Anyways, I came across a couple of interesting tidbits on employment growth in terms of education level. What I mean by that is how a person’s level of education (high school diploma, some college, college degree, etc.) can influence their current employment status.

It turns out that people who have an associate degree are expected to see the most employment growth—more job opportunities—through 2018.

If you haven’t already heard, many people consider education a good investment. Studies show that the more education you have, the more money you make on average.

One of my favorite education quotes is from a New York Times article by David Leonhart. In the article, he explains why education is a good investment. This is what he wrote:

“Even construction workers, police officers, plumbers, retail salespeople and secretaries, among others, make significantly more with a degree than without one. Why? Education helps people do higher-skilled work, get jobs with better-paying companies, or open their own businesses.”

The BLS analysis also reported that the percentage of jobs that require some form of postsecondary award or degree is expected to increase from 30 percent to almost 50 percent. This means that education is going to become increasingly important if you want to enter the job market successfully.

Many Anthem Education schools and colleges offer both diplomas and associate degree programs. Each type of program provides hands-on training for specific career fields. However, associate degree programs are longer and include general education courses that can help graduates advance as they gain experience in their fields.

Anthem Education features 23 different campuses across the U.S. and each of these campuses offers different programs. Plus, there is also Anthem College Online (ACO). ACO offers associate and bachelor’s degree programs. They also offer a Medical Office Administration diploma and degree completion opportunities for certain programs. Students do all of their learning online, which makes it more convenient for students with busy schedules.

If you are interested in getting an education that helps you develop technical skills for a specific career field, I encourage you to call Anthem today at 1.866.502.2627. You can also visit our website for more information. You’ll can also read more about the different programs and learn about some of the services we offer.

We look forward to hearing from you and helping you figure out how we can best fit your needs!

Have you said this to yourself, or do you know someone who thinks this way? If you answer yes, then I can tell you you’re both wrong!

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health finds that getting a college education has long-lasting benefits for your mind. The study, called Midlife in the United States, or Midus, found that people who finish a college education keep their minds stimulated and can delay age-related mental declines by as much as a ten years. This was seen even in people who didn’t go to college but who kept their minds sharp by reading, writing, even doing word puzzles.

How does this work? It seems that an educated mind keeps on moving forward and is willing to take in more information and share it. People in middle-age (or as I like to call it, the Peak Years) have already gained a lot of experience that shows up in areas like vocabulary, motivation, and decision-making. This gives them an advantage over younger colleagues. But getting an education helps even more. Midus tests show that people with more education continued to score higher on tests as they age.

But even more interesting is that people with less education but who kept themselves mentally and physically active kept up with people in their age group who had gone to college earlier in life. If this sounds like you, imagine how college can benefit your mind!

Consider this:

• Our graduates who attended school as mature students recognize the benefits of their education. In the words of one graduate:

“I have learned that there are endless opportunities in this career field [medical billing & coding] as long as someone is dedicated, focuses and works hard…I wish I hadn’t waited until age 50 to extend my education and get a degree but since I did, I will take advantage of every opportunity that comes along.”

• A mature student entering an Externship after completing an Anthem Education healthcare program may be just as nervous as the twenty-something from the study group. The difference is that the mature student has years of learning how to channel nervous energy into being productive. Add in a career success class, and you have one pretty cool cookie working in that operating room, dental office, or medical suite!

• A paralegal student in his or her 40s might need a moment to remember the password to get into Westlaw, the legal research database Anthem uses in this program. But this older student may have used databases at work, is more comfortable learning a new one, and might learn it faster than a younger colleague.

If you are thinking about going back to school, please don’t talk yourself out of it or let someone else do this. Take a look at the programs offered by Anthem Education. Give us a call and talk to an admissions representative about your goals and concerns. They will tell you what to expect at school and answer your questions.

In other words, go for it!

So off I went for 10 days to serve others in ways that I could never have imagined. Three objectives were established by our group in advance: to educate, to help build permanent structures for education and worship, and to assist in health clinics. Being a teacher, I was assigned to work with the children in remote villages. We were to educate them about simple hygiene in order to protect themselves from environmental diseases. Simple things really, like washing their hands and penning their animals. They needed to understand that these things help to prevent the transfer of bacteria that can cause young children to become extremely ill or even die from dysentery.

We also brought educational supplies for the schools to help make learning easier: flashcards for math and vocabulary; pencils, crayons, markers and paints to develop creativity; educational games and learning activities to make learning fun! The teachers were overjoyed to receive these treasures for their students and the children were giddy with excitement, even though many of them spoke little or no English.

