ROCK ISLAND, IL (12/08/2010)(readMedia)-- Sixty-eight Augustana students will study and work in Sydney, Australia, for the first two months of 2011. The international study program known as "Augustana in Australia" places students in career-relevant positions in Sydney and immerses them in Australian culture.

The students complete a five-week on-campus internship seminar and a class in intercultural communication before leaving for Australia on January 2. In Australia, students will intern four days a week for seven weeks and use their remaining time to experience Australia.

The program exposes students to a new culture, which is very marketable to employers. "Employers are seeking entry-level employees with knowledge and experience of the world's diversity and cross-cultural understanding," said Karen Petersen, Augustana's director of business internships and program director.

The students are looking forward to exploring their career interests. Erin Christian, a senior music and mathematics double major from Aurora, Ill., will intern at ii-A, a finance and insurance firm in downtown Sydney. "This internship is exactly what I need to move forward from Augustana," Christian said. "I hope to find a job as an actuary or in the finance/insurance field so being an intern at a company of this caliber will prepare me for obstacles I might face in the work world."

The students travel together with no faculty from Augustana, which gives them a lot of independence. "Students in the program demonstrate maturity and the ability to depend upon themselves and their peer group to deal with problems and issues as they arise," said Petersen. Students do receive on-site supervision by their organizational sponsor and their internship coordinator, the Centers for Academic Programs Abroad (www.capa.org), and Augustana faculty or staff conducts site-visits about halfway through the internship.

Students will stay at a five-star serviced apartment complex in Sydney, along with Australian and other international students. During their trip, they will visit the ANZ Stadium where the 2000 Olympics were held, the Sydney Opera House and the Blue Mountains just outside of Sydney. They also may travel to New Zealand or areas of Australia including Melbourne, Darwin and Cairns, where they can snorkel or dive the Great Barrier Reef. Students return to Rock Island on March 4.

You can read about students' experiences in Australia by visiting Augustana's Globablog at www.augustana.edu/blogs/international/.

Participating students from your area include :

Allison Hughes from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in accounting and business management

Lisa Schippers from East Moline, IL, a junior majoring in communication sciences and disorders

About Augustana: Founded in 1860 and situated on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River, Augustana College is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college enrolls 2,500 students from diverse geographic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and offers more than 70 majors and related areas of study. Augustana employs 287 faculty members and has a student-faculty ratio of 11:1. Augustana continues to do what it has always done: challenge and prepare students for lives of leadership and service in our complex, ever-changing world.

December 8, 2010, Moline, IL - The Greater Quad City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce invites the community to their second-annual Holiday Fiesta being held on Thursday, December 9 at the QC Botanical Gardens in Rock Island. The festivities start at 5:30 pm and run until 9 pm. Enjoy delicious food from Restaurante El Mariachi, lively music from Los Mocambos, and the warmth of friends, old and new. There will be a cash bar and wonderful gifts for the silent auction so you can get some shopping done as well!

Cost is just $15 for members, $20 for non-members and $10 for students. Please RSVP by phone (309.797.8650) or e-mail (info@gqchcc.com).

Organized by the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), the annual Organic Farming Conference (OFC) is the largest organic farming conference in the U.S. It will be held February 24 - 26, 2011 in La Crosse, WI. It's an extraordinary, farmer-centered event featuring more than 70 informative workshops, 150 + exhibitors, locally sourced organic food, live entertainment and nationally known keynote speakers.

The OFC is considered the foremost educational and networking event in the organic farming community. In 2010, the OFC attracted more than 2,700 farmers, advocates, educators, students and industry representatives. A 27-page flyer of all the 2011 conference offerings and registration form can be found at, http://mosesorganic.org/conference.html.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE OFC

MOSES Farmer of the Year award - Every year, MOSES recognizes an outstanding organic farmer or farm family who are innovators; who excel in managing their farm resources and are good stewards of the land; and who serve as educators and shining examples in their communities and to the next generation of organic farmers.

Organic University - The Organic University offers nine intensive courses on various organic agriculture topics for novice and experts alike through pre-conference, full-day courses.

Research Forum - Through integration of the Organic Research Forum with the Organic Farming Conference, researchers have a unique opportunity to share their cutting edge organic agricultural research with farmers, students and agriculture professionals.

Workshops - More than 70 workshops will be offered on a multitude of organic farming, marketing, production and management topics and timely agriculture issues.

Young Organic Stewards - Young people have always been at the heart of the MOSES Conference. The Young Organic Stewards program recognizes the need to honor and support the next generation of food producers through targeted workshops and social activities.

Organic, Locally Sourced Food - Two full days of meals for conference attendees featuring the best locally sourced, organic food prepared in delicious entrees, sides, salads and desserts.

Networking Opportunities - The OFC is an outstanding place for new organic farmers to connect with experienced ones to share and collect information. This year offers even more opportunity through Farmer Connection Roundtables.

Evening Entertainment - Live music, topical films, a children's show and a poetry slam will all be featured as "after hours" entertainment at the 2011 OFC.

Inspiring Keynote Speakers - MOSES will once again be host to two outstanding keynote speakers. Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., is the Director of Technical Policy for Consumers Union. She developed the ratings system, database, and website for evaluating environmental labels. Rangan continues to decode the meaning of eco-labels for consumers, and advocates for credible labeling in the marketplace, including influencing government policy decisions at the state and federal level.

Tom Stearns, of High Mowing Organic Seeds, will speak about local food systems development in Hardwick, Vermont, and the fascinating, collaborative work among farmers, businesses, and the community as they face this challenge in a bold and ambitious way. Tom Stearns founded High Mowing Organic Seeds in 1996 when he began sharing seeds with others through a small seed flyer. Since that time, High Mowing Organic Seeds has expanded into one of the leading organic seed companies in the United States.

CONTACT: To request a conference flyer or to request a media pass contact MOSES at 715-778-5775,  info@mosesorganic.org or www.mosesorganic.org.

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A grants submission deadline has been announced by the Moline Community Foundation. Non-profit organizations are encouraged to apply if they serve the citizens of Moline and the surrounding region, including the Quad Cities.

All materials necessary to receive funds are due in The Moline Foundation offices by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 31, 2011 or must be postmarked by or on Monday, January 31, 2011.

Any non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, including those who have never received Moline Foundation funding in the past, is welcome to apply.

An application should consist of eleven copies of a written request stating the name and address of the organization, its mission, names and addresses of Board members, financial statement, balance sheet, and the specific purpose for which any money received would be used including a project budget. The name, telephone number, and email of a contact person must also be included. The requested materials should be mailed according to the above deadline.

The Moline Community Foundation offices are located at the Deere-Wiman House, 817 11th Avenue, Moline.

The Moline Foundation, founded in 1953, is a community foundation which provides grants to health, human services, education, workforce development, the arts and other charitable organizations which benefit the citizens of Moline and the surrounding area, including the Quad Cities region in both Iowa and Illinois. The Moline Foundation receives and administers charitable gifts and works with citizens to achieve their dreams to improve the community.

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