The science center has embarked on a major retrofit of its facility to increase energy efficiency and decrease operational costs. At the same time, executives intend to have the center serve as a community leader in the use of sustainable technologies.

The first step in the process was the installation of a new HVAC system, which is already providing cooler inside temperatures. Now, educational experiences are being developed to teach the science behind sustainability and its positive impact on the operations of both the science center and the environment in general. An added benefit to the HVAC installation was a complete roof replacement, which permanently repaired leaks caused by the previous system. Film treatments also are being added to all the building’s glass windows. Plus, the center is pursuing the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification — the nationally accepted benchmark for the operation of high-performance eco-friendly buildings.

This is sort of like putting money where your mouth is.

Another reason to anticipate the opening of the new Amway Center: fine art. (No, not Dwight Howard's shooting motion from the foul line or coach Stan Van Gundy's sideline theatrics.)

Sports & The Arts was named as art consultant for the curation and installation of artwork, photography and large-format graphics at the $380 million Amway Center, which opens this fall. The collection will include original paintings, photographs, sculptures and graphic wall treatments, highlighting both the Orlando Magic and the spirit of Orlando and Central Florida. Sports & The Arts plans to encourage community involvement by collaborating with local artists, historical societies, libraries and galleries to capture the essence of the region.

Perhaps most notable among the sports venues that Sports & The Arts has curated is the new Yankee Stadium. Now, all Amway Center will need is that championship banner.

The numbers add up to the need for huge support: Approximately 1 in 5 Central Florida residents — roughly 732,000 people — needed food assistance last year, a 152 percent increase from 2006.

That disturbing tally is what made last month's Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation so significant. The event — a sampling of fine foods, spirits and wine from some of the region's most recognized culinary experts — raised funds to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank and Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. In 2009, the Second Harvest Food Bank distributed more than 21 million pounds of groceries, the equivalent of more than 14 million meals. Similarly, the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida provided nearly 300,000 meals to homeless individuals, including almost 200 children each night.

More numbers to consider: For every $1 donated to Second Harvest, up to $9 worth of grocery products are provided to those in need. And $10 provides a week of nutritious breakfasts and dinners for six homeless children at the Coalition.

At press time, no word was available about the total amount of money raised — but it will all get put to good use.

Fresh off an Independence Day weekend, here's an effort worth saluting: the creation, by Orlando residents Marnie and Michael Waldrop, of the Camaraderie Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps local veterans.

Michael, who was wounded in a tour of duty in Afghanistan and recognized the need for a supportive counseling resource, established a place where service members back home could combat the mental and social side effects of war. The foundation has several counselors offering their services to it at a highly discounted rate. The veteran receiving the help is responsible for paying only 25 percent of the reduced rate, with Camaraderie paying the rest.

Florida, by the way, has the second-largest U.S. veteran population, and there are more than 350,000 veterans in Central Florida.

Healthcare in the region just broadened its reach. The Grace Medical Home has opened, bringing a new healthcare model to Central Florida by serving the primary-care medical needs of the region’s low-income and uninsured.

Even in the wake of healthcare reform legislation, most of the provisions to expand coverage to the roughly 45 million people nationwide who lack insurance won't take effect until 2014. Additionally, the most optimistic projections by the Congressional Budget Office point to more than 20 million people who are uninsured and millions more who are underinsured.

Grace Medical, located near downtown Orlando, seeks to fill that void locally with a solution it has developed to remove the burden from the current healthcare community, including hospitals, emergency rooms and urgent care clinics. Currently, almost 1 in 4 Central Floridians lacks health insurance. Also, one of Grace’s most notable offerings is its use of electronic records, which enables the practice to quickly access and file patient records. (Only about 5 percent of U.S. healthcare institutions have this technology in place.) Patients pay a $20 annual enrollment fee and a $20 facility fee per visit.