We had precious little time to spend with the children since our village was 2 ½ hours away from where we were staying. The roads to the villages were worse than any we had ever driven and would have given off-road 4-wheelers a real challenge. Our 1995-ish van resembled the ride of a tiny row boat on exceptionally rough and high seas. Innumerable times we were thrown off our seats or bounced high enough to hit our heads on the roof. But it was all worth the time we got to spend with the joyous and accepting children of Belize. They so wanted to learn and to grab every bit of our attention as they worked on their lessons.

We were privileged to be invited to a different teacher’s home for lunch every day. This is quite unusual and we were honored to join them in their daily meals of caldo… a type of spicy broth eaten with tortillas (no spoons allowed!). It really was delicious!! The teachers and villagers were extremely generous and accommodating, even bringing tables and chairs into their huts for us to feel at home. Their homes are bare, dirt floor huts with thatched roofs, with hammocks for beds and a few benches around the walls. They really have so little but are so giving!!

The final day in the village was filled with celebration. The teachers gave speeches of thanks and gratitude, while the children proudly showed off some of the traditional dances in their native costume. It was beautiful and humbling to be honored with their traditions. We were each asked to give a little speech as well. All I could say was how much I was gaining from the experience and thanked them for their acceptance and generosity. We were each given a cuxtal (pronounced, koosh’-tal ) – the traditional, handmade, colorful shoulder bags that the children use as their book bags for school.

There are so many memories that I will cherish from this experience but I wanted to somehow share it with everyone at my school. I will bring back the stories to use in class to explain aseptic technique and to help bring life to different pathologies that the students need to know. I would also like to continue the mission of this trip to educate the children of Belize. The group that I traveled with has set up a scholarship fund to assist the young girls of Belize to attend high school. With the assistance of several staff members and Anthem College, we raised $450 to make that come true for one lucky student. I hope to continue this donation every year with the help of the faculty and staff of Anthem College Maryland Heights. This scholarship is just another way we can continue to meet our goal of changing the lives of students through education.

I also want to thank all of the people at school that made my trip possible: my co-workers that took over some of my duties while I was gone; my Program Chair, Sandy Scott, who makes it so easy for me to take part in these great opportunities; and finally my Campus President, Heidi Wind, who donated the Anthem College scrubs which I proudly wore all over Belize and the Anthem college backpack that I carried every day. What a wonderful way to spread the word about Anthem College! There are now many people in St. Charles that know about our college and the incredible work we do to change the lives of our students through education.

-Laurie Santen, Massage Therapy Instructor, Anthem College-Maryland Heights

Out of the 80 entries that were submitted from students at schools across the United States, we are very proud to announce that Michael Fitzgerald, a Graphic Design* student at Anthem Institute-Springfield, was named the 2^nd place winner of the competition.

Michael’s design was titled: Road to Transition. In describing his design to ACICS, Fitzgerald said, “Everyone in the class was focusing on the 100 years, but I thought the quality education part was more important. I wanted to show graduates looking into the future. I left the right-top of the picture blank, because you don’t know what is out there.”

2nd Place: Mike Fitzgerald

Michael is currently working towards his Diploma in Graphic Design at Anthem Institute in Springfield, PA. So far, he’s learned about typography, fundamentals of design, foundation and drawing, color theory, and taken computer courses. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Temple University, where he studied brand design.

The benefit Michael sees in Anthem Institute is the technical training and working closely with instructors.  “I like the school a lot. When I compare regular college versus technical school, I feel I get a lot more one-on-one input with the teacher here,” he tells ACICS. “The effort that I put into the poster reflects the effort that the teachers put into teaching. It was nice to work with my teacher, Ken Rementer, who also is an accomplished graphic designer, and to apply graphics to the poster and learn from him. He gave me compliments and instructions on how I could make things better.”

Graphic Design instructor Anthony Profeta also had the pleasure of working with Michael and seeing his progress. “I am so happy to see that Michael Fitzgerald placed in the Poster Competition,” he said. “As this was a “holiday break” project I am especially proud to see the amount time that he put into this project, despite a new job (often working until 1am) and the ongoing GD course load where he continues to earn high marks.”

“I’d like to say that I am surprised,” he continued, “but as his instructor I have come to expect this kind of dedication from Mike. His projects are often comprised of several pages of full notes and sketches detailing his thoughts and research. He has continually set the bar high for himself and inspires his classmates to do the same. His good nature and sense of humor provide a balance to his intense marker and pencil work recognized by this award, and I feel that it will continue to aid him as a design professional entering the marketplace.”

Michael is looking forward to completing his diploma program and becoming a graduate like the ones in his poster – looking off into a wide open future. “If I can work in a job that I love, to draw and create things for people, I couldn’t be happier,” he says. “There are plenty of opportunities. Once you graduate with a quality education, you can pretty much do anything you want. The future is a blank piece of paper.”

Please join us in congratulating Michael on his outstanding achievement!

