LIVE & ON DEMAND
with host, ROBERT KIRWAN

THE LEARNING CLINIC RADIO SHOW is a weekly live talk radio show about education and career development. Each week the host and producer of the show, Robert Kirwan, will be interviewing special guests from the community who have been successful in their respective careers. Since the program began in January 2008, over 150 people from all walks of life have appeared in the studio as special guests. For a complete list of all of the guests who have been on the show CLICK HERE.
  

VIDEO INTRODUCTION TO THE RADIO SHOW Click on the picture to the left for a short video introduction to the Learning Clinic Radio Show by Robert Kirwan

CLICK HERE FOR OUR 2010 SCHEDULE OF GUESTS
FOR PHOTOS AND INFORMATION ABOUT GUESTS WHO HAVE APPEARED ON THE RADIO SHOW
For Shows Prior to September 2009 CLICK HERE	For Shows From Sept 2009 to April 2010 CLICK HERE

As a special service to the education sector, not only in the Greater Sudbury Area but around the world, the shows that are listed on this page will be available ON DEMAND and will be less than 60 minutes in length. They will be appropriate for use by teachers and students for various classroom activities. Many of them will provide excellent career related information that may be helpful for students when deciding upon their own career goals. We are going to make sure that the information provided during the shows will be appropriate to students anywhere in the Province of Ontario.

Teachers are encouraged to check the CURRENT LIVE SHOW SCHEDULE of upcoming shows frequently to keep aware of important topics that will be addressed on THE LEARNING CLINIC EDUCATION FORUM.
  

BROADCAST LIVE FROM THE STUDIOS AT 
LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY
MONDAY NIGHTS FROM 5:00 TO 8:00 P.M.

September 6, 2010

September 20, 2010

October 18, 2010

December 6, 2010

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During The Learning Clinic Radio Show which was broadcast on June 28, 2010, Kirwan addressed four of the trends he feels has the greatest potential for continuing in the future. As a special innovative feature, Kirwan has produced videos of those discussions and we are pleased to present them below for your viewing and listening pleasure. Just click on the photo to the "left" of the description to view the video which is approximately 5 minutes or less in length.

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The Challenges of Raising A Child With Autism or Asperger Syndrome

Education is the Key to Helping Children With Autism Syndrome

Marck Blay was Robert Kirwan's special guest on The Learning Clinic Education Forum on Monday, April 26, 2010. Marck was on the show to discuss Asperger syndrome which is an autism spectrum disorder. Marck's son, Ryan, has Asperger syndrome and it has presented many serious challenges for Marck and his wife as they have tried to help Ryan deal with issues in his personal and school life. It became apparent from the discussion that education of all service providers is critical in order for children with aspergers syndrome to be understood and given the support they need in day-to-day activities.

As you listen to the full interview, which was over two hours long, you will appreciate the difficulties and challenges that parents face when they have a child with aspergers syndrome. You will also benefit from Marck's experiences if you are someone who deals with such a child. 

This is an excellent show for teachers, most of whom, either will or are in direct contact with students who are afflicted with this disorder. Understanding how these children see the world is critical in order to help them live to their full potential in society.

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Strategies For Success For Young Entrepreneurs
with Karen Hastie

Karen Hastie, Owner of Akfit Fitness Superstore, was Robert Kirwan's the special guest on The Learning Clinic Education Forum on Monday, May 17, 2010. Karen discussed how she and her partner, Andrew Hastie dealt with the situation many graduates find themselves in today. She had a diploma in Recreation and Leisure Management but couldn't find anyone who was hiring in her field. Instead of giving up in despair, she and Andrew decided to become consultants and reached out to others who were in need of their expertise.

This eventually lead to the opening of Akfit Fitness in 1989. Over the years Karen, who in 2010 is in her mid-forties, has faced many challenges and has had to adapt to changes in society in order to allow her business to evolve to the point where she was recognized as 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce. 

As you listen to the radio interview you will benefit from some excellent suggestions and recommendations from Karen if you are interested in starting out your own business. Karen is now very much interested in taking on the role of mentor with young people who are about to enter the world of business in the future.

