion of the AFF’s Young Filmmaker Program. The program, which began with the Festival’s 1994 inception, sprang from Morgan’s volunteer work at Brackenridge Children’s Hospital, and provides local youth the opportunity to make films through the AFF Summer Camp in partnership with the University of Texas RTF department and hosts hundreds of students every summer. The program also provides scholarships to high school students enabling them to attend October’s festival at no cost and the chance to meet their screenwriting and filmmaking heroes. Recently, Morgan produced a video with the Texas Education Agency to promote a new screenwriting competition aimed at schoolchildren. The competition seeks to encourage the creativity and communication skills of participating children, by providing them with the tools necessary to improve their work in school and increase their chances of success as they enter the workforce. As a result, the Story Telling Through Film program has been implemented at three Austin High Schools and every year reaches about 500 students.

About Austin Film Festival:

The Austin Film Festival’s Film Camp will be hosted this summer at McCallum H.S. in Austin, Texas. McCallum, home to one of the leading Fine Arts Academies in the U.S., houses an impressive filmmaking lab with new Apple computers and a film studio for shooting, making the camp one of the most popular technology-oriented summer classes in the area.

In its 6th year, this affordable camp is designed to keep kids engaged in the arts by working on creative projects with qualified counselors who have experience in media-related fields. Camp gives kids interested in film an opportunity to learn from filmmakers, film students, and even film professors from UT, an experience otherwise hard to come by.

Campers can choose special-interest classes depending on their age, including Claymation, script-to-screen, funny shorts, special effects and even music video production for older campers.

The Claymation series involves using three-dimensional media and live-action, stop motion animation to make inanimate characters come to life in short films. The script-to-screen, special effects and music video courses combine the technological aspects of lighting, sound, editing and camera operation to teach young students the ins and outs of filmmaking. Students have the ability to actually produce films and receive a copy of their work on DVD at the end of the camp.

The Austin Young Filmmakers Camp takes place June 9 – August 8. Both one week and two week sessions are available for the classes, which are several hours a day on Mondays-Fridays

As an aside, the AFF Film Camp has many success stories, but the most recent involves local student Bryanne Cooke who has attended multiple camp sessions and just recently earned a full-tuition 4-year scholarship to USC’s cinema program. She credits AFF Film Camp for shaping her interest and skills.

Here is a unique summer program for you kids, which will propel the inventive thinking in them. Michael Oister has had this mission for the last 17 years.

They offer an innovative summer camp, which offers various programs like Club Invention, Camp Invention, etc. Club Invention is an exciting out-of-school-time program where children learn through hands-on fun. Children in grades one through six are immersed in activity-oriented adventures that enhance their understanding of science, mathematics, history, and the arts – it’s learning disguised as FUN!

The camp focuses on reverse engineering, math skills and engineering solutions. The aim of this camp is to create a new problem solving skills; instill critical thinking and prepare them with technical skills so that they can cope with future changes. Creating role models in kids is a big challenge in today’s world and this program will create new mindsets and paradigm shifts in them.

Through this open, immersive environment, children can inspire themselves and others to drive a lifetime of positive change through their future professional work as great leaders and thinkers of the nation and world.

The weeklong program promotes creativity, imagination and leadership through activities and games that disguise learning as fun.

They have various clubs for different age groups. It starts from a day’s program to a week long program. The 5-day program conducts by local teachers at local schools. The programs are structured to allow an inventive spirit and promote a hands-on immersive learning environment for children entering first through sixth grade.

By working through curriculum challenges and activities in groups and individually, children gain self-confidence, begin to understand the dynamics of teamwork and discover that what may be the wrong answer to the challenge at hand could be the right answer for another activity.

Children are able to be hands-on without the pressure of memorization or time constraints, so they can explore and try new options, even if the solutions are all in their heads.

The program has been supported by the parent company, The National Inventors Hall of Fame and a yearly supporter in the United States Patent and Trademark Office that allow us provide our curriculum and our take on learning as an enriching and rewarding experience to children in communities across the nation, specifically in the New England and Boston-areas.

The curriculum focuses on math, science, and engineering principles, bringing them down to levels that children can understand and use to bring new perspectives to all areas of their life.

Many times, children and their parents will tell how much more they are excited and active at house and at school in these fields and how they plan to turn that excitement into future areas of interest or fields of study.

The National Inventors Hall of Fame, the parent company, has some of the best and brightest minds as its yearly class of inductees. With over 800 inductees’ work as inspiration, they strive to challenge children to do more than ever before not only in our program, but in the world around them.

The curriculum is all aligned with national and state standards and has strong roots in math, science, technology and engineering. The inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame have served as inspiration to make sure they enrich children’s lives each day.

The new dates of this camp is July and August. You can visit the site for more details.

Michael J. Oister

Michael J Oister – A biography:

Michael J. Oister is president and chief operating officer of Invent Now Kids Inc., a subsidiary of the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation based in Akron, Ohio. Oister is a founder and former president of Classic Sport Cos. of Denver.

About Invent.org:

The Camp Invention program is a hands-on, inquiry based learning opportunity, the Camp Invention program promotes science, math and technology principles on levels which our attendees can understand. Children entering first through sixth grade can attend this nationally-acclaimed program and leave discovering that an inventive spirit (our parent company is the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation), creativity and “no wrong answers” are a reality and can actually be a lot of fun. The program is a great supplement and enrichment to the traditional education structure of our public school system.

The Camp Invention program is a week-long program hosted in local communities and schools throughout the country. This summer, there will be more than 1,000 sites with 65,000 participants, with many programs running in the Boston-area.