*Anthem Institute-Springfield recently launched a new diploma program in Web & New Media Design. The program will teach students the technical and design skills needed to create attractive and engaging websites for businesses, nonprofit groups, and other organizations. Please visit the program page on our website for more information.

Do any of you watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition? If you have never seen it, you are missing out.

Imagine a full hour of Ty Pennington’s spiked hair, armies of volunteers who demolish and rebuild stunning homes for families in need, celebrity guests who use their star power to raise money for the families, lots of tears, and rousing choruses of “MOVE THAT BUS!” It’s brilliant.

Back in November, we reported that Massage Therapy students, a recent grad and a faculty member from Anthem College-Maryland Heights provided chair massages for the Extreme Makeover volunteers in Joplin, Missouri.

Anthem College volunteers in action

The Extreme Makeover crew completed seven houses in seven days for victims of the devastating tornado that hit the city earlier this year. Volunteers from all over the world came out to assist the Joplin community, including the group from Anthem College-Maryland Heights.

And TONIGHT is the night! The Series Finale of Extreme Makeover is airing at 8/7c on ABC. In other words, it’s the last new episode ever, the last makeover, and Anthem College was there.

If you would like a little preview, head on over to the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition website and view the photo gallery of what the families’ houses looked like before and after the devastating tornado.

If you already have plans tonight, I encourage you to set your TiVo or DVR to record this show. I have a feeling it’s going to be a good one.

UPDATE: If you missed the original airing of this episode, you can watch it online on the ABC website. It may only be available for a limited time so go check it out!

The reason I bring it up is because Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce has just released a report on one of its latest studies. The report is called Hard Times and it uses data from the 2009-10 Census Bureau to reexamine the question, “Is College Worth It?”

Among the highlights of the report is the link between occupation-specific majors and employment. According to the study, “Unemployment rates are relatively low (5.4 percent) for recent college students who majored in Healthcare and Education because these majors are attached to stable or growing industry sectors.”

Many Anthem Education schools and colleges offer healthcare training in career-specific fields. Our healthcare degree and diploma programs include Dental Assistant, Limited Scope X-Ray Technician, Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Surgical Technologist, and more. Students who complete these programs can compete for entry-level positions in their field after they graduate.

The report also mentions the value of career skills. It says that majors that focus on these types of skills “have better employment prospects than majors focused on general skills.” At Anthem Education schools and colleges, we make it a point to offer diploma and degrees in career-specific fields. Examples include the healthcare programs we mentioned before, as well as Paralegal, Veterinary Technology, Medical Billing and Coding, Computer Networking & Security, and Graphic Design & Animation to name a few.

Our programs are designed with input from local employers who tell us what kind of skills graduates need to compete in the job market. Anthem Education students also benefit from a combination of lecture and hands-on training. They get to practice their skills using tools and technologies that are standard in their field.

Are you interested in pursuing a healthcare career? If you’re looking for education and training to help you get started, check out Anthem Education by visiting our website or calling us at 1.866.381.6397. We’d love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have about our programs and services.

You might be able to get financial aid to help you pay for college-related costs, including tuition, books, and other supplies you need for your program.

But before you can really get started, you have to fill out a FAFSA.

What’s a FAFSA? It’s the Free Application for Federal Student Aid that all students should complete to see what sort of aid they might be able to receive.

I can go on more about FAFSA but there’s a better way–Financial Aid TV, or FATV, a service offered by Anthem Education. FATV is a collection of short videos grouped around topics that gives you a nice overview of the entire financial aid process.

FATV is a great way to find out about the financial aid process, from the very basics about the program to specific ones for Veterans and members of the Armed Forces. Since few of us live with a financial aid specialist, it’s probably a good idea to start with the Financial Aid Basics playlist and move on to the rest:

• Applying for FA
• Eligibility
• Grant Programs
• Loan Overview
• Understanding the FAFSA
• Education Tax Benefits and Credits
• Direct Loan Programs

In fact, I’d urge you to take a look at the All Videos tab for information you can use even if you decide not to attend an Anthem Education school, or any school for that matter. FATV includes videos on how to properly use a credit card, how to read a credit card statement, even how to save money on groceries and gasoline.

Who can’t use this kind information?

“This is a great honor that I could never have achieved without the support and knowledge I gained from all those individuals with whom I have had the pleasure to come in contact,” Peirce wrote in an email to several Anthem Institute staff and faculty. Pierce completed a Diploma in Computer Networking & Security in May 2011.

Peirce’s business partner, Ray McCloud, also graduated from Anthem Institute’s Cherry Hill campus in 2011, with a Diploma in Graphic Design & Animation.

Peirce started Creative Computing Concepts in 2008 after suffering a disabling injury on a construction job. He had worked in IT while in the military in the 1980s and quickly realized that his skills—Fortran, DBase−needed updating. So, he entered the Computer Networking & Security program at Anthem Institute.