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Young People Contributing To The Community By Stepping Up To Organize Fundraising & Awareness Events
by Amandah Kohls & Amy Stephens

Amandah Kohls, on the left, and Amy Stephens, are Co-chairs of the committee that has been charged with the responsibility of organizing the 2nd Annual Fundraising Barbeque to Raise Awareness of The Dangers of Impaired Driving in honour of Jazmine Houle, Caitlin Jelley, Steven Phillipe, and Tyler Goulais, all who have lost their lives as victims of drinking and driving accidents in Valley East. The girls appeared on The Learning Clinic Education Forum on Monday, May 17, 2010.

Amandah, who has just completed her 1st Year of studies in the Nursing Program at Cambrian College, and Amy, who just completed her 1st Year of studies in the Nursing Program at Laurentian University, discussed some of the issues and challenges they have faced over the two years in organizing an event as significant as this community fundraiser which raised almost $4,000 in June 2009. 

As you listen to the radio interview you will be very impressed with what the girls have done to spearhead the organization. They will give you some tips and strategies that you can use if you find yourself in a situation where you feel you would like to do something similar to raise money or awareness for a worthwhile cause. Many young people may feel that this is something that only older individuals can be successful at, however, as you will learn, sometimes it is much easier for a 19 or 20 year old to get the support of volunteers of all ages. The barbeque will be held on June 26, 2010 from 12 noon to 7 p.m. at the Shopper's Drug Mart in Hanmer, right across from the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre. Donations can be made at the Shoppers Drug Mart.

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Dr. Nancy Rebellato Describes How Naturopathic Medicine Can Be An Exciting Career Choice With A Satisfying Future

Dr. Nancy Rebellato ND, BComm, BA, was Robert Kirwan's special guest on The Learning Clinic Education Forum on Monday, June 7, 2010 at 5:00 p.m.. Dr. Rebellato is a Doctor of Naturopathic medicine and Clinic Director of the Rebellato Health Centre at 346 Regent Street in Sudbury .

Nancy has been practicing in the City of Greater Sudbury since 1998, and the Centre has a client base of over 800 patients. She learned about Naturopathic Medicine through experience: the Italian/Mediterranean diet which supported her health and vitality, treatment of a sprained ankle in the Himalayas with homeopathy, and finally a brush with death through Hepatitis C around 1992. She was brought back to life and health by the grace of God and two naturopathic doctors.

Nancy studied commerce and economics at Laurentian University. She worked overseas for The Times of India Newspaper, IBM New Zealand, and locally for INCO before attending The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto .

She completed 4 years of training including medical sciences, pharmacology, minor surgery, seven naturopathic therapies, residency, and 14 international licensing exams..

Dr. Rebellato explained that “Naturopathic Medicine is a complete and coordinated approach to medicine that combines medical sciences with traditional healing wisdom.” She went on to state that the basic principles of naturopathic medicine are founded on the belief that you must find and treat the cause of the problem and not merely focus on treating the symptoms. You must above all else do no harm to the patient, but in finding the root cause of the problem you should treat the whole person, including his/her mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic elements.  She also pointed out that the body has an amazing ability to heal itself naturally, so it is important to use common sense medicine when helping a patient.

She reiterated that this focus on finding and treating the cause instead of the symptoms is what makes Naturopathic Medicine different from conventional medicine. “We take time to get a personal history and examine the whole person we are treating.  Our goal is to treat the whole person, not just the physical part by using natural therapies and techniques that do no harm.”

Dr. Rebellato stated that it takes a long time to become a Naturopathic Doctor, “You still must go through about 8 years of post-secondary education before you begin your practice, but it is well worth it in the end.”

She encourages young people who are interested in medicine to give serious consideration to becoming a naturopathic doctor. “You get to develop long-lasting relationships with your patients. They share everything with you so that you can get down to the root of the problem and treat the whole person. That is what is so satisfying about this career. You really get to know your patients.”

The Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

1. First Do No Harm
2. Identify and Treat the Causes
3. Doctor as Teacher
4. Treat the Whole Person
5. Emphasize Prevention
6. Support the Healing Power of the Body

During the interview Dr. Rebellato explained how the widespread use of vaccinations may be a leading cause of many learning disabilities in children and adults to day. She provided listeners with information about how it is possible for parents to exclude their children from taking vaccinations which are often depicted as being mandatory in order for children to attend school.

Dr. Rebellato is convinced that the field of Naturopathic medicine is going to continue to attract many more practitioners as people begin to see the inherent dangers of continued use of pharmaceuticals and search for alternative treatments. Naturopathic doctors like Dr. Rebellato are quickly becoming known as important personal "life coaches" for their clients who are trusted for guidance when it comes to health and fitness.

This is an excellent show for students who are interested in a career in the health field. Parents would be wise to do some research into the career possibilities that exist in Naturopathic medicine. You can visit Dr. Rebellato's web site at: http://www.rebellatohealthcentre.com/ 

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Prof. Patricia Tedford Explains How A Degree In Theatre Arts Actually Prepares You For Your Performance In Life Itself

Patricia Tedford, an Assistant Professior in the Theatre Arts Program at Thornloe University was Robert Kirwan's special guest on The Learning Clinic Education Forum on Monday, June 7, 2010 at 6:25 p.m.. 

Patricia provided a great deal of information about the Theatre Arts Program which offers a concentration in Theatre Arts for a General B.A., a combined concentration of Theatre Arts and another subject for a General B.A., an interdisciplinary B.F.A. with a major in Theatre Arts, and a minor in Music. A 157-seat theatre fully equipped provides state of the art support to the work of the faculty and students.

Patricia has been with Thornloe since the fall of 2009, having worked in a similar capacity at both Ottawa and York Universities. She indicated that her interest in coming to Laurentian was based on the fact that the Sudbury area offers so much potential for growth in the arts and she is looking forward to helping bring new life to this part of the local culture.

She was also promoting the Summer Shakespeare performance, The Twelfth Night, which is being held on June 24, 25 and 26 outside on the grounds of Thornloe University. "This is such an amazing way for a group to perform. They use nature as their set and the audience if right in the middle of the performance. If anyone has never experienced theatre outdoors, this is something that they really should come out and see." 

Prof. Tedford is also very proud of the fact that Thornloe is now offering a fourth year in their Theatre Arts Program. She indicated that many students from other disciplines are quite pleased with the skills they gain from taking courses in the Theatre Arts Program. She also stated that graduates of the program have discovered that the skills they have developed prove extremely beneficial to them no matter what field of work they engage in once they leave school. Indeed, when one views the four main objectives of the Theatre Arts Program, written below, you can see that this is a program that would prepare graduates for many different careers.

The four main objectives of Theatre Arts are:

1. to develop the capacities of students to be collaborative, interdisciplinary and collegial, as required by theatrical/artistic milieus;
2. to give students analytical and creative tools for understanding and creating theatre;
3. to nurture personal and social insights in both students and faculty, enabling them to work in a creative and fulfilling way; and
4. to provide Laurentian and the wider community with imaginative theatre capable of broadening our humanitarian and artistic vocabulary. 

This is an excellent radio show for students who may not be quite certain what they would like to major in while at university. Graduating with a major in Theatre Arts could go a long way to ensuring a successful and satisfying career. Click on the name for more information on the Thornloe University Theatre Arts Program.

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It Takes A Lot Of Good Strategic Planning To Be Successful In Any Kind of Business Today

Allan Knott, Branch Manager of the New Sudbury Royal Bank, was the special guest on The Learning Clinic Radio Show on Monday, June 14, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. Allan provided some valuable advice and information for anyone interested in starting their own business.

Host Robert Kirwan and Allan talked at length about the strategies that would help ensure a successful experience in any business start-up. With finances being so very important during the initial stages, much was mentioned about some of the options that are available to young people and about the need to plan ahead so that you are in the best position possible when you are ready to move forward.

