Institute of Gerontology Seniors Volunteer for MLK Day of Service

On Friday, Jan. 16, senior volunteers from the UDC CAUSES Institute of Gerontology helped to package and deliver food to 100 residents of Regency House as part of the MLK Day of Service. Regency House is a senior public housing apartment building located in Northwest D.C.

"I really enjoy UDC's Gerontology program, which has a lot to offer. The job is not always easy, but we do it." 

Ms. Shirley Pettus is part of the Commodity Food Program, which provides nutritious food on a monthly basis to eligible participants. Sponsored by the DC Department on Aging, the income-based Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), DC residents over the age of 60 are eligible to receive monthly deliveries of packaged foods and bottled beverages. This month's delivery included low-sodium canned vegetables, whole wheat pasta, stone-ground grits and orange juice.

"Your coming here today means a lot to me because I'm a volunteer with Gerontology and serve on the Advisory Board, and having you all come to honor Dr. King's birthday is absolutely wonderful,"commented Shirley Pettus, who organized the day's delivery operations on behalf of Regency House.

UDC Student Dietetic Association Offers Free Health Screenings at Health Expo

The UDC Student Dietetic Association recently participated in the 2015 NBC4 Health and Fitness Expo. The expo represents the largest health and fitness event in the Washington, D.C. area. The free event garners more than 10,000 visitors annually. SDA has exhibited at the event for 10 years, offering free health screenings and nutritional information.

"This event is open to the entire District of Columbia, and therefore represents an opportunity for us meet with District residents who may not be aware of our Nutrition and Dietetics program. It definitely also helps to put UDC on the map," explains Dr. Prema Ganganna.

"People don't know we exist; that we are out there," explains Jason Drawhorn, president of the UDC Student Dietetic Association, of the importance of participating in such events. 

"With the state of health in our country, we cannot separate nutrition from healthcare," stated Drawhorn. "Nutrition is preventative. We are about preventing illness before it happens; and once it does happen, reducing the deleterious effects of disease. So it's important for us to be out here, especially in this community which is so affected by nutritionally-related disease."

Several food deserts exist within Washington, D.C. Residents of food deserts often are supplied by inexpensive fast food venues, resulting in food related health issues including obesity, hypertension and diabetes. According to the Washington Post, 37.4 percent of the District’s households with children are unable to afford food, a rate among the highest in the country. These households are food insecure, which means cutting meals and not having enough to eat on a daily basis. 

"In 5-10 years, one out of every two people in the nation will be diagnosed with diabetes. That's scary," says Kemi Adelola, a graduate student in Nutrition and Dietetics.

"If you formed a country with the number of people with diabetes, it would be the third largest country in the world," Drawhorn chimes in.

Public Notice: Upcoming Accreditation Review Visit by ACEN

PUBLIC NOTICE OFUPCOMING ACCREDITATION REVIEW VISIT

BY THE ACCREDITATION COMMISSION FOR 

EDUCATION IN NURSING INC. (ACEN)

The University of the District of Columbia Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program wishes to announce that it will host a site review for continuing accreditation of its RN to BSN Program by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

You are invited to meet the site visit team and share your comments about the program in person at a meeting scheduled at:

3:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. on January 27, 2015 at The University of the

District of Columbia, 4200 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington,

D.C. 20008, Building 44-Room 307-C.

Written comments are also welcome and should be submitted directly to:

Marsal P. Stoll, Chief Executive Officer

Accreditation Commission for Nursing Education in Nursing

3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850

Atlanta, Georgia 30326

Or email: mstoll@acenursing.org

All written comments should be received by ACEN by January 21, 2015.

Register for Urban Ag and Stormwater Management Workshop - Jan. 23 and Feb. 26

For the first time in recorded history, in 2008, more people began living in urban areas than rural. Simultaneously, many studies show that the millennial generation and other consumers prefer to live in urban environments with access to local foods. This movement has created a dilemma where more people in urban areas rely on a declining farm population. It has also created an increased interest in urban agriculture. Register here.

Associated with the rise in the popularity of urban agriculture there is a need to mitigate the impacts of urban stormwater runoff. This workshop will highlight the University of the District of Columbia's Sustainability Program, which in part, aims to integrate urban agriculture and urban stormwater management. The workshop will highlight green infrastructure, low impact development, federal, state, non-profit and for profit partnerships, and a unique partnership with the DC Housing Authority. It will also include an evaluation of economics and social impacts.

