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May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
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Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
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Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Feb. 23, 2011
/ 19 Adar I, 5771
You think education prepares kids for their futures? Stacks of cash say otherwise
By
Renee James
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
For many parents raising a little genius or two, February can mean only one thing: you've begun searching for the perfect summer enrichment camp. You Google "camp for brilliant geologist, age 7," and get 287,000 results. You ask for recommendations. You explore other resources at your fingertips, including the Times magazine 'Camps' advertising section. Let's review a few, shall we?
One side note: Since I'm about to complete my fourth year of FAFSA forms, our "how can we compete with all the other parents this summer?" days are in the distant past. Our boys had their share of art camps, day camps and afternoons at the pool and while they may not have been the most stimulating choices on the planet, they worked well enough. Admittedly, the boys may have missed some great opportunities since I never consulted the Times for their suggestions. At least some of them are probably worth the money. But I came across three programs that left me befuddled (my default state, I know.)
Nearly all the camp listings appeared to offer programs for both boys and girls, welcoming marine biologists, scientists, writers, performers, web designers, artists and pre-law and pre-med school students. But two of the science programs were not co-ed: one for boys held in the Pocono Mountains and the other for girls held at one of the Seven Sisters. They're comparably priced, with the boys' 4-week program coming in at $4,400 and the girls' at $4,850.
Beyond the coursework and instruction, both schedules also included free time and recreational options. The boys' activities include sailing, mini-bike riding, riflery, archery, tennis, windsurfing, art and crafts, etc. The girls have similar choices, if you exclude sailing, mini-bike riding, riflery, archery, and windsurfing. Their website lists volleyball, and "hanging out with friends," use of the athletic facility, artistic pursuits (pottery, painting music ensemble), squash, croquet and horseback riding as some free time activities.
The good news is there are programs available for young, scientifically inclined students to pursue their passion. At these prices, however, I'm not sure how many applicants will be young, scientifically inclined students whose parents don't have a couple thousand dollars to invest in summer camp. I'd be very interested to see the statistics on how many students who attend these programs come from families with house hold incomes of less than $50,000. I'm guessing zero.
The third camp ad that caught my attention was this one: "Princess Prep." Who could imagine that forty years after the debut of Ms. Magazine, I'd read an ad for Princess Prep summer camp in the Times magazine?
You can't make this up: "An elite London sleep away camp for girls 8 11: Royal History, Etiquette, Horse Riding, Philanthropy." I couldn't help it: I had to look online for more details. I was not disappointed.
Turns out, parents can rest easy when they send their third-grade daughter to London this summer. Among other activities, she'll spend time on the following: "how to walk with a book (or a crown!) on her head," "the cheese course," "pouring and serving tea properly," "sitting properly and dealing with boredom or coughing fits."
The princesses are encouraged to keep a journal in a velvet bound notebook, and include one princess lesson they learn each day. They may not watch television but may spend time in the royal library or watch a princess-themed film every night. They are highly supervised, including the evenings when trained "night nannies, not unlike Mary Poppins," watch over them. Lights out promptly at midnight!
So I ask you: imagine you're Gloria or Betty or any of the other women who worked tirelessly for equal opportunities for women forty or fifty years ago, women who wanted young girls to know they are complete without a Prince Charming. Is this a glass half full or half empty scenario? Do you celebrate the science camp at Smith while you weep about the dreams unfolding in Kensington? Or do you think of it this way: indulge young girls so they'll outgrow the princess fantasy by fifth grade and get intrigued with physics by ninth. That must be the plan. It just might work.
But it might not.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment on Renee James' column by clicking here.Renee James writes social commentary and resolves daily to keep up with her blog: It's Not Me, It's You. Her essays have appeared in 101 Damnations: A Humorists' Tour of Personal Hells and May Contain Nuts: A Very Loose Canon of American Humor. Her opinion pieces have appeared in The Baltimore Sun, The Los Angeles Times, The Orlando Sentinel, The Morning Call and other Tribune newspapers, as well as The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Women's Quarterly and Tango Magazine.
Previously:
• Is lowering the drinking age to 18 really such a good idea?
• The goods news: You've earned a degree. The bad news: You didn't learn much
• Mark Twain, Snooki, and the decline of American literature
© 2011, Renee James
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