Campaign encourages adult learners to finish their bachelor’s degree or pursue a master’s degree

WASHINGTON, D.C. – WGU Indiana, the state’s nonprofit, online university, has won the national Branding/Rebranding Campaign Award at the PR News Nonprofit PR Awards Luncheon in Washington, D.C. The university was nominated for their “Go Further” campaign, encouraging adult learners to go further in life by pursuing their bachelor’s or master’s degree.

“We are humbled to be recognized for our efforts in helping working adults achieve more,” WGU Indiana Chancellor Allison Barber said. “College graduates can earn an additional $1 million in their lifetime compared to non-college graduates, and there are still 840,000 Indiana residents with some college experience and no degree. WGU Indiana will continue to help Hoosier adults close the gap and go further in life.”

The PR News Nonprofit PR Awards honors those holding the key to best practices in the nonprofit communications arena. The Branding/Rebranding Campaign Award was one of 27 categories, ranging from Employee & Internal Communications to PR on a Shoestring.

This is the second major recognition for WGU Indiana in as many weeks, as Indiana’s eighth state university was featured for its academic quality by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. Out of every state university and online option, the Commission highlighted WGU Indiana as the university where flexibility meets academic quality.

In less than two years of existence, WGU Indiana’s enrollment has grown to more than 2,100 students across the state with students in each of Indiana’s 92 counties. The university provides affordable access to quality higher education, as WGU Indiana offers a flat-rate tuition of approximately $6,000 per year – a rate that has not increased since the university was created. Students balance work, family and academics with WGU Indiana’s flexible, online model, which pairs each student with a personalized mentor to help guide the student through the program.

Those interested in enrolling can learn more at indiana.wgu.edu or call 877-214-7014 for more information.

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About WGU Indiana

WGU Indiana has been established by the State of Indiana as a nonprofit, online, competency-based university to expand access to higher education for Indiana residents. Formed through a partnership with Western Governors University, WGU Indiana is open to all qualified Indiana residents. The university offers over 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Business, Education, Information Technology, and Healthcare Professions, including Nursing. In 2012, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education recognized WGU Indiana in its Reaching Higher, Achieving More agenda for the university’s excellence in academic quality.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is regionally accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and nationally accredited through the Distance Education and Training Commission (DETC). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

WGU Indiana is an approved education provider for Indiana state grants and scholarships offered through the State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana (SSACI). In addition, the university has partnered with Ivy Tech to offer graduates who have completed their associate degrees a seamless transfer to complete their bachelor’s degrees at WGU Indiana, including application fee waivers and tuition discounts.

INDIANAPOLIS – Locally based EdPower announced today the fall 2012 opening of Tindley Preparatory Academy, the first all-boys charter school for grades 6-8 in Indianapolis and a national model for gender-based education. Backed by nine years of intensive teaching experience of Indianapolis students and a number of real-world studies touting the learning benefits of single-gender education, Tindley Prep is modeled after the successful Mayor-sponsored Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School and features nontraditional classroom learning and character education created to complement how boys learn.

“With Tindley Prep, EdPower is innovating education in Indianapolis by offering a unique school designed to best meet the unique needs of families and students,” said Mayor Ballard. “Specifically, this charter offers opportunity for middle-school boys to better prepare for high school and beyond, with high expectations set as the standard for everyone. Removing obstacles to success, choice and accountability for all of our children gives parents a voice and once again demonstrates Indianapolis is at the forefront of national education reform.”

Tindley Prep will be located at 42nd Street and Sherman Avenue in a soon-to-be-constructed 50,000-square-foot facility on 21 acres of land purchased from the St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church. The core principles of Tindley Prep include an accelerated curriculum to bring students up to, and beyond, grade level, and an emphasis on building scholar identity and character education.

Programs designed specifically to help boys learn will include:

• Get moving program: This daily organized movement program will introduce students to new, and sometimes “old,” activities, such as yoga, martial arts, fencing, table tennis, climbing, soccer, badminton, cycling and others.
• Mentoring program: By partnering with 100 Black Men, Kappa Alpha Psi, Big Brothers Big Sisters and other community organizations, Tindley Prep will offer mentoring for its students. Mentors will receive specific training to help students identify themselves as scholars and help students set goals and discuss and plan for positive outcomes, both academically and socially.

“The all-boys Tindley Prep serves as an extension of what we’re already doing well at Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School, which currently has several all-boys and all-girls classrooms,” said Marcus Robinson, CEO of Tindley Charter Network. “This new school allows us to be intentional in how we catch boys up to girls, especially in the areas of math and science.”

School facilities will include a large gym and hands-on science labs, among other classroom features geared toward boys. Expected enrollment is 400 students.

Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School, which serves grades 6 through 12, has achieved outstanding results, with 100 percent of the school’s first four graduating classes enrolled in a four-year college or university. Tindley graduates have been accepted into more than 100 colleges and universities across the country, including IU, Purdue, Georgetown University and Spelman College.

Tindley Preparatory Academy is the first of three new charter schools EdPower is opening under the Tindley umbrella. For more information about the school and how to enroll, visit www.edpower.org or call (317) 545-1745.

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About EdPower

EdPower is a 501c3 organization that provides educational services, including charter school management, turnaround school services, education consulting, and more. EdPower launched in 2002 as the Charter for Accelerated Learning, Inc. In 2004, Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School was launched in one of Indianapolis’ most impoverished neighborhoods. In six short years, the Tindley School established itself as a model for urban schooling in Indiana, winning the National Blue Ribbon Schools Award in 2010. In 2010, the Charter for Accelerated Learning, Inc. became EdPower, and remains dedicated to expanding quality college-preparatory educational services for young people and helping Indianapolis schools excel – so their students can do likewise.

