March 31, 2017Finding the Right Camp Topic for Your Kids

For generations of American children, attending summer camp has been a time-honored tradition.  There are camps focused on a variety of interests – ranging from science-themed camps to adventure-oriented programs, as well as camps focused on sports such as soccer and lacrosse, camps run by the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and those with an emphasis on visual arts and music¹.  Some children might not enjoy rock climbing or swimming but would enjoy “the chance to study robotics on a local college campus,” for instance¹.  Therefore, it is important to understand your child’s personal preferences before enrolling them in a camp that is best suited to their individual “interests and personalities”¹.  

Another factor that parents must take into account when selecting the right camp is cost.  Overnight camps in particular are expensive, with the average program costing $690 per week, according to the American Camp Association (ACA)².  The average day camp costs approximately $304 per week, and may provide a more cost-efficient option. Affordability is one key factor that plays into parents’ camp decisions for their children². Another factor is the number of hours of attendance each day, which also impacts the cost averages. Some camps are only a morning or an afternoon, where others offer a full day experience with early drop off and late pick up.

Attending camp has a number of benefits for your child; many experts say that participating in a summer camp program “lets kids roam and play in a way that they rarely do in their own neighborhoods these days,” with the advent of technological distractions such as TV, computers, and mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets³.  Rather than being glued to a screen, children attending camp enjoy “conversation, fun and games in a natural setting” without their parents’ presence³.  Furthermore, summer camps allow children to gain a degree of independence.  Peg Smith, CEO of the American Camp Association, says, “Kids have to learn how to separate from their families and become resilient and independent.  Camp gives them a safe way to take these steps”³.  

Acknowledging the importance of quality summer programs designed with participants’ tastes and preferences in mind, Ramapo College of New Jersey’s Center for Innovative and Professional Learning (CIPL) offers a variety of stimulating academic camps for middle and high school students that also provide for opportunities to test new topics that can expand students’ interests during the summer.  At Ramapo, there are two camps available for middle school students as part of the Ramapo Explorers-STEAM program: one is a Theater Camp, and the other is a STEM Camp integrating principles of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  (STEM).  For high school students, there are numerous programs including: Art Portfolio Preparation, Brazilian percussion Percussion, CompTIA A+, Financial Literacy/Stock Market Trading, Game Design, Numerical Analysis, Programming/Data Science, a 3-credit online Web Site Development course, and several theater arts classes from Acting to Costume Design to Make-up for Stage & Screen, to Improvisation and Voice & Movement for Actors.

To learn more about summer camps and programs for middle school and high school students at Ramapo College, or to sign up for an upcoming Information Session, visit www.ramapo.edu/ramapocamps for more information.

 

¹Source: MoneyTalks News.  “7 Tips to Find an Awesome – and Affordable – Summer Camp” by Maryalene Laponsie.  Retrieved from http://www.moneytalksnews.com/7-tips-find-awesome-and-affordable-summer-camp.

²Source: Care.com.  “What Does Summer Camp Cost?” by Alexandra Kadlec.  Retrieved from http://www.care.com/c/stories/3326/what-does-summer-camp-cost.  

³Source: Parenting. “How to Pick the Right Summer Camp for Kids” by Barbara Rowley.  Retrieved from http://www.parenting.com/article/summer-camp-kids.  

Categories: CIPL

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November 4, 2016The Importance of Outstanding Hospitality Management

In today’s ever-changing world, management plays an increasingly critical role.  Effective managers must “enhance learning, encourage job improvement, and challenge people” to solve problems in an innovative manner¹. Nowhere is this truer than in the field of hospitality, as a hotel’s general manager is required to possess an appropriate leadership style, with the ability to control his or her ego, with the intent of innovating in the field¹. There are a plethora of challenges that hospitality managers face in today’s continually evolving lodging industry. Notably, all hotel general managers will have to face emotional conflicts, make decisions considered unpopular by some, and analyze the tradeoffs that must be made in day-to-day operations¹.  