In case you missed it, the Orlando VA Medical Center has unveiled a 3-D model of its new Lake Nona Campus. Also, the Central Florida Veterans Memorial Park Foundation Inc. has announced plans to build a Veterans Memorial Park at the Lake Nona site.

The VA hospital, a 1.2-million-square-foot facility opening in fall 2012 on 65 acres, will house a large multi-specialty outpatient clinic, 134 inpatient beds, 120 community living center beds, a 60-bed domiciliary, and administrative and support services. The adjacent Veterans Memorial Park will honor veterans from Orange, Lake, Brevard, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties who died in service. Of course, the center and park join the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, the University of Florida Research & Academic Center, and the Nemours Children’s Hospital at the burgeoning “medical city.”

Promising plans.

With all the talk about healthcare insurance in recent months, here’s a bit of refreshing news. Orlando family physician Dr. Rick Baxley recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his cash-only medical practice.

In March 2000, motivated by his desire to spend more time with patients and less time dealing with the pressures and paperwork from health insurers, Baxley downsized his large family practice and stopped accepting insurance. And the practice is still around today. Baxley explained his decision in a letter to patients 10 years ago: “I look forward to the day in the near future when you and I can sit and talk about what’s bothering you, not checking the clock to see if I’ve kept up with the number of ‘patient encounters’ I need to break even that day.”

In addition to his College Park Family Practice, he operates The Baxley Center for Executive Health Assessment, which emphasizes a long-term commitment to wellness by providing patients with a snapshot of their current health status and providing information that allows them to make “more intelligent” decisions about their future.

Life without healthcare insurance, huh?

Corporate citizenship is alive and well in Central Florida, at least judging from activity at Lockheed Martin.

Locally, 292 of the company’s employees received President Barack Obama’s President’s Volunteer Service Award for each logging more than 100 hours of volunteer service last year. Employees in Central Florida collectively logged more than 100,912 hours, working on projects ranging from health and human service programs to classroom mentoring and outreach to promote education. The award recipients are among 11,924 Lockheed Martin employees nationwide who collectively logged more than 1.4 million volunteer hours in 2009.

Those efforts are no surprise; the global security company has a 53-year legacy of working with community partners to promote a stronger and healthier Central Florida.

Good stuff.

Social media can help feed the needy.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida has received the 2010 Model Technology Program of the Year award, presented by Feeding America, for its social networking initiative. Each year, Feeding America — the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity — acknowledges a member food bank that develops and implements an innovative technology solution that other member food banks can replicate. Last year, Second Harvest began using Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and its own blog site to engage the public in the fight against hunger. Second Harvest Food Bank’s daily blog posts, for example, focus on hunger, client success stories, and local activities and events. As a result, the food bank’s online fund raising has increased significantly, and attendance at events is higher than ever.

Since March 2009, the food bank’s e-mail list has increased by 33 percent, with the social media marketing driving more people to the website. Last year, the food bank distributed more than 21 million pounds of grocery products to partner agencies.

Maybe we should call this civic networking.

Making efforts to open doors for minorities is being rewarded at Valencia Community College, which has been selected by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) to receive a $100,000 Walmart Minority Student Success Award grant.

The money, made possible by a $4.2 million grant to IHEP from the Walmart Foundation, helps build on Valencia’s demonstrated successes in enrolling, retaining and graduating first-generation minority college students. Valencia was selected as one of only 30 minority-serving institutions to help first-generation students get into and stay in college. No other school in Florida was selected. The Walmart Minority Student Success initiative, established last year when 15 institutions across the country were named, is a three-year program designed to help selected colleges and universities.

An important initiative, to be sure.

A degree in responsible development? It might be too late for some parts of the region, but it's here now.

Rollins College begins offering a Master of Planning in Civic Urbanism degree this fall. The first school in Central Florida to offer a master’s program of this kind, Rollins anticipates accreditation for the program by August.

