Back to school time opens up new opportunities for students not only in the academic and athletic areas, but in volunteering as well. In Florida, high school students need to have 75 volunteer hours in order to qualify for a state funded scholarship program named Bright Futures (among other criteria). Middle school students are often provided opportunities to volunteer either during school time or after school.

For the younger students, middle school and even elementary school, volunteering or community service, is a means for them to learn about helping others in need, to learn about compassion, to recognize that there are different cultures and socioeconomic levels, to meet children, youth and adults with disabilities and to learn about other differences among people. Volunteering can help a child with low self esteem become more confident, a sad child become more content and a child who feels left out feel that they belong. In giving back, they get back and learn valuable life long lessons.

This is true with middle school and high school students as well. Especially among teenagers, there is the belief that nothing bad can happen to them. They may live recklessly by driving without a seat belt and taking part in other risky behaviors. If they have the opportunity to take part in a volunteer program or a teen summer community service program with people who have been injured by risky behaviors, they may change their lives permanently. Volunteering can lead to changes in behavior, a commitment to further education (college, etc.), a career and a life long interest in community service.

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This is a guest post from Robyn at RobynsOnlineWorld.com for our Back To School Connection campaign.

Sharpie is a brand that I know, I use, and I trust.  We have all sorts of Sharpie markers around the house and I would say someone uses one daily at the very least. When I heard that Sharpie had a new liquid pencil it sounded interesting and I wanted to give it a try.

The Sharpie Liquid Pencil looks a lot like an ink pen I think. You push the end to extend the writing tip, although there is an eraser on the end also. It has the nice rubbery grip where you hold it to make it comfortable.  When you write it feels like an ink pen also against the paper and when you look at the paper. However, you can erase your writing for about up to 24 hours, after that it becomes permanent on the paper.

Taylor prefers mechanical pencils over regular pencils. One of the big problems with mechanical pencils can be the breaking leads though. With the Sharpie Liquid Pencil this is a non-issue since there are no lead sticks – it is just the liquid graphite inside. The package says it is a No. 2 lead equivalent – I’m not sure if that means they could use this on those bubble test score sheets or not.  It erases really easily, more so than a regular pencil for Taylor actually. It is not quite as smooth to write with as a regular pencil and occasionally it has a little skip while you write. If you are a picky person about writing instruments you probably will need to write with it a bit to get used to it.  Taylor’s biggest issue with it is when you click the end to extend the writing part the end is jiggly. It feels a bit like it is loose, but that is the way it is designed.

The Sharpie Liquid Pencil features a line width comparable to a 0.5mm No. 2 pencil. Suggested retail price for a single pack with eraser refills is $1.99. The double pack with eraser refills is $3.99.  Both are available wherever office products are sold beginning September 2010.

Want to know more? Check out Sharpie.com for all things Sharpie. On SharpieUncapped.com they have amazing galleries of Sharpie creations. You can also like Sharpie on Facebook and be sure to follow @SharpieSusan on Twitter.

The Giveaway: One lucky winner will receive a double-pack of the new Sharpie Liquid Pencil.

Please Note: Entries only accepted at Robyn’s giveaway post.

Robyn’s Disclosure:  Sharpie sent us the liquid pencil I talked about in this post to review. The opinions are strictly my own (and Taylor’s). Sharpie is also providing prizes for my readers.  Transparency is everything!

Find all of our Back To School Connection giveaways here.

Think cork boards are old school? Not any more with custom printed cork boards by Profiled Products. And for a tween that needs help with her organizing school this works wonders for Back To School. This is my daughter, Sammi’s first year of having multiple teachers with different teaching plans. Her homework and tests are fall on different days of the week for each class and the expectations of her teachers are quite different.

Sammi is responsible for keeping her school work in order and knowing when things are due. This is necessary in middle school. Although she uses an online calendar, she needs a second and sometimes a third reminder. The Profiled Products cork board comes in handy to keep her on target.