Many self-employed owner operated businesses are starting up in the Greater Sudbury Area every year. In fact, over 45% of all employers in the region are self-employed owner operated businesses with no employees. The fastest growing segment of the population beginning their own businesses are in the over 55 year old category. This is indicative of the number of people who want to get into their own business ventures after retiring from their life-long career or occupation.

As you listen to the radio interview you will benefit from some excellent suggestions and recommendations from Allan if you are interested in starting out your own business. You can also get some good advice from the web site at the following link: CLICK HERE FOR BUSINESS TIPS

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Finding Good People Is Still One Of The Greatest Management Issues Facing Companies Today

Gilles Lebeau, a life-long resident of Sudbury , has travelled a long and winding journey from the time he walked off the stage with a diploma from Ecole Secondaire Hanmer. Today he is Vice President of Finance and Operations of one of the area's most prominent mining sector businesses, the Mansour Group of 18 Companies, where he is in charge of numerous and diverse business interests and is responsible for the livelihood of over 200 full- and part-time employees.

Gilles was the special guest June 14, 2010, 2008 on "The Learning Clinic Radio Show" with host Robert Kirwan. The topic: "Management Issues & Challenges Facing The Mining Industry Today". 

Just for a bit of background, after high school, Mr. Lebeau went on to attend Laurentian University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the School of Business and Commerce in 1982. From there he went to Toronto where he worked as a Chartered Accountant for two and a half years with a large company that had over 2000 accountants in its employ. He soon tired of the "mass of humanity" in the big city and after gaining a wealth of experience in a short time he returned to Sudbury to work for KPMG for the next ten years. 

"After being in the accounting business for over a dozen years, I decided that I wanted a change. It was a nice career and I respect and admire anyone working in the accounting field, but I felt that I needed something different. That's when I decided to try my hand in the Public Sector for a while," explained Lebeau who stated that if he was going to do it all over again he would have pursued a career in medicine but when he was in high school he didn't pay enough attention to getting high marks. He stated that he likes the idea of saving lives and would have enjoyed a career in the health field. "People in the public sector work very hard and during my two years with them I certainly gained a new level of respect for what they do."

He was then offered a position with Sandvik, in what he refered to as an 'institutionalized company'. He spent ten years with that firm, eventually rising to the position of President of the Canadian arm of the international company. When the head office decided to restructure and close up the Canadian Division, Lebeau was offered the position he currently fills with Mansour Group of Companies.

"Working for a grass roots company like Mansour Group is a lot different than working for Sandvik," explained Lebeau. "With Sandvik, if I had an idea to propose to head office I had to go through several stages of presentations and often wait months for approval. This is often the case with any large organization. They must be careful to make sure all of their decisions are consistent with general company policy and as a result there are many checks and balances to protect the integrity of the system. With the Mansour Group, I just go down the hall to our owner, Milad Mansour and he gives me an answer right away. It is this speed of decision-making which gives smaller companies an edge over larger institutions when it comes to capitalizing on opportunities. And a man like Milad Mansour has certainly made the most of his opportunities."

Gilles has nothing but praise for the founder of Mansour Mining. Milad Mansour came over to Canada from Lebanon at the age of 16 with absolutely nothing. "He started shoveling driveways during his first winter and told the owners of the homes that they could pay him if they wanted. He said he had nothing else to do so he may as well be doing something useful. With the first bit of money he earned shoveling, he bought a pair of winter boots because he said it was cold shoveling in street shoes."

Today, Milad Mansour is a millionaire and is still "working on a hundred different projects at a time."

"Our biggest challenge in the industry right now is to be able to hire competent people," Gilles commented. "I look for people who are enthusiastic, creative, and confident. We need people who are competitive, because everything in business today is competitive and if you aren't looking for new and better ways of providing services and products to your customers you won't survive."

Gilles is a strong proponent of using "mentoring" to one's advantage. He even commented that young people today should not be afraid of competition from baby boomers, but they definitely should try to learn everything they can from these people while they are still on the job.

