MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT, Quad Cities PBS is pleased to offer a $500 Broadcast Scholarship to students pursuing a career in broadcasting.

Last year's recipient Paul Strater said "As a nontraditional student, the financial realities of later life such as mortgages and car payments and the challenges of funding a college education without parental help or the loans available to parents are quite a challenge.  This scholarship will be a great help as I finish my degree at Western."

Interested students may log on to http://wqpt.org/scholarship for an application or by calling (309) 764-2400.  The criteria for the scholarship is:

v  Overall 2.5 GPA

v  Broadcast Classes 3.0 GPA (not applicable to incoming college freshmen)

v  Preference given to full-time students although part-time students may apply.                        

Applications will be accepted through May 18, 2012for this scholarship.  New and continuing students in any broadcast curriculum may apply.  WQPT will select the recipient prior to the fall semester.

WQPT General Manager, Rick Best said "The scholarship is just one of the ways that WQPT endeavors to be a community partner."

WQPT is a media service of Western Illinois University Quad Cities located in Moline, Illinois.

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Not-for-profit membership organization also reports more than $175 million given to communities in 2011

MINNEAPOLIS (Feb. 23, 2012) - Thrivent Financial for Lutherans announced today that its 2011 results led to the third-consecutive year of financial growth for the not-for-profit, Fortune 500 membership organization. Sales, revenue, assets under management, and total adjusted surplus all rose in 2011 and have continued to rise since 2008 despite turbulent economic and market conditions. Thrivent Financial's statutory revenue climbed to $7.9 billion, up six percent over 2010, and assets under management rose to $75.8 billion, up almost four percent from the previous year.

"For the third consecutive year, Thrivent Financial produced outstanding results," said Brad Hewitt, president and CEO of Thrivent Financial. "We continue to grow while offering the ongoing strength and stability our members expect from us. Solid business performance and strong investment results are two of the drivers that helped us meet and exceed our target goals."

Life, health and annuity sales continued to be a major factor in helping Thrivent Financial attain strong results, rising five percent from 2010. Thrivent Financial's life insurance in force now stands at $170.2 billion, two percent higher than in 2010.

Ongoing strength and stability

Thrivent Financial continues to be one of the strongest and most stable financial services organizations in the industry. The total adjusted surplus of the organization grew seven percent to $5.4 billion in 2011. In addition, Fitch Ratings recently affirmed Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' AA (Very Strong) rating, the third-highest of Fitch's 19 categories, and gave the organization a stable outlook. Earlier in 2011, A.M. Best gave Thrivent Financial for Lutherans an A++ (Superior) rating with a stable outlook. A++ (Superior) is the highest of A.M. Best's 16 ratings categories.

Community giving and outreach

Thrivent Financial, its members and employees continue to strengthen communities nationwide. In 2011, Thrivent Financial and its members gave $175.5 million in direct support to charitable organizations, schools, congregations and individuals in need. In addition, the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation recently announced that it awarded $15.1 million in grants to Lutheran institutions nationwide and nonprofits in Minneapolis/St. Paul and the Fox Cities (Wis.) area.

Thrivent Financial members and other non-members volunteered more than 10.8 million hours in the communities in which they live and work in support of Thrivent Financial projects in 2011. The 3,000 employees of Thrivent Financial also gave more than 71,000 volunteer hours in support of nonprofit organizations in the Twin Cities (Minn.) and Fox Cities (Wis.). Through the Thrivent Gift Multiplier program, employees' and financial representatives' donations were matched by the Foundation for a total of $4,646,222. In addition, through the employee giving campaign employees generated an additional $759,000 for nonprofits, which was matched by the Foundation for a total of $1,518,000.

Thrivent Choice

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans distributed more than $62 million through its Thrivent Choice Dollars program in 2011. More than 20,000 Lutheran congregations and organizations received funding as a result of 259,000 eligible Thrivent Financial members recommending where to distribute a portion of the organization's charitable funds.

Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity

Through its unique partnership, Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will contribute $9.2 million to fund the construction and rehabilitation of 142 Habitat for Humanity homes in 32 U.S. states and an additional $1 million to support teams building homes around the world in 2012. With this contribution, Thrivent Financial will have contributed $160 million since the program began in 2005, constructing more than 2,600 homes in the U.S. and around the world.

"Our purpose is to help our members be wise with money and to inspire them to live generously," continued Hewitt. "For more than 100 years, Thrivent Financial has helped its members achieve financial security and give back to their communities. Our ongoing strength and stability will allow us to be there for them for another 100 years."

About Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a not-for-profit, Fortune 500 financial services membership organization helping approximately 2.5 million members achieve financial security and give back to their communities. Thrivent Financial and its affiliates offer a broad range of financial products and services including life insurance, annuities, mutual funds, disability income insurance, bank products and more. As a not-for-profit organization, Thrivent Financial creates and supports national outreach programs and activities that help congregations, schools, charitable organizations and individuals in need. For more information, visit Thrivent.com. Also, you can find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Insurance products issued or offered by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Appleton, WI.  Not all products are available in all states.  Securities and investment advisory services are offered through Thrivent Investment Management Inc., 625 Fourth Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55415, 800-847-4836, a FINRA and SIPC member and a wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Thrivent Financial representatives are registered representatives of Thrivent Investment Management Inc.  They are also licensed insurance agents of Thrivent Financial.