Also, hospitality managers must be able to respond to different trends in the marketplace.  One important trend that is important to note is that millennials “have very different expectations of the hospitality industry than previous generations;” more specifically, they are not typically loyal to one specific brand of accommodations, “preferring instead to seek out products, services, and experiences that are unique rather than familiar,” referring to brands owned by key players such as Hilton, Marriott, and Choice Hotels².  Furthermore, it is imperative that today’s hospitality managers implement technologies with the intention of providing a modern lodging experience.  At the flagship of the relatively new Yotel chain in New York City, a robotic arm referred to as the “Yobot” handles guest luggage in place of human bellhops².  This innovative hotel also boasts motorized, moving beds, with the added benefit of saving space within each of its rooms².  With the rise of technology in accommodations, hotel managers must implement plans that integrate technological advancements into the hotel’s business but more importantly into the guest experience, with the hopes of improving guests’ perceptions and generating repeat business.  

As the use of data mining practices has proliferated throughout various industries on a global scale, it has proven beneficial in the hospitality sector. Hotel managers can now “tailor their marketing communications to individual consumer preferences,” further enhancing their experiences².  With this being said, it is crucial for managers in lodging to devise strategies to connect with their guests while simultaneously providing new and different experiences with each stay.  

For working professionals interested in pursuing a career in the management of hotels, motels, and inns across the country and around the world, Ramapo College of New Jersey offers a certificate program in hospitality and restaurant management through its Center for Innovative and Professional Learning (CIPL).  Students in the program will learn the fundamental principles of lodging and restaurant management that are necessary for success in the field and be prepared to apply these concepts in a practical manner in hotels and restaurants.  With workshops covering a diverse range of topics, from effective team management, professional communication, and service excellence to service operations management and finance for lodging and restaurant managers, Ramapo’s CIPL program is designed in such a way to prepare professionals to pursue lucrative opportunities in an evolving field.  

Those interested in learning more about the CIPL Hospitality and Restaurant Management Certificate or its individual workshops, are encouraged to visit https://www.ramapo.edu/cipl/businesstraining for more information.

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¹Source: HospitalityNet.com.  “The new Paradigm for leadership and management: the humble and self-confident Boss” by Arturo Cuenllas.  Retrieved from http://www.hospitalitynet.com/news/4059690.  

²Source: Birmingham Business Journal.  “Millennials remain an elusive target for the hotel industry” by John McCourt.  Retrieved from http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2016/10/05/millennials-remain-an-elusive-target-for-the-hotel.html.  

Categories: CIPL

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November 2, 2016Professional Certificates: Fast Track to Higher Income

In recent years, there has been a rise in the demand for working professionals who have mastered a particular skill set and gained the expertise necessary to succeed in their chosen field. One way to enhance learning on-the-job is to become certified in a specialized field, such as middle school teaching, hospitality and restaurant management, or web page development. A report by the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 46.3 million adults ages 18 and older held a professional certification in 2012, while 19.1 million held an educational certificate of some sort¹ — showing that a significant portion of those in the workforce possess some type of professional certification, regardless of their chosen career path.

Interestingly but not surprisingly, average incomes for workers with professional certifications and licenses were significantly higher than for those without — the 2012 median monthly earnings figure for an individual holding a professional certificate or license only was $4,167, as opposed to $3,433 for a person who has only an educational certification, $3,920 for a worker with both educational and professional certifications, and $3,110 for an individual “without any alternative credentials” such as a certificate or a license¹. A certification in a given field is quickly becoming a must for employees who strive to earn a higher income.

The benefits of certification also extend to online programs; according to a recent global survey of 400,000 people, “76 percent reported a salary increase or promotion” after completing certification programs in their respective fields². The respondents who had earned their certifications were additionally “more likely to report higher levels of confidence and fulfillment at work” compared to those who did not have certification in their fields². Michael Stebbins, the chief innovation officer at an online certification course provider, noted that employees at any given firm who “go the extra mile to continue to build on their college degrees” are more likely than those without certification or licensure to “receive upticks in salary, promotions, quality of work done, and quality of work assigned” across a broad array of fields and industries².