Peirce recognized the importance of great customer service from the start. While he doesn’t know which customer nominated for the Best of Philadelphia award, he does know that at least one customer referral led to his biggest project to date: designing the IT structure for a large data center that will house a call center for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and two remote call center sites. Creative Computing Concepts was able to join with other businesses to purchase the building that will house the call center as well as a business assistance center that will contract with the the company for web hosting, and new offices for Peirce and his contractors.

Peirce is justifiably proud of his company and his accomplishments. “I continued to work the business while attending school,” he says, and graduated with a 4.0 average. But Anthem, he says, was key to his success. “It is because of the instructors I had, and my classmates, who pushed me to be the best that I could be. I would like to thank everyone involved, and the clients who gave us such good reviews.” [citatation id="1"]

“I am truly grateful to you all.”

It’s not just in terms of Mom or Dad earning a better living for the family by getting the education and training that prepares them for careers–it’s also in terms of boosting their children’s success in school, the workplace, and even their social skills.

According to a study from the Pew Charitable Trusts,There is a very strong  link between a parent’s education and his or her children’s future, and this link is strongest right here in the United States. In other words, American children whose parents get an education are most likely to have a successful and healthy future. And in the reverse, American children whose parents have little education are more likely to stay in an underachieving pattern and not become more successful than their parents.

What’s more, children benefit from their parents’ education well into adolescence.

Family income has the strongest impact on educational success, followed by cognitive, or intellectual, strengths. It also influences children’s future income, and to a lesser extent, their physical and social/emotional success.

Can children whose parents don’t have a higher education and are in lower-income families do well in these areas? They certainly can. But, the researchers found that in the 10  countries they studied, family background does make a difference in how well-prepared young children are for school. For example, children from poorer families do worse on vocabulary tests as those from middle and higher income families. Sad, but true.

Interestingly, the study also found that in France, parents of children who attend preschool have higher monthly earnings.

So keep at it, Anthem students! Your efforts can have an impact far beyond your working years. Plus, your kids are watching and trust me, they are impressed by your efforts. If you haven’t noticed it yet, you will see it on their faces at graduation.

Teachers from high school on down tend to dislike Facebook for distracting students from schoolwork. Many post-secondary instructors agree, too, although more of them have figured out how to use Facebook to help them communicate with their students, host discussions, and post assignments and due dates.

As the parent of an under-13 who wants to have a Facebook page just like “everyone else” in fifth grade, I have a hard time disagreeing with the teachers on this one. Ten-year-olds don’t know how to use Facebook properly and aren’t mature enough to know what’s OK to post and what isn’t. Plus it really is just another distraction for them along with the DS and BeyBlades.

But college students are different. Many who use Facebook have figured out a balance between using it and keeping up with extra-curricular activities, such as fundraising for school-supported charities or volunteering their skills in clinics.

A study by Boris Popkoff Reynol Junco, a college professor from Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania, found that college students do spend a lot of time on Facebook. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that Facebook is hurting them socially or in school. The amount of time they spend on Facebook isn’t as important as what they are doing while online.

Students who used Facebook to check in with friends and especially those who commented to posts were more engaged in campus activities than students who played Facebook games. Even those who uploaded photos were less “engaged” with campus activities than those who viewed and commented on them. The reason? Posting photos isn’t directly communicating, but commenting on them is.

This agrees with earlier studies that found it isn’t how much a student uses technology that predicts his or her involvement on campus, but how the technology is used.

In fact, Junco found that students who spent more time on Facebook spent more time doing campus activities—although he also thinks that multitasking Facebook with school assignments can drive down your GPA. He plans to research this more.

At Anthem Education, we have established Facebook pages to connect with students and potential students. We know that many students are checking our pages to read stories from the Anthem blog (like this one!) and commenting on stories about campus events and news.

What do you think about Facebook? Are you using it for school as well as social purposes?

Here are some comments from students who read about Junco’s report in the New York Times:

• “If the teacher forgot to put the homework assignments or test dates in [the school website], I go to Facebook to ask some of my classmates what was that assignment or test. This has helped me numerous times…it resulted in getting As and Bs in my classes.”
• “My classmates and I have benefited from a group we created for our class in freshman year. We share homework and help each other before a test with group chats.”
• “Whenever I have to do schoolwork on a computer, I find myself wanting to go on Facebook…I do feel it is impacting learning negatively.”
•  “After using Facebook to get more connected I have actually gotten more friends that share similar interests with me and I have become more social. I also used Facebook to make an online private study group which in turn boosted my grades from a B+ to an A-.”
• “I think that too much Facebook can be really bad for you. You can get addicted and it can start to interfere with school. I wish I never got a Facebook [page] to begin with.”