Washington, D.C - Congressman Dave Loebsack today announced that his office is now accepting applications from Iowa college students to participate in a Congressional internship program in his Washington, D.C. office. The internship program is open to undergraduate students and recent graduates, regardless of major.

"As a former teacher, I have seen the benefits that internships can provide by giving students a firsthand look into the government process," said Loebsack. "I encourage all hardworking, motivated students and recent graduates to apply."

Interns will have the opportunity to learn about the legislative process and the federal government by working closely with the legislative, communications and constituent services staff members. Interested candidates should email their cover letter, resume, a short writing sample and a letter of recommendation to LoebsackInternship@mail.house.gov.

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This is a busy time of year for aspiring college students.

Those who met early application deadlines in November now face filling out the hefty Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. And students who didn't apply early should be working hard on applications to meet regular deadlines, usually in January.

"There's a lot to get done and one of the most important things to remember is to know your deadlines and meet them," advises David Porter, a consultant to colleges and universities throughout North America and author of "The Porter Principles," a guide to college success through social engineering, (www.porterkhouwconsulting.com).

As students and their families visit college campuses, Porter says they should pay attention to the classroom outside of the classroom and the details of campus life: What are the wholesome opportunities for socially rich student engagement and study on-campus?  What extra-curriculars are offered and how accessible are they? What does the college paper reveal about campus issues, concerns and opportunities?

One often overlooked feature is the structure of campus dining, Porter says.

"Many universities require freshmen to live on campus for the first year because administrators know that students who live and dine on campus have higher GPAs and higher graduation rates than those who don't.  A properly socially engineered dining/learning commons is central to the day-to-day lives of all students living on-campus and is crucial for face-to-face social networking and study with fellow students," he says.

"But these same universities often fail to realize that student dining is as much - even more -- a factor in developing a sense of community and predicting future success.  This is the centerpiece of 'the classroom outside of the classroom'."

He offers these suggestions for evaluating campus dining commons:

• Is there a centralized dining hall (or halls), or are food locations scattered? A dining commons is the living room of the campus, a place where students come together and pause long enough to meet, talk, make friends, see and be seen, relax, study and collaborate. "These are all vital not only to bonding but to learning how to socialize with fellow students from a wide variety of backgrounds in a neutral environment," Porter says. "That provides once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to develop and nurture valuable networking skills for their personal and future professional lives. If the meal plan encourages them to scatter across campus - or go off campus - to pick up fast foods eaten in isolation, vital opportunities are lost, he says.

• What are the hours of operation? Students live on a different clock than most of us.   For many students, 11 p.m. is the middle of the day. Is the dining/learning commons open, thus respecting and being conducive to their (not our) lifestyle? If so, does it offer more than microwave pizza and hot dogs? These are all vital not only to bonding but to learning how to socialize and collaborate with current and new friends in a wholesome, social, safe on-campus environment," Porter says. "If the place isn't open when they're hungry, they'll go elsewhere and miss that socialization opportunity."

• How far is the dining hall from dorms and the academic core of campus? "I once consulted with a university that was mystified about why two dining halls got lots of student traffic, while the third - the most beautiful -- was largely ignored," Porter says. "When I visited, I discovered the dining hall had been built on top of a rather steep hill on the far edge of campus. The location offered great views, but the climb was a bear!" Dining halls should be within easy reach of both dorms and classroom buildings in the academic core or students simply won't use them.

About David Porter

David Porter, FCSI, is chief executive officer and president of Porter Khouw Consulting, Inc., a foodservice master planning and design firm based in Crofton, Maryland. David has more than 40 years of hands-on food service operations and consulting experience and is a professional member of the Foodservice Consultants Society International. Porter Khouw Consulting has worked with more than 350 clients to conduct market research and develop strategic plans, master plans and designs for the college and university market. Porter is a graduate of the prestigious hospitality program at Michigan State University and has been recognized repeatedly as a leader in his field.

Two Quad Cities-area students will gain summer internship, first year of college tuition

DAVENPORT, Iowa (DEC. 4, 2013) - The Quad Cities River Bandits are now accepting applications for the 2014 Keith Lucier Memorial Scholarship and 2014 Bandit Scholarship. Through the Bandit Scholars Program, each scholarship is awarded annually to an area high school senior. Each scholarship pays for the winner's entire first year of tuition and includes a summer internship with the River Bandits following the winner's first year of college.

Applications for each scholarship are available at www.riverbandits.com and will be accepted until Feb. 14, 2014, at Modern Woodmen Park. The Keith Lucier Memorial Scholarship is open to all Quad Cities-area high school seniors entering the University of Iowa. The Bandit Scholarship is open to all Quad Cities-area high school seniors entering either Black Hawk College in Moline, Ill., or Western Illinois University in Moline, Ill. The scholarship winners will be announced and honored at a 2014 River Bandits home game at Modern Woodmen Park.

"The Bandits Scholars Program recognizes and supports the promising futures of talented students and young leaders in the Quad Cities, and it continues to be a wonderful way for the River Bandits to give back to a community we love," said River Bandits co-owner Dave Heller. "Giving out these scholarships is the single most enjoyable thing I do as owner of the River Bandits, and I can't wait to help make the dream of free college tuition become real for two more Quad Cities families!"