Copyright: District Dept. of the Environment

Participants will engage in a design charette for an integrated urban agriculture/urban storm water project in DC. 

The class will be hosted Jan. 23, 2015,  9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at: 

The University of the District of Columbia
David A. Clarke School of Law
4340 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20008
Building 52, Room 505

The course fee is $50. Please bring a check to the class made out to the University of the District of Columbia. In the memo line, please write Urban Stormwater Management Workshop. Please sign-up here to reserve your spot! If you are unable to make this workshop, the course will be repeated Feb. 26, 2015!

UDC is located at the Van Ness/UDC metro stop on the red line. If you decide to drive, you can park in the UDC parking garage located on Van Ness St. NW. The rate for 4 hours is $12.

For more information, contact Dr. Kamran Zendehdel.

Upcoming Stormwater Training Events at UDC

Rethinking Swale & Filter Strip Design
March 2, 2015 - 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
University of the District of Columbia (meeting room TBA)
4200 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, DC 20008
Workshop Website

SPONSORED BY: University of the District of Columbia, Center for Sustainable Development, CAUSES, and NC State University Stormwater Engineering Group

CONTINUING EDUCATION: 6 Professional Development Hours are available for professional engineers and land surveyors. 6 CEUs are pending approval from the American Society of Landscape Architects. 5.25 credit hours are approved by the American Planning Association for AICP members.

DESCRIPTION: Swales and filter strips are an important, but often overlooked, part of stormwater management and Low Impact Development. Being simple to construct, however, does not translate into minimal benefits. Swales "out-punch their weight" with respect to removal of certain pollutants. Recent research has led to new design guidance for swales that allows engineers and other designers to customize swale design to specific water quality goals, while still conveying needed flows. By making relatively simple adjustments to swale cross-section, length and grass height, swales can be very effective. This workshop will review the most innovative designs for swales. Design for urban areas will be emphasized. Additionally, a new swale concept, the regenerative stormwater conveyance (RSC), which is a step pool conveyance system incorporating specially-designed media focused on nutrient removal, will be discussed. Recent research on these systems has shown potential hydrologic and water quality improvements.

As part of this workshop, attendees will need to bring a laptop, as a simple swale design model (SwaleMod) will be distributed and demonstrated. Please bring a PC laptop; this will not work on a Mac running Windows.

REGISTRATION FEE: $175 Early Bird; $225 Regular (includes lunch, refreshments and workshop materials)

For more information and to REGISTER ONLINE, please visit our website at:

http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/stormwater/training/swales.html

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Innovative Rainwater Harvesting
March 3, 2015 - 8:30am - 5pm
University of the District of Columbia (meeting room TBA)
4200 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, DC 20008
Click here to visit the Workshop Website. 

SPONSORED BY: University of the District of Columbia, Center for Sustainable Development, CAUSES, and NC State University Stormwater Engineering Group

CONTINUING EDUCATION: Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors earn 7 PDHs for the successful completion of the workshop. 7 CEUs are pending approval by the American Society of Landscape Architects. Planners and others may appeal to their respective board to obtain credit.

DESCRIPTION: Rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems are extremely useful practices for supplementing and replacing potable water resources; however, if designed appropriately, these systems can also be used to meet stormwater management goals. This workshop describes the different types of RWH systems and presents innovative design modifications for increasing the stormwater management benefits of these systems. These modifications include passive and active release mechanisms, excess irrigation and water usage adjustments. The NCSU Rainwater Harvester Model will be demonstrated and participants will learn how to use the new version of the model to design systems and estimate stormwater management benefits.

REGISTRATION FEE: $150 Early Bird; $200 Regular (includes lunch, refreshments and workshop materials)

For more information and to REGISTER ONLINE, please go to:
http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/stormwater/training/waterharvesting.html or contact Dr. Dwane Jones. 

Training Coordinators: 
Cathy Smith / Chrissie Shepard
NC State University Dept. of Biological & Agricultural Engineering 
(919) 515-6780 / (919) 513-2192

CAUSES TV: Local Food Security with Dreaming Out Loud

There is not much that is as important to our quality of life as our food. Food can make us feel good, and it can make us sick; it gives us energy and it can make us feel sluggish; it sustains life and it can be our livelihood. Yet not everyone has the kind of food that makes them feel good and full of energy. Some people don't even have the right kind of food, and some have simply not enough food. 