In addition to teaching the skills necessary to design sustainable communities, the 12-course, two-year training program, offered through the evening-oriented Hamilton Holt School, provides critical perspective on the political process involved. According to Rollins officials, ideal student candidates include urban planners, architects, environmental engineers and those in real estate and growth industries from both government and private sectors.

The program was spearheaded by veteran Rollins professors Bruce Stephenson and Richard Foglesong, who conducted an in-depth feasibility study that featured a series of focus groups made up of local developers, planners and consultants. With commuter and high-speed rail on the horizon, the need for planners to design walkable communities and get away from automobile-centric design was evident. Several local design professionals will serve as adjunct professors and/or guest lecturers.

It's a program whose time has come.

Although modest economic recovery is showing signs of strength, just don't get carried away with optimism. In a survey of Southeast CFOs and senior comptrollers, conducted by Grant Thornton LLP, respondents suggest caution.

Only one-third of them said their companies plan to increase hiring “in the next six months,” while a quarter plan to decrease hiring. Regarding employee benefits and compensation, 62 percent of Southeast CFOs said their companies will keep salaries the same, while 28 percent plan to decrease salaries and only 10 percent plan to increase them. Also, there is little chance for an increase in bonuses, as 53 percent plan no change, 38 percent plan to reduce and only 10 percent plan to increase.

Not terrible views. But not overwhelmingly positive, either.

This spring, more than 250,000 students throughout Central Florida collected spare change to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. As part of Olive Garden’s annual Pasta for Pennies program, students in first through 12th grades from more than 331 schools throughout Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and Volusia counties filled collection jars in their classrooms. The final tally was unavailable at press time. Last year, Pasta for Pennies collected more than $385,000 across the region and $5.3 million nationally. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer.

Applaudable effort by young people.

While on the topic of STEM, sort of, did you hear the news out of Avalon Park Elementary School in East Orlando?

Avalon Park scored tops among U.S. schools in the Fourth Annual World Maths Day Competition in March and placed second and eighth worldwide, competing against students from 56,082 schools in 235 countries.

According to the World Maths Day Web site (www.WorldMathsDay.com), the 2010 World Maths Competition was open to all schools, grades and individuals ages 5 to 8, 9 to 13 and 14 to 18 worldwide. The 2010 World Maths Competition pitted students and student teams around the world in live, Web-based games of mental arithmetic. Each game lasted 60 seconds and students could play up to 500 games, earning points for each correct answer.

Pamela J. Sanders, principal at Avalon Park Elementary, was quoted as saying that her students “really rose to the occasion.”

To say the least.

Do you have an appetite for community assistance? If so, you may want to check out the 18th Annual Chef’s Gala, benefiting Heart of Florida United Way, which is set for May 15 at the Epcot World Showplace.

Largely recognized as the region’s premier fine dining and wine pairing event, Chef’s Gala helps provide critical aid to nearly 100 local health and human service programs supported by Heart of Florida United Way. The evening features fine cuisine from more than 20 of Central Florida’s top chefs and restaurants, along with desserts and specialty coffees. Entrées and dessert items are carefully paired with wines that have been identified as complementary to each menu selection. Sommeliers will be on hand to provide information about each wine and to discuss pairings. Hosted and sponsored by the Walt Disney World Resort, the event also includes a champagne and sparkling wine reception, an elegant silent auction and live music.

Festive and charitable.

Florida, of course, is highly regarded as a place for business startups. Yet, as a place for growth capital funds, well, not so much.

There's now some help. In case you missed it, in March came the announcement that Orlando-based Florida Mezzanine Fund had entered into a partnership with CapitalSouth Partners, a move providing access to up to $450 million for investment exclusively in Florida small businesses. The partnership will create one of Florida’s largest sources of private venture funding. As part of the launch, the Fund announced its first two investments: Association Financial Services, a Miami-based financial services company for condo and homeowner associations; and Great HealthWorks Inc., a Fort Lauderdale–based marketing and distribution company with a proprietary line of patented healthcare products, which expects to create more than 200 new jobs in South Florida in the coming year and is looking to immediately fill 50 new positions.