Low Broadband Adoption Threatens to Separate Seniors from Critical Services

Des Moines, IA - Today, Connect Iowa is releasing a new report focusing on technology adoption and use by Iowa's senior citizens. The report, titled Iowa's Silent Generation: Resilient, More Experienced, but Disconnected, gives an in-depth look at the challenges Iowa seniors face in embracing the technology that can deeply impact their quality of life. Lack of broadband adoption is particularly alarming as a growing number of services and opportunities migrate online.

High-speed Internet is becoming increasingly important for access to government services, healthcare resources, and countless other personal tasks like banking, shopping, and communicating with family and friends. The issue of elderly technology adoption is especially important in Iowa because the state has the sixth largest share of residents over the age of 70 in the nation, but the senior broadband adoption rate is slightly below the national average.

The new Connect Iowa research shows:

• While nearly three out of four Iowans (72%) age 18-54 subscribe to home broadband service, only 63% of Iowans age 55-69 subscribe to broadband.

• A mere 27% of Iowans age 70 and older subscribe to broadband.

• Approximately 260,000 elderly Iowans (age 70 and older) are not benefiting from broadband.

• 47% of Iowans age 70+ (approximately 169,000) do not own a computer.

Iowa's elderly technology statistics grow even more troublesome when factors like disabilities, living alone, or living in rural areas are taken into consideration. The report also found a disturbing "gray gap" when looking at the number of seniors who make use of mobile broadband technology through devices like smart phones and digital tablets.

The new report sheds light on the many barriers seniors point to for not using broadband. Thirty-nine percent say they simply don't understand how broadband is relevant to their lives; 24% say digital literacy is their problem and they don't know how to use a computer or the Internet. However, of those Iowans over age 70 who do subscribe to home Internet service, 56% say they go online on a daily basis.

"Broadband offers Iowa's senior citizens new power and independence," says Connect Iowa Program Manager Amy Kuhlers. "With an interactive link to family and friends, as well as increased access to healthcare information and services, broadband is empowering them to live more independently while enabling them to engage more fully with society."

Connect Iowa is actively working to bridge the technology "gray gap" in Iowa to ensure all seniors have access to the life-enhancing and lifesaving applications and services made possible by a home broadband subscription. Increasing broadband usage among these Iowans now can help many Iowans live longer, healthier, more independent lives.

Anyone with an interest in bringing better broadband to local homes and businesses is encouraged to join in the Connect Iowa community planning effort. For more information on how to get involved, please contact Amy Kuhlers at akuhlers@connectiowa.org or 515-421-2561.

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About Connect Iowa: Connect Iowa is a subsidiary of Connected Nation and operates as a nonprofit in the state of Iowa to promote broadband access, adoption, and use. The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) is leading the initiative to increase broadband Internet access throughout rural Iowa. Connect Iowa was commissioned by the state to work with all broadband providers in Iowa to create detailed maps of broadband coverage and develop a statewide plan for the deployment and adoption of broadband. For more information visit: www.connectiowa.org.

Arlington, VA - This summer, the Bill of Rights Institute is partnering with the Foundation for Economic Education to host the Founders Fellowship: Civil Liberty, Commerce, and the Constitution. American History and Civics teachers from across the country are invited to apply. Selected Fellows will participate in an exclusive professional development program aimed at deepening their understanding and appreciation of the American Founding.

Participating teachers will convene in Washington, D.C.  July 16-20, 2012 for a program that will expand their knowledge of the Constitution. During the program, participants will engage in lectures with constitutional scholars, discussions with fellow teachers, and scholar-led visits to historic sites including Mount Vernon, Gunston Hall, and a monument tour.

In order to prepare for the program, Fellows will complete readings about our Founding exploring the question "How did the Founders define liberty?" Attending teachers will receive a certificate for 25 contact hours.

Fellows will be selected based upon their leadership in their classroom and profession and dedication to educating their students about the connections between politics and economics in America.

Teachers must apply online by March 26, 2012. More information and an application can be found at www.BillofRightsInstitute.org/Founders-Fellowship-2012.

The Founders Fellowship Program is made possible through partnership with the Foundation for Economic Education.

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ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION
The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), one of the oldest free-market organizations in the United States, was founded in 1946 by Leonard E. Read to study and advance the freedom philosophy. FEE's mission is to offer the most consistent case for the "first principles" of freedom: the sanctity of private property, individual liberty, the rule of law, the free market, and the moral superiority of individual choice and responsibility over coercion. For more information visit www.fee.org.

ABOUT THE BILL OF RIGHTS INSTITUTE
The Bill of Rights Institute, founded in 1999, is a nonprofit educational organization. The mission of the Bill of Rights Institute is to educate young people about the words and ideas of America's Founders, the liberties guaranteed in our Founding documents, and how our Founding principles continue to affect and shape a free society. For more information visit www.BillofRightsInstitute.org.