Chris Bradshaw joins Dean O'Hara on this episode of CAUSES TV. Chris is the CEO of Dreaming Out Loud, an organization here in the District of Columbia that fully embraces urban agriculture and social enterprise. The organization founded and manages Aya Community Markets, a network of farmers markets and mobile farm-stands that serve as a platform for improving community health, impacting youth, and furthering community economic development. Watch and learn more about their exciting initiatives!

Free Healthy Cooking Class Offered Saturdays in January

RN to BSN Nursing Students Hold Pinning Ceremony

Congratulations to the graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program, who celebrated their achievement with a pinning ceremony. Dr. Pier Broadnax, director of Nursing, explains:

"In a traditional pinning ceremony, nursing students are "pinned" to signify the rite of passage from one level of preparation to the next. Whereas physicians have a white coat ceremony, nurses have a pinning ceremony. In the case of our students, they are graduating from being associate degree-prepared nurses to baccalaureate prepared nurses. 

BSN Nursing faculty

As faculty, we also see the psychological transition the students make; this is very important because they saw themselves in a different light. The ceremony is also an opportunity also for them to acknowledge they are no longer the same as when they first entered the program. Not only are they are prepared to meet the future of nursing, they know they are prepared and have the confidence to implement change--because we have provided them with the skills to do so. As professional nurses, it is critical for them to be change agents, implementing what is needed to meet the complex needs of the 21st century patient."

Student Opportunities

Copyright DCRA

DCRA Seeking to Fill Entry Level Positions

The Green Building and Sustainability Program of the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), is looking to immediately fill two contractor positions. The Green Building Program seeks to assist in the DCRA mission to protect the health, safety, economic interests and quality of life of residents, businesses and visitors in the District of Columbia. The Green Building Division is responsible for regulating construction that falls under the regulations of green codes including the Green Building Act, Green Construction Code and Energy Conservation Code. Recent graduates who are looking to enter the green building industry are encouraged to apply. Contact DCRA’s David Epley for more information. 

National Energy Education Summit Seeking Volunteers
The National Council on Science and the Environment is seeking volunteers for the 2015 National Energy Education Summit. The event will be hosted Jan. 26 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. The Summit provides an opportunity for energy, environmental and STEM educators to gather with leaders from business and industry, government and civil society to expand the impact effectiveness of energy education.  The Summit is designed to catalyze new initiatives and partnerships in energy education. The agenda will include issues at both the classroom (content, curriculum and pedagogy) and at the programmatic levels (degree and sub-degree programs). NCSE is looking for volunteers to assist with registration and room set-up.  If you choose to commit a minimum of 3 hours, you will receive a complimentary registration. Volunteers are needed for 2 shifts 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. & 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Please email jsung@ncseonline.org and include your name, a contact number and the times you are available to volunteer. 

Around CAUSES

• Tyrome "Chef T" Henson has started his holiday cooking classes at the Washington Parks & People Riverside Healthy Living Center, located in Ward 7. He reports that his first class was well attended and included Ward 7 ANC Gary Butler. The class covered: kitchen safety basics; food safety; equipment and daily nutrition. Participants worked together to prepare healthy fried rice. The class which is free for D.C. residents continues Dec. 20, with additional dates to be announced in early 2015.
  
  
• In other chef-ly news, Chef Herb of the Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health recently appeared twice in the Washington Informer. Check out his recipe  a healthy, nutrient-rich soup recipe. He makes another appearance in "Wellness Center Opens in Ward 8," commenting: "I encourage people to get out of the box and to explore more options in their diet – things like reading food labels, buying fresh fruit and vegetables and substituting some of the foods we normally eat with healthier ingredients are ways to improve your health. I conduct demonstrations all over the metro area and use foods that are in season so that folks understand that even with a limited budget, it’s possible to eat well and to eat healthier.” Read the full article.
  
• Our friends at Bread for the City received a generous grant from the Washington Hebrew Congregation to build a covered gazebo at City Orchard, designed and built by Sandy Springs Builders. The gazebo will be used to support events and educational programming. City Orchard is based at Muirkirk Farm in Beltsville, Maryland. 

