High school and college graduations are looming on the horizon. These are special and momentous events for both you and your graduate. Planning you graduation party should be a fun and exciting project. Don’t let your graduation party get lost in the crowd; with some early planning you can host a fabulous celebration. Here are some great tips to make your party one of a kind.

Having four children who graduated two years apart, I have been planning high school or college graduation parties for over a decade. The two most important pieces of advice I can offer is to set a budget and plan early. Figure out how much money you have to spend on your celebration. This is critical, as your budget will determine the number of guests you can have and the venue you will use to host your party. Many families have their parties out at restaurants, in halls or other locations. These will cost more money. With four who graduated within a 7-year span, we knew with our oldest that we couldn’t set a precedent that we couldn’t continue with the rest. So the idea of the “Backyard BBQ” took shape. It’s easy, casual and relatively inexpensive. Plus the outdoor theme allows for a larger guest list for your graduate. Our kids invited their friends, fellow grads, teachers, coaches, and of course, all the family. We ran our parties like an open house.

Who said Science fair projects are boring and a chore? With a little bit of imagination you can come up with a winning science fair topic that will not only be interesting but one that you will enjoy doing.

Yes, a middle school science fair project can be a really exciting time for all middle school children. Having fun working on a science fair project while learning different aspects of scientific spectrum is a great and fun way to teach all children and students that the sciences are, contrary to popular belief not a boring chore but can be a lot of fun, which is something far too many schools seem to neglect telling pupils these days.

Below is a fun and interesting middle school science fair project. This example is intended to give you an idea on how to help your child with his or her science fair project. The example is merely a blue print which can easily be built upon.

With the proliferation of television and cable stations and our nations  addiction to ‘all things visual’ especially movies, more and more students are choosing to attend one of the nations Film and Television schools in order to enter the world of entertainment and broadcasting.  As someone who has attended both the NYU and USC film/television programs, I thought I should outline how to make the most of a structured film program to increase your chances of success in the industry after graduation.

Explore Then Specialize

One of the great things about film school is that it gives you the chance to explore different areas of film and television production.  During the first year or two I always advise students to try the unfamiliar and take risks with different roles, styles and techniques.  Perhaps you thought before enrolling you wanted to be a director but after you do the lighting for a film you realize you love cinematography.  Or perhaps you never worked with sound before and find yourself spending hours and hours creating amazing soundscapes for something you or a friend shot.  One thing to be sure you delve into is screenwriting.  While a discipline in itself that is separate from production, being familiar with story and screenplay and tv structure is very important for anyone working in the film or television business.