The announcements were made at the offices of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, which surely hopes some of that money will wind up here.

While the real estate market still isn't exactly going gangbusters, that fact hasn't stopped some companies in the industry from giving back. Case in point this month: Keller Williams Realty.

On May 13, Keller Williams is leading the Extraordinary Makeover & Food Drive of the Central Florida Children’s Home. Each Keller Williams Realty office nationwide picks a one-day civic project with the goal of showing that one day can make a difference to a community. Locally, Keller Williams chose to volunteer with the Children’s Home on Narcoossee Road in Orlando. The makeover includes renovating six bedrooms, three bathrooms, a computer area, a living room and hallways, as well as converting a storage room into a multipurpose study/music room. Also, an organic garden is being created.

Others can help, too. To complete the project, $150,000 must be raised.

Rome, Florence and Venice in Orlando? No, this isn't about Universal Studios. Instead, it's about the gym at The Geneva School in Winter Park.

In March, the school's nondescript court was converted into “A Knight in Italy,” as money was raised for scholarships. This was no typical fund-raiser — not with live auction items that included six nights on a secluded private island home in the Abacos, with travel on a Learjet. There also were a variety of other getaways to places like New Hampshire, North Carolina and Utah, and a sit-down with composer Michael Miller to design a plan for a new musical work to fit a person or occasion. You get the idea: not ordinary.

According to Patti Rader, the school's director of admissions, the story isn't so much the extraordinary event as it is the community effort to contribute even in difficult times. As a result of generosity, the school awarded some $800,000 in scholarships last year.

Yes, people still do care about education.

Hilarious chicken videos?

That’s what organizers of the 19th annual Florida Film Festival were seeking, as they asked movie fans to submit original, humorous videos containing images of chickens. The idea is that chickens help to celebrate one of the festival’s longtime drawing cards, Southern hospitality. The producer of the video with the most YouTube viewings becomes the recipient of a 16-pack of festival movie tickets, with second- and third-place prizes also handed out. (Winners will be notified by April 6.)

It’s the organizers’ way of having fun in what has grown into a seriously successful event. For this year’s April 9-18 fest, 150 films were selected from more than 1,500 submissions. The festival is a core program of the Enzian Theater, a nonprofit organization that “exists to entertain, educate, inspire and connect the community through film.” Combined, Enzian and the Florida Film Festival have served more than 1.5 million guests, premiered thousands of films and hosted hundreds of celebrities, including Academy Award winners Paul Newman, Oliver Stone, Christopher Walken and Jon Voight.

So, why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the film festival.

In case you missed it, some startling statistics emerged from the study “Hunger in Central Florida 2010,” a comprehensive look at the scope and challenges of the local hunger situation.

Among the chief findings in the local Second Harvest Food Bank report: ( 1) Of those receiving assistance in client households, 47 percent are children, compared to just 25 percent in 2006. (2) Nearly one-third of client households are seniors facing what is considered very low “food security,” or hunger. (3) Nearly half of clients report they have to choose between paying their rent or mortgage and buying food. For good measure, according to data supplied by soup kitchens and shelters, needs have in some instances quadrupled since 2006.

In other words, Central Florida, we have a problem.

Is your business the healthiest in Central Florida? No, not with a fat bottom line. Instead, with a lean and fit workforce.

As part of an ongoing effort to promote exercise, Get Active Orlando, an active-living advisory board working with the city of Orlando government, will present an award in July to a company that fits that profile. The 2010 Healthy Workplace Awards program is open to any business in Central Florida that inspires employees to stay fit and healthy, based on a wide range of criteria related to active living. There are three levels of recognition, allowing businesses of all types and sizes to participate. (For applications, criteria and submission guidelines, e-mail info@getactiveorlando.com or visit www.getactiveorlando.com.)