Upcoming 2015 CAUSES Certification Courses

The CAUSES Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) recently announced a number of certification courses, workshops and classes that will be offered in 2015. CSD provides relevant and innovative applied research and education to students, District residents and the world in the areas of sustainable infrastructure, sustainable spaces, urban economics and entrepreneurship and behavioral and social change:

Integrating Urban Agriculture & Urban Stormwater Management: For the first time in recorded history, in 2008, more people began living in urban areas than rural. Simultaneously, many studies show that the millennial generation and other consumers prefer to live in urban environments with access to local foods. This movement has created a dilemma where more people in urban areas rely on a declining farm population. It has also created an increased interest in urban agriculture. Associated with the rise in the popularity of urban agriculture stems a need to mitigate the impact of urban stormwater runoff. This workshop will highlight the University of the District of Columbia's Sustainability Program, which in part, aims to integrate urban agriculture and urban stormwater management. The workshop will highlight green infrastructure, low impact development, federal, state, non-profit and for profit partnerships, and a unique partnership with the DC Housing Authority. It will also include an evaluation of economics and social impacts. Participants will engage in a design charette for an integrated urban agriculture/urban storm water project in DC. The course will be offered Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and repeated on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. The course will be held at the UDC Van Ness campus. There is a $50 fee. For more information, contact Dwane Jones, Ph.D., at dwane.jones@udc.edu or (202) 274-7182. 

Innovative Rainwater Harvesting Workshop: Rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems are extremely useful practices for supplementing and replacing potable water resources; however, if designed appropriately, these systems can also be used to meet stormwater management goals. This workshop describes the different types of RWH systems and presents innovative design modifications for increasing the stormwater management benefits of these systems. These modifications include passive and active release mechanisms, excess irrigation and water usage adjustments. The NCSU Rainwater Harvester Model will be demonstrated and participants will learn how to use the new version of the model to design systems and estimate stormwater management benefits. Held at the UDC Van Ness campus, the course will be offered Tuesday, March 3, 2015, from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and has a fee of $150. Taught in conjunction with North Carolina State University. For more information, contact Dwane Jones, Ph.D., at dwane.jones@udc.edu or (202) 274-7182. 

4-H Update

What's new in 4-H?

Under the leadership of Jaime Brown, 4-H students at Bruce Monroe Elementary School at Park View raised quails as part of their Embryology STEM project. The quails were born in a classroom, but have since moved to the Hard Bargain Farm as the winter break approaches. Bruce Monroe was built in 1916 and has been recognized as a historic landmark. At core of their curriculum is a Dual Language Immersion Program that provides each student with daily rotations between English and Spanish instruction. 

Donate to CAUSES!

You have the opportunity to support CAUSES during the end-of-year giving season. The City Council of the District of Columbia has issued to UDC a challenge of raising $1,000,000.00. The Council will match the donations up to $1,000,000.00, and CAUSES will receive 50% of the donated amount, with the rest going to the University.

To donate to CAUSES online, please select "a specific college or school" and then select CAUSES under the College field. Or, please make your check payable to the UDC Foundation and make a notation of the fund to receive your gift in the memo section. 

CAUSES has several funds in which your gift may be deposited:

1. CAUSES  Master Initiative
2. CAUSES  Friends of Architecture
3. CAUSES  Institute of Gerontology
4. CAUSES  Scholarship Fund. 

All donations are tax-deductible. Thank you to the DC government for this opportunity, and thank you for your support!

Info at a Glance: Institute of Gerontology

Are you or do you know a senior who resides in the District of Columbia? As we begin a new year, why not encourage them to participate in one of the offerings from the UDC Institute of Gerontology! Learn more about the: Senior Companion/Respite Aide, Bodywise and Senior Tuition programs.

THE SENIOR COMPANION PROGRAM touches the lives of adults who need extra assistance to live independently in their homes and communities. They serve frail older adults, adults with disabilities and those with terminal illness. Senior Companions assist their adult clients in basic, but essential ways: offering companionship and friendship to isolated older adults; assisting with simple chores; providing transportation; and adding richness to their clients’ lives. Senior Companions and Respite Aides are also have the opportunity to attend a monthly In-service training.   

THE RESPITE AIDE PROGRAM provides in-home assistance to seniors living alone. The program also provides support to caregivers.  This service helps the individual and/or families deal with the challenges of living independently in older adulthood. Learn more about the Senior Companion and Respite Aide programs.

Recipes: Autumn Harvest Stew and Stir-fry

Chef Herb Holden of the CAUSES Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health provides an autumn harvest stew and stir-fry recipe, while we are in the midst of the holiday season. 

"Since we are at the end of the growing season in this region, all we have left are root vegetables. Here’s a wonderful and easy stew recipe using some of the vegetables that we've harvested over the fall season to enjoy now."