Gilles pointed out that there are two huge challenges facing companies that operate in the mining sector today, or for that matter within any industry. The first is the "manage risk". Gilles says that it is very important for people running large operations today to reduce the risk factors that might impact on the company. The second is the challenge to find people who are able to lead. "Good leaders are very hard to find today. We have to turn down some projects simply because we may not have anyone available to run the initiative."

This is an excellent show for anyone who is interested in finding out what company managers are looking for when it comes to recruiting individuals to work for their companies. You can also find out more about the Mansour Group by going to the web site at www.mansourgroupinc.com 

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Candace Jazvic Explains Her Mission For The Year As Editor-In-Chief of Laurentian University's Lambda Publication

Candace Jazvic, Editor-In-Chief/Ad Manager of Lambda Publications, Laurentian University's bi-weekly English language newspaper, was Robert Kirwan's special guest on The Learning Clinic Radio Show on Monday, July 5, 2010.

Candace took the opportunity to outline some of her goals and objectives for the year as she takes over from Matt Moskal and will assume the direction of the publication for the 2010-2011 school year. She joined the Lambda staff in January 2010 as Assistant Editor and was given the job of Editor-in-Chief this summer. Candace, who will be entering her 4th and final year of political science, is hoping to generate a renewed interest in the publication by recruiting a large team of volunteers who will be getting out around the campus to cover the myriad of activities and events that take place every year. She wants to make Lambda both the "voice" of the students and the "information source" for the students.

"We are hoping to 're-brand' the publication by building a totally new Lambda image around campus in order to bring people in to provide us with content for the paper that will make it better and more appealing to our readers," Candace explained. "We also want to reach out to the Greater Sudbury community at large and let students know more about what is going on so that they become more aware of what is happening in Sudbury. To do this we will try to include stories about things that are happening in the city that would be of interest to our students and we will also be looking for places where we can distribute our papers in the city so that the general public has a chance to see what is going on at Laurentian."

Candace stated that by the end of the year she would like to see Lambda up to 16 pages per issue with 3000 printed copies being distributed on and off campus. She also hopes to develop a web site presence for the publication and will be working on this initiative early in the year. If you would like to listen to the entire interview, click on the link above. For information about Lambda or to volunteer as a writer or columnist, you can contact Candace by phone at 673-6548 or by email at lambda@laurentian.ca You can also drop in to the office on the 3rd floor of the Parker Building, just above the Student Centre.

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The Rewards and Challenges of Pursuing a Career in the Performing Arts

On Monday, July 12, 2010, three members of a theatrical production company who were in Sudbury conducting a two-week summer camp for children appeared on The Learning Clinic Radio Show to discuss their program. 

In the photo on the left, we have, from left to right, Vikki VanSickle (Founder, Playwright & Director); Shari Porter (Founder & Musical Director); and Sarah Williamson (Choreographer). The three explained a bit about the history of their company and also talked about what they hoped to accomplish by putting on the summer camps for students from the ages of 8 to 18. 

The three young ladies are all in their mid- to late-twenties and are still living their dream by following careers in the arts. All three live in Toronto. Shari is a self-employed piano instructor and is involved in other short-term contract ventures during the year. Sarah is a performer and also a dance instructor. Once again she takes on short-term contract positions during the year. Vikki works about 36 hours a week as the manager of a book store and is involved in contract work involving music and writing. In fact, Vikki will be publishing a children's book later on this year.

All of the ladies stated that they were extremely happy with what they are doing in their life right now. Even though they are going from job to job and contract to contract, they find the work exciting and love the "uncertainty" and "challenges" that come their way. They love every minute of what they do, including going out in the summer for six weeks doing summer camps across the north.

They know that the amount of money they are making is not much when compared to other professions, but they love what they do and all say that they have learned to "get along" with what they make. They advised that the secret to life is finding your passion early in life and then refining the skills so that you can find your place in society while holding on to your dreams. They are confident that life will take care of itself and they will enjoy the journey knowing that good things will happen to them as long as they hold on to their enthusiasm.