By the way, the board defines active living as a way of life that integrates physical activity into daily routines. The goal for adults is to accumulate at least 30 minutes of activity each day, which can be achieved by “simple” lifestyle changes such as walking or bicycling for transportation, taking the stairs or using recreation facilities.

Hustle up — applications are due by April 30.

Ahh, a press release about commercial development that actually contains promising news: “Avalon Park in east Orlando braces for wave of new development when Innovation Way–S.R. 528 link opens to Medical City.”

The link is only a temporary interchange, and there isn’t much concrete evidence of new activity, but this kind of optimism can be contagious (hopefully).

Eric Marks, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Avalon Park Group, says Avalon Park is approaching the halfway point of its approved 1 million square feet of commercial space, and new development resulting from this transportation link could add as much as 550,000 square feet of commercial space at Avalon Park within five to seven years. He expects service companies to find the location, which is equidistant from the University of Central Florida and the medical city, especially appealing.

Promising.

With more than half of Orlando’s children living in low-income households, the recent word out of Community Coordinated Care for Children Inc. couldn’t have come at a better time. The nonprofit organization has been approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, to begin providing Early Head Start services in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.

In reality, it’s about time.

As of last September, 42 of Florida’s 67 counties had the federally funded program for less advantaged infants and toddlers (birth to age 3). EHS also provides services to pregnant mothers. 4C will oversee $3.2 million in EHS services for 248 infants, toddlers and pregnant women in the tri-county area by operating some facilities and contracting with existing childcare centers and family childcare homes.

4C already provides the Head Start program for more than 500 children ages 3 to 5 in Osceola and Seminole counties, and will work closely with the Orange County Head Start program to ensure smooth transition from one program to the other.

Good news.

We all think we're photographers, right? Just as we all think we're writers. Next month, May 20 -23, locals get a chance to see just what brilliantly professional shooters are when Snap! Orlando is unveiled in downtown Orlando.

By strict definition, Snap! is a photography exhibit featuring internationally prominent photographers, emerging talents and many of our finest locals, along with competitions and shows. Yet, that's like saying the NBA Finals involve a basketball game. For Orlando, this is really big cultural stuff.

The show is highlighted by, among others, a solo show by Douglas Kirkland, perhaps photography's last living legend. Beginning with downtown's popular Third Thursdays, Snap! will consume several blocks, including Church Street. It's the first time the event, which is partnering with United Arts under the umbrella of the esteemed L.A.-based Lucie Foundation, will be held in Orlando.

For amateurs, there's even Instant Snapification - a cell phone photo competition, with the winners being exhibited.

Just picture that.

OK, it’s not the NBA Championship, but the feat is impressive, even if we might not quite understand it all.

The Orlando Magic hit an exclusive social networking mark, becoming the first Eastern Conference team — and second in the NBA — to obtain 1 million Twitter followers.

Despite having more than 60 million users worldwide, a number that includes countless organizations, businesses, athletes, musicians, actors and other celebrities, fewer than 250 Twitter users have reached the 1-million-follower plateau. The only other NBA team making that claim is the Los Angeles Lakers. After the Lakers and the Magic (http://twitter.com/Orlando_Magic), the next-highest NBA Twitter following belongs to the Cleveland Cavaliers, which have fewer than 35,000.

Also notably, the Magic’s All-Star center Dwight Howard — or @DwightHoward as he’s known to his “Tweeps” — eclipsed the milestone last season and now has nearly 1.5 million followers of his own. Teammate Rashard Lewis, aka @Rashard_Lewis, also is active on the Twittersphere, in addition to his presence on several other social networking platforms.

It’s a brave new world.

(Shameless plug: I can be followed on Twitter @MikeRCandelaria.)

Watch out, big banks. Community banks are out to get you.