The Center for Innovative and Professional Learning (CIPL) at Ramapo College offers a variety of certificate and licensure programs on campus including Project Management Certification, Middle School Teacher Certification, Yoga Teacher Certification, Children’s Yoga Teacher Certification, and management certificates in three tracks covering General Management, Hospitality/Restaurant Management, and Retail Management. Ramapo’s CIPL programs are designed to teach not only the basic theoretical principles and concepts within a working professional’s field, but also how to apply those concepts on a daily basis in the workplace.

Ramapo’s HTML5 Mobile App Development Certificate, Paralegal and Advanced Paralegal Certificate, and Web Development Certificate programs are offered 100% online for the ultimate in flexibility and convenience for working students. And, a number of professional training programs are hosted on campus that provide the educational foundations for Personal Training Certification, Hypnosis Certification, and Real Estate Licensure.

For working professionals, regardless of their chosen career path, a professional certificate from Ramapo College is the key to a higher salary and enriched work opportunities.

To learn more about Ramapo’s certificate and licensing programs, visit https://www.ramapo.edu/cipl/certificates.

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¹Source: U.S. Census Bureau. “Measuring Alternative Educational Credentials: 2012 – Household Economic Studies” by Stephanie Ewert and Robert Kominski. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/prod/2014pubs/p70=138.pdf.

²Source: AssociationsNow.com. “Study: Certifications Lead To Higher Salaries And Greater Job Fulfillment” by Katie Bascuas.

Categories: CIPL

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November 2, 2016The Value of a Professional Certificate

When working professionals want to advance their careers, or even make a career change, one of the most advantageous paths is to obtain a professional certificate or certification in their target industry or trade. At colleges and universities nationwide, professionals seeking to enhance their education for more and better career opportunities can pursue certificates in fields as diverse as networking, security, maintenance, and computer programming, hospitality and restaurant management, and paralegal studies among others¹. This demonstrates that certification is becoming an increasingly popular option for those who wish to advance their education and skills and make greater inroads toward a more lucrative career.

Notably, today’s employers are placing a higher premium on job experience and continual improvement of workplace skills than ever before; according to Maureen Crawford Hentz, talent management director for Massachusetts-based A.W. Chesterton Co., “Certificates and industry certifications also show employers that a candidate is continuously improving their skills” in order to stand out in the highly competitive workforce of the twenty-first century¹.

Although certificate programs have historically been the domain of community colleges and for-profit institutions, a host of traditional four-year colleges and universities have been rapidly growing certificate program offerings to attract those professionals interested in bolstering their résumés when they do not have “the time, money, or inclination to pursue a master’s degree”². This demonstrates that certificate programs are certainly a viable option for today’s working professionals who wish to advance their careers or shift gears in order to pursue a new and different career.

Acknowledging the value of certificate programs for professionals and businesses, Ramapo College offers seventeen distinctive certificate/certification programs through the Center for Innovative and Professional Learning (CIPL). Certificates are offered in a broad array of subjects such as hospitality and restaurant management, retail management, general management, web development, business essentials, and paralegal. Certification programs which require students to complete the requirements of an external authority such as the Yoga Alliance or the Project Management Institute, to name a few, include the Middle School Teacher Certification, Hypnosis Certification, Yoga Teacher Certification, Children’s Yoga Teacher Certification, and the popular Project Management Certification offered on the Mahwah campus and also in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. The Business Skills Certificate is also quite popular, as it allows professionals in non-business-related fields to learn the fundamental concepts in management, marketing, finance, and accounting, knowledge that provides a competitive edge in today’s increasingly multidisciplinary workforce. Successful graduates of CIPL’s programs are prepared for success with their newly acquired knowledge and skills.

To learn more about Ramapo’s certificate/certification programs, visit https://www.ramapo.edu/certificates/.

 

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¹Source: U.S. News and World Report – “Short-Term Certificates May Offer Alternative to Graduate School” by Kelsey Sheehy. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/education/community-college/articles/2015/03/18/short-term-certificates-may-offer-alternatives-to-graduate-school.

²Source: The New York Times – “The Newest College Credential” by Motoko Rich. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/education/edlife/09-certificate-t.

Categories: CIPL

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