River Bandits owners Dave Heller and Bob Herrfeldt founded the Bandit Scholars Program in 2009. The Keith Lucier Memorial Scholarship is named in honor of the late Keith Lucier, who passed away in 2009. The Lucier Scholarship honors Keith's strong belief in higher education and celebrates his love for sports, learning, charitable endeavors and the Quad Cities community. Lucier graduated from Bettendorf High School and the University of Iowa. He was the River Bandits' Assistant General Manager in 2008.

The Lucier Scholarship pays for the entire year's tuition for an incoming fresshman at the University of Iowa and includes a summer internship with the River Bandits. It has been awarded annually to one Quad Cities-area high school senior since its inception. The Bandit Scholars Program expanded in 2012 with the addition of a second scholarship; the second scholarship pays for a year's tuition for an incoming freshman on the Illinois side at either Western Illinois University or Black Hawk College, and also includes a summer internship with the team.

To help fund the scholarships, the River Bandits hold promotional events, including the annual Frost Fest, set for Sunday, Dec. 15, and the Bandits Race to Home 5K. Early registration for the next Bandits Race to Home 5K on April 12, 2014, runs through Dec. 31. Fans can also send donations for the scholarship fund to Modern Woodmen Park. One hundred percent of every donation goes to fund the scholarships.

UP NEXT: Join the River Bandits for a free day of holiday fun and activities at Modern Woodmen Park, Sunday, Dec. 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy a chance for holiday shopping, activities and indoor fun at the ballpark. To order ticket plans - with new lower prices - for next season, call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000 or visit www.riverbandits.com to download the season ticket order form. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: Having just been named Ballpark Digest's winner of Best Ballpark Improvement in America under $1 million, the River Bandits ownership is making one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 112 feet over the playing field, is planned for this spring, along with a carousel, a new ride called a "Drop and Twist," an expanded zip line, and many other new games and attractions. In 2013, the team unveiled a new 220-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. The team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, just saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.

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The problem of boys in education is not a new one - data has been mounting for many years that our sons are simply falling behind our daughters, says pioneering veteran in education, Edmond J. Dixon, Ph.D. But it's not because boys are any less intelligent than girls, he adds.

A recent study from researchers at the University of Georgia, which followed 10,000 students as they moved from kindergarten to eighth grade, indicates that though boys scored well on tests, indicating mastery of material, girls got better grades. Researchers account for higher scores in girls because they comported themselves better than boys while in the classroom.

"I think that, by now, most academics have accepted that boys and girls have fundamentally different learning needs; girls are better at sitting still and listening, whereas boys learn better via kinesthetic learning, which involves more physical activity," says Dixon, who has more than three decades experience as a teacher and is a parent of boys, and is the author of "Helping Boys Learn: Six Secrets for Your Son's Success in School," (HelpingBoysLearn.com). He also has a teacher's edition titled "Helping Boys Learn: Six Secrets for Teaching Boys in the Classroom."

"There are many other studies, however, showing boys underperforming in school; now, it's a matter of what we're going to do about it."

Dixon, a cognitive-kinesthetics specialist, discusses why his first three "secrets" are so important in helping boys with active minds and bodies.

· Movement matters: Nearly ever time, the student who disrupts class because they cannot sit still is a boy. Research reveals that young boys' brains develop a tremendous amount of neural wiring to facilitate movement and sensitivity for how things "fit" together. When a boy is a toddler, we would never think that a sedentary child is a good indicator of health, so what makes us think that he should change while in grade school? One tip: Allow a boy to use his "movement wiring" by allowing him to use his body as he learns to represent the topic.

· Games work: Their testosterone makes males are naturally competitive. If you want them to become suddenly engaged in something, make a game out of the lesson?it's just like flipping a switch on. Just look at sports talk shows with analysis such as "Pardon the Interruption;" each expert has a clock clicking down to make his point. Little gaming tricks like this works on the male brain. Tip: create clear rules - they help boys understand victory, and they add legitimacy to the lesson. Games also serve as an excellent method for male bonding, too.

· Make them laugh: Observe a group of males; whether young our old, they bust each other's chops. Not only is it okay, they enjoy it! Everyone has a positive chemical reaction with laughter; boys, however, often use humor as a form of communication, an asset with which most girls do not have a problem. Research has demonstrated that boys' emotions are processed initially in the more primitive parts of the brain and come more indirectly to the speech centers. That's why making a crude joke is easier for males to communicate sensitive feelings. Tip: Before starting homework or an assignment, ask a boy to consider what might be funny, weird or strange about it; his mind will be more focused on the topic afterwards.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg; if parents and teachers are serious about getting their boys off to a better start in life, I encourage active participation and education," Dixon says.

About Dr. Edmond J. Dixon

A pioneer in the field of cognitive-kinesthetics for learning, Edmond J. Dixon, Ph.D., is a human development specialist with more than 30 years of experience as a teacher, administrator, writer, researcher - and parent of boys. He is the founder of the KEEN Differentiated Learning Group, an organization dedicated to helping struggling learners, and the creator of KEEN 5X, a series of strategies for classroom engagement and learning that were have been used with more than 50,000 students and teachers. His previous books, "KEEN For Learning" and "Literacy Through Drama," have been used by educators to improve classroom learning. A dynamic and popular presenter, he has spoken throughout North America on education and human development topics.