They recommend that young people today who are searching for their "ideal career" should make every attempt to aim for something they enjoy doing. Money will never take the place of being passionate about what you do for a living. Life is too short to make a lot of money and be miserable about what you are doing.

We also discussed the fact that perhaps one's ultimate goal in life is to "discover your passion". Once you accomplish that one very important goal, you can simply enjoy the "journey of life" and ride the waves wherever they take you.

This is a very interesting interview to listen to if you are thinking about a career in theater, music or dance.

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The Challenges of Raising A Child With Special Needs

On Monday, July 19, 2010, Julie MacLean, a parent who is raising a child with special needs, was Robert Kirwan's guest on The Learning Clinic Radio Show. Julie shared her experiences, emotions, and hopes for the future of her special needs son during an interview which touched on some of the key issues of special education today.

Julie has written several articles for The Learning Clinic which can be found if you CLICK HERE >>>>>

The following is an exerpt from one of her articles entitled, "I Didn't Get The Child That I Wanted". If you read the section that follows you will get a sense of how what Julie and her husband are going through. Her son is 5 1/2 as of July 2010. The article was written when he was 20 months old.

"Five years ago we bought a house. The upstairs bathroom has an old-fashioned claw bathtub and the living room has a gas fireplace.  The bathtub was the selling feature for me and the fireplace was it for my husband.  It felt like we looked at every house for sale in this little town before we found this one.  Our budget was very fixed and we didn’t have a lot of choices.  This house was at the high end of our scale but we really did “just know” when we walked inside it.  We put in an offer and the rest, as they say, is history.  We now owned the house we thought was perfect.  Funny thing is now that we’ve been living here for awhile we’ve changed our minds about what we thought we wanted.

Two years after we moved into our home we got married.  We had the ceremony in a small nearby church and the backyard was where we had our reception.  We had a barbecue.  There was a ton of food, love and laughter.  It was everything I had wanted for my wedding day.  It wasn’t what I had planned when I was a little girl but it was definitely what I wanted now that I was grown up.  Funny thing how I changed my mind about my wedding once I was actually planning it.

A little over a year after we were married we had our son.  He’s not what I wanted.  He has special needs.  He’s not permanently disabled and once he gets a little older you may not realize he ever needed additional assistance.  You may not know that he was 20 months old and not walking or talking.  You may never know that he had to wear casts for the first 7 or 8 months of his life or that we had weekly appointments at the orthopedic clinic.  You may not even realize that he has been diagnosed with a rare syndrome.  A syndrome that effected his muscles when he was younger to the point where he had difficulty turning his little head to the left or raising his arms up because his muscles were too tight and it was uncomfortable for him.  I’ll bet that after spending 10 minutes with my son you’ll notice one of two things.  You’ll either notice the colour of his eyes or you’ll notice his smile.  Doctors, nurses, family members and strangers have all commented on how happy and “engaging” my son is.  He is the happiest most easy-going kid I’ve ever met.  Don’t get me wrong, he’s a toddler and he definitely has his moments (did I mention he’s almost 2?).  We’ve had a few misunderstandings that have led to tantrums (he’s picked up an impressive little squeal from daycare) and he ALWAYS lets you know if he’s not happy about what you’re doing.  Mind you, when all is said and done, I’m amazed he can be happy at all after everything he’s been through.  I suppose when you’re his age it’s easier because he doesn’t know that what he’s been through isn’t “normal”.  I certainly know it though. "  For the rest of the article, click here>>>>

This is an excellent show for parents who have children with special needs, or for parents who may be going through the IPRC and IEP process with their child's school. If you are in the process of accessing special education services, please make sure you visit the section on The Learning Clinic Education Centre that provides parents with a guide to special education. You can get there by clicking the button below:

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Ruby Lougheed Yawney Presents Her Views On Lifelong Fundamental Financial Literacy Concepts That Can Improve Your Quality of Life

Ruby Lougheed Yawney, a Senior Financial Advisor with Manulife Securities Incorporated, was the special guest on The Learning Clinic Radio Show on Monday, July 26, 2010. Ruby and host, Robert Kirwan, discussed some of the important financial literacy concepts and principles that should form the framework of the curriculum which  is being introduced to schools in Ontario in September 2011.