After trying to do lists as reminders, she realized she needed one place to keep track of her lists. Since the cork board is so attractive, she can’t help but look at it and the lists as well as the calendar on it. She’s able to cross off what’s she’s accomplished and plan ahead for what needs to be done.  Sammi chose the Panda Bear cork board because she likes animals. It is just beautiful and life-like. The corkboard is sized 18 x 24, has metal hooks and is light yet sturdy. The image is throughout the entire surface and has a metal border.

You can also create your own cork board with a photo or image. Those with school pride can upload an image of their school logo. Profiled Products helps you along the way with the process of choosing a photo or image that will look perfect on your cork board.

Giveaway: One Profiled Product Cork Board size 18 x 24 either using an image from their site or your own. Value is $69.95

The Rules:

1. Contest starts now and ends September 10 midnight EST.
2. Open to adults 18 and over from the US
3. One submission per household.
4. Winner will be chosen by Random.org.
5. Winner have 2 days to claim prize via email.
6. Have fun and tell your friends.

How To Enter:

For One Entry For Each Below: (please leave a separate comment for each entry)

Required: (If this entry is not done, all other entries will not count): Visit Profiled Products Custom Cork Board and leave a comment ab0ut the image your tween or teen or you like.

1. Leave a comment about how your tween, teen or you stay organized.
2. Follow ConnieFoggles on Twitter and leave your Twitter name as a comment.
3. Follow RobynsWorld on Twitter and leave your Twitter name as a comment.
4. Use the Share Button and share this post (for example on Reddit, etc.) Leave a comment for each place you shared. One point for each share.
5. Leave a comment on another post (not a giveaway) and let me know what post please.
6. This giveaway is part of the Back To School Connection Event! Visit the main page and grab our Back To School button and share it on your blog for an extra entry into this and every giveaway during the event!
7. Tweet this exactly. You may tweet this daily: (leave a link to your tweet or your Twitter ID)

#Win a @GetProfiled cork board @ConnieFoggles for Back To School http://clicky.me/1UZV PL RT

Disclosure: I received a cork board from Profiled Products and they are providing one for the giveaway. All opinions are %100 my own.

Find all of our Back To School Connection giveaways here.

I’m on the road to reinventing myself through the Inner Mean Girl Cleanse. My Inner Mean Girl (IMG) has been around way too long and has prevented me from being as happy as I want to be. Behind the smiles and laughs, there’s a lot of sadness because I judge myself all the time. My Inner Mean Girl speaks up even at the best times in my life, the times when I feel powerful, joyful, nurturing, connected to others, etc.

I’ve made the decision to cleanse myself of my Inner Mean Girl with the 40 Day Cleanse. My first week’s assignment was to give up gossip. When I thought about this, I figured it would be so easy. I don’t gossip! I like people. But, was I wrong.

My Gossip Habit:

• I start out saying, “I don’t mean this as gossip, but…”
• I talk about people under the guise of being concerned about them
• I watch and read about celebrity gossip a lot
• I stand by while others gossip and listen and then chime in

What I’ve Done About My Gossip Habit:

• I’ve said this affirmation at the beginning of each day, “Today I speak only from my heart. I leave gossip and toxic words behind. I speak only from my heart.”
• I’ve been thinking about my words before I speak them or write them
• I’m finding something positive to say to others and say it or write it
• I’m not expecting perfection because this is a habit that has been with me for a long time

How I Feel Now:

• I haven’t completely given up gossip completely. This is a learning process. I accept that and embrace that I am not perfect. I am proud of myself for what I have accomplished.
• The less gossiping I’ve done, the more love I feel.
• The less gossiping I’ve done, the less toxic I feel.
• The less gossiping I’ve done, the better I feel about myself.
• When I gossip it feels like fun, but later my IMG speaks up louder and with more strength.

Want to join me on the journey of releasing your IMG and take the Inner Mean Girl Cleanse? It is a journey. You’ll learn and be supported by amazing women and open your mind to love talk.