Straight Talk

Storytelling nights are gaining popularity nationwide. Many of them are monthly or weekly events where standing-room-only crowds gather to hear stories from strangers and friends alike. Seen by some as a backlash against digital overload, storytelling is reconnecting communities in an entertaining yet poignant way.

Join us as we chat with Steven Gardner, creator of Story Night in Kitsap, a fun, colorful and entertaining night of TRUE stories told by the area's best (or at least the most willing) storytellers.

Join us as we remember Leonard Simon Nimoy (March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015), an actor, film director, poet, singer-songwriter, and photographer who was also known for as Mr. Spock of the Star Trek franchise.[1]

Using social media to punish strangers is continually on the rise. Join us in a lively discussion with examples of unwise choices resulting in unexpected, severe and sometimes irreversible consequences.

“The persistent achievement gap between haves and have-nots in our society is chiefly a verbal gap. There is no greater practical attainment in the modern world than acquiring a bellyful of words. A large vocabulary is the single most reliable predictor of practical, real-world competence…” - Professor E.D. Hirsh

Over one third of our middle school readers are struggling. Vocabulary is the key. The single most accurate predictor of how well a reader understands text is general vocabulary knowledge. Studies show it can grow to a disparity of 30,000 words by eighth grade when intentional, rigorous intervention is not applied. Additionally, these studies confirm there is a direct correlation between “word bank” size and success in school.

Word Lab Web, a vocabulary based reading program for the middle grades, is teacher created, affordable, and in the cloud. It provides personalized, self-paced learning so students can gain authentic word knowledge and practice a variety of comprehension skills. Three half-hour sessions a week provide great gains in reading scores.

The tool is the brainchild of Carla and Richard Kessler. Carla is a 25 year veteran middle grade teacher and former Title I Coordinator and Learning Specialist. Recognized for her skills in innovative curriculum with measurable results, she implemented action research for Word Lab Web in the classroom. Richard, a software engineer, is a veteran coder and IT manager. He has kept Word Lab Web on the leading edge of technology from its origins as a desktop program to its current platform in the Cloud.

Join us as we not only explore lessons learned from their transition into entrepreneurship, but an overview of Word Lab Web and its success.

In January 2014, Professional Options hosted a Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) meeting at Poulsbo City Hall so area veterans could learn about how to benefit from WWP. Attendees hear about successes and challenges our veterans and their families face after serving and sacrificing for our country, and how the services provided by WWP allow them to move forward with their "new normal."

WWP provides support and services to post-Sept. 11 veterans such as college scholarships and stipends; cash grants to service providers to cover basic needs like food, rent and utilities; physical and psychological rehabilitation; combat stress recovery; benefits assistance; peer support; and career development and training. In 2012 alone, it spent $114 million to aid wounded veterans, their families and their caregivers.

The meeting was WWP's first time in Kitsap, and a Wounded Warriors in Kitasp (WWIK) group (no affiliation with WWP) was loosely formed and communicates via a Facebook page.

Join us as we talk with regional WWIK advocates and leaders Charles Keating, Todd Best, and Jeremy Creed about what's ahead.

When singer-songwriter, I Heart Kitsap TV owner and former MTV Italy producer Mike Barnet speaks, people listen. Join us as he shares invaluable tips about how businesses can use videos, YouTube, SEO and other tools to be found and ranked well in Google and across the internet.

Brawls in the aisles over reclining seats, crying babies, and incorrectly served macadamia nuts. Passenger evictions over Christmas greetings. Emergency landings and arrests for mouthing off at flight attendants or seat-hopping.

As the airlines industry shoves more people into metal tubes like cattle, are we losing our patience and civility? Are employees overreacting? Join our cheeky discussion about the current state of air travel.

Whether it's knowing how to write code, being articulate about the impact of technology on the 21st century economy, or ensuring today's students are versed in important STEAM (Science, Technology Engineering, Art, and Math) subjects and skillsets, it's long been clear that the days of geeks hiding in dark rooms and coding away from the rest of the world is an outdated notion.

Not only will the simplest coding languages help you understand and use the Web with its many games and apps, but many jobs use a computer. According to Code.org,  two-thirds of open computing jobs fall outside of the tech sector in fields such as journalism, finance, medicine, and entertainment. Understanding coding and technology can also offer a level of  mental exercise that helps you adapt to many different career options.

Charles Keating, president of West Sound Technology Association and president of his own technology consulting corporation, Keating Consulting Service, Inc., will join us and others in discussion about Hour of Code, technology, and the future.

On December 3, 12-year-old Ronin Shimizu, a former 6th grader enrolled at Folsom Middle School, committed suicide after schoolmates had bullied him for being a cheerleader.

According to the CDC, suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year. Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, according to studies by Yale University. A study in Britain found that at least half of suicides among young people are related to bullying10 to 14 year old girls may be at even higher risk for suicide, according to the study aboveAccording to statistics reported by ABC News, nearly 30 percent of students are either bullies or victims of bullying, and 160,000 kids stay home from school every day because of fear of bullying

Anonymous Alerts® is a tool whichenables students to quickly report bullying, cyberbullying, depression, family problems, drug and alcohol abuse, gang-related issues, sexual harassment, guns/weapons in schools, theft/vandalism or unusual student behavior which may warrant immediate attention by school officials. The system is simple and secure for students and school officials.

Join us as we discuss these issues and more.

After years as management in the corporate world, David Mitchell blazes his own trail to start a coaching and consulting business, write a book, and speak at seminars and business events on the Building Blocks of Business.