Company passes FTC/FCC audit, affirms commitment to government compliance

INDIANAPOLIS – DEFENDER Direct, Inc., a leading dealer for top brands in the residential security products and satellite business including ADT and DISH Network, today announced it has been accredited for a second time by the American Teleservices Association’s (ATA) Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO). DEFENDER was one of the first 10 companies in the country to be accredited, a unique and distinctive accomplishment.

The ATA-SRO incorporates aspects of governmental regulations and consumer protection rules for contact centers. SRO standards provide contact center businesses with a platform of best practices, documentable procedures and measurable compliance tools. The Seal of Accreditation, which DEFENDER Direct has received, is aimed at assuring consumers a positive teleservices experience while providing an objective system that reinforces companies’ commitment to government compliance.

Companies that receive the ATA-SRO Seal of Accreditation exhibit the highest caliber of customer care, best practices and compliant behavior. DEFENDER Direct earned this distinction along with only 19 other teleservice companies.

As part of the accreditation process, all of DEFENDER Direct’s operations were audited. The SRO was particularly impressed by the standards of the following categories:

• Inbound call practices
• FTC regulatory compliance
• State registrations
• Call monitoring and quality assurance
• Compliance management systems

“We are extremely honored to receive this accreditation as it is a testament to our dedication and adherence to the FTC’s requirements for telemarketing laws and regulations,” said Scott DeNardin, vice president of risk management for DEFENDER Direct. “The talent and hard work of our team members have made this recognition possible. They strive to provide our customers with consistent and high quality service, thus ensuring a positive customer experience.”

For more information on DEFENDER Direct, please visit www.defenderdirect.com.

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About DEFENDER Direct, Inc.

Since its inception in 1998, DEFENDER Direct has emerged as a leading dealer for a prestigious portfolio of home security and digital communication brands including ADT and DISH Network. As a result of its unprecedented growth the company has expanded its residential services offering to include True Energy Smart Air, an HVAC company offering Carrier products. And it continues to operate the DEFENDER Outsourced Sales Center Division which offers business clients its inbound sales expertise to improve consumer lead acquisition. DEFENDER employs more than 1,800 individuals in 50 states with over 120 branch offices nationwide.

Statewide campaign creates awareness, dispels myths and inspires advancements in care

INDIANAPOLIS – March is designated as National Hemophilia Awareness Month, dedicated to increasing public awareness about bleeding disorders, dispelling common misconceptions and inspiring advancements in diagnosis and treatment. To assist in increasing awareness throughout the state of Indiana, the Indiana Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center (IHTC), a non-profit organization dedicated to care, education and research in bleeding and clotting disorders, has created an awareness page at www.seehowithrive.org, which includes facts about the disorder and a series of videos that tell the stories of people in Indiana who are living with hemophilia.

The IHTC is Indiana’s only federally designated comprehensive hemophilia treatment center and is a center of excellence. The videos and website were created as part of an education and awareness campaign, “Thrive,” to emphasize how, with care and treatment, those affected by hemophilia can live productive, normal lives.

Among those featured in the series are DJ (23) and Sean (25) Jones, of Indianapolis, Indiana. The Jones brothers, are typical, energetic and fun-loving young adults who have grown up together with hemophilia. DJ is an artist, and Sean is a comedian. Those who watch the Jones’ video will learn how the men learned, as children, to take control of their hemophilia, how hemophilia impacted their lives as children—and how it impacts their lives today as adults, and how they are living healthy, normal lives.

“It’s always thrilling for us to watch our patients, like DJ and Sean, succeed and thrive in life. We’re literally watching our patients grow and mature, from birth to adulthood — it’s exciting to be a part of their life team,” said Dr. Amy Shapiro, the IHTC’s co-medical director.

Hemophilia, is a genetic condition that results in an inability of the blood to form a normal clot. The disorder affects approximately 1 in 5,000 male births. There are about 1,500 known individuals in Indiana with a bleeding disorder.

Hemophilia is one of the most expensive medical conditions due to the cost of treatment. People with bleeding disorders require quality medical care from dedicated experts who understand how the condition impacts all areas of their lives, including medical, physical function, family, work, and school.

The IHTC offers life-long, comprehensive, patient-centered, integrated, multidisciplinary healthcare that goes beyond “medical treatment”. The multidisciplinary team includes hematologists, nursing, physical therapists, social workers, dietician, career counselor, dental hygienists, and an integrated onsite pharmacy – all of which serve the patient, and support and educate the patient’s family.

To learn more about Hemophilia Awareness Month and how the IHTC is helping patients thrive, visit www.seehowithrive.org. For more information about the Indiana Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, visit www.ihtc.org.

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The Indiana Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center (IHTC) offers patient-centric, integrated and comprehensive healthcare services to patients with bleeding and clotting disorders, and to their families. IHTC was founded in 1998 by Dr. Amy Shapiro, co-medical director and pediatric hematologist, and Dr. Anne Greist, co-medical director and adult hematologist, to provide patient care, research and education. Located on the northwest side of Indianapolis on the St. Vincent Hospital campus, Indiana Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center is the largest free-standing facility of its kind in the United States. For more information, visit www.ihtc.org or call 317.871.0000.