Ruby feels that anyone working as a financial advisor today must develop a special relationship with clients that instills confidence and trust, especially in light of the volatility of the markets in the past couple of years. "People turn to you for advice that is going to affect the rest of their life," Ruby explained. "They need good advice and they need to have confidence that you are going to be concerned more about their future and security, and not just trying to sell them a new product."

For this reason, Ruby likes to refer to herself as a Chartered Accountant rather than a financial advisor. " I am not a saleperson - never was. So I like to provide advice to my clients, but I really don't like feeling as if I am "selling" anything."

Ruby feels that young people today need to develop skills and attitudes that will enable them to move forward with their life without incurring huge amounts of debt. "People have to learn to live within their means. You must get into the habit of choosing your expenditures wisely. Above all you should never spend more than you earn. And you should always save some of your income so that you will be able to make important choices in the future."

Ruby feels that the key to financial security is developing the discipline to buy "what you need", not "what you want". 

The first part of the radio show deals with some suggestions that would be valuable to young people who are struggling with what type of career to focus upon in the future. Ruby explained what she went through while discovering her "passion". She feels that it is important for you to do the very best you can no matter what kind of job you have. If you love what you do, you will always find happiness in this life.

The second part of the show deals with financial management principles and suggestions that will be of interest to students and parents alike.

If you wish to contact Ruby you can email her at ruby.lougheed@manulifesecurities.ca or phone her at (705) 674-8781. She is always happy to answer questions that will provide people with more knowledge with which to make informed decisions about financial management and about life itself.

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Jean Hanson Shares Her Personal and Professional Thoughts About Her 40-Year In Education

“My most significant responsibility as director has been to make a difference in the lives of students through our employees on the front lines and those who work diligently behind the scenes supporting their efforts.” 

Those were the words of Jean Hanson, recently retired Director of Education with the Rainbow District School Board as she reflected upon her role as Director.

Jean was the special guest on The Learning Clinic Radio Show on August 30, 2010 as she and host Robert Kirwan shared their comments and insights into the world of education as it has evolved since the early 1970's.

Hanson began her  career as a classroom teacher in 1970 at the Borough of York and retired as Director of Education for the largest school board in Northern Ontario at the end of July 2010 – a period of 40 years.

On a personal level, Jean Hanson is married to her husband, Bob they have two children: Jessica, a teacher in New Zealand , and Russell, a student in concurrent education at Laurentian University. Jean will be teaching one of the programs at Laurentian University this fall.

Since joining the Sudbury Board of Education in 1976, she has served as a classroom teacher, a special education consultant, a principal , a superintendent, and then in 2004 she accepted the appointment as the board's first female Director of Education in.

She has made her mark on Rainbow Schools and will long be remembered for her focus on student success through Jean has also been an instructor at Nipissing University , a member of the Governing Council of the Ontario College of Teachers, and an instructor for the Principal’s Qualification Program and the Supervisory Officer’s Qualification Program.

She has also authored a number of publications, including Learning Together: Building Collaborative Cultures in Our Schools, the Principal as a Lifelong Learner and the Exceptional Student in the Community School . 

During the show, Jean talked about her own challenges in the different roles she occupied during her career. She shared her personal feelings about the satisfaction that came from fulfilling her responsibilities in each successive role, always indicating that she longed to be able to do whatever she could to enhance the quality of education of all children by supporting the front-line classroom teachers.

Discussion also centered on some of the issues and challenges that new teachers will be facing as they start out on their career. Trends and developments that will have an impact on the future of education were mentioned throughout the interview.

This is a great three-hour interview that will be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in education, and is especially helpful for people who are thinking about a career in education. It will provide you with some great insight into what the future will hold and contains some very practical suggestions and recommendations that will help you become a successful educator.

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