At least, that’s the look of things from the grass-roots Move Your Money campaign. The goal is to encourage people across America to move their accounts away from the big banks and to smaller, community-oriented financial institutions. (Information about the online campaign can be found at www.moveyourmoney.info.)

Community-oriented banks report success, with new customers moving their accounts from some of the nation’s largest banks to signal displeasure with recent actions. One such smaller player is Trustco Bank, whose Florida regional president, Eric Schreck, comments: “We’ve seen millions of dollars in new deposits come to Trustco Bank locations across Central Florida as a result of this campaign. And those are only the ones in which people clearly identified why they were switching banks; there are likely many more.”

The battle lines of large versus small are drawn, again.

Welcome news has come from Heart of Florida United Way. Its 211 & Elder Helpline has expanded to include a crisis hotline for people facing suicidal urges or other life crises that render them unable to cope.

HFUW was awarded the contract to provide local crisis hotline services through the Florida Department of Children and Families. While the contract is for Orange and Osceola counties, all callers, regardless of where they live, will receive appropriate services. Much like 911 or 411, 211 is a free, multilingual, 24-hour resource that helps people find critical assistance with everything from food and rent to elder care and disaster relief. Now by dialing 211, residents can also find immediate help if they are feeling suicidal or dealing with family violence, drug and alcohol addictions, sexual assault or any overwhelming life crisis.

As part of 211’s expansion, six full-time senior crisis specialists have been added, bringing 211’s total staff to nearly 40. All senior crisis specialists have extensive backgrounds or advanced degrees in social work and related fields. Over the past two years, 2-1-1’s overall call volume has increased 47 percent.

Trust has been restored. Well, sort of.

With the nation creeping slowly out of the recession, trust in business and government in the United States has improved significantly, according to the 2010 Edelman Trust Barometer, an annual global consumer study. Edelman is a leading independent public relations firm, with 3,200 employees in 51 offices worldwide, including Orlando.

Ah, but there’s a rub. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. respondents express concern that business and financial institutions will return to “business as usual” as the recession comes to an end. The study illustrates that trust in business was gained through proactive measures taken during the economic crisis. Yet, while positive, those measures don’t offer a clear path forward for the retention of that trust.

When it comes to trust in business, more work is need. And more jobs wouldn’t hurt, either.

Orlando Health has taken the art of parking to new heights, and lengths, with the latest addition to its downtown campus: a new $27.5 million parking garage. Yes, $27.5 million.

The garage, at Orange Avenue and Columbia Street, is adorned with a total of 16 palm tree murals, ranging in height from 32 to 61 feet. The palm trees replicate original artwork created by nationally known local artist Maria Reyes-Jones. Other impressive tallies: The nine-level parking garage has a total parking capacity of 2,246 spaces. The parking deck footprint is equivalent to two football fields. Its total gross square footage is equal to 18 football fields. A sidewalk, created from the 5,700 cubic yards of cast-in-place concrete for the project, would extend nearly 10 miles. The 16 graphic art banners constitute 15,360 square feet, or about one-third of an acre.

The scenic garage furthers Orlando Health’s announced plans to renovate and expand its downtown campus, one of the largest expansion efforts in the organization’s history, with anticipated construction ranging up to $150 million.

That’s putting your money where your medicine is.

It’s a long shot, for sure. Yet, here’s hoping that just maybe, someday, it becomes a long drive, as in a home run: Major League Baseball in Orlando.

Congressional candidate Armando Gutierrez wants to deliver a franchise. There are even investors, he says, and there has, in fact, been some national speculation about team movement. The holdup, besides no stadium, of course, is that MLB hasn’t expressed any official intention to expand teams or relocate an existing one. Still, that hasn’t slowed Gutierrez, who says he is planning to study the viability of local big-league baseball without a single taxpayer dollar being spent.

The last league expansion occurred in 1998, when the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays (then Devil Rays) were established. The most recent relocation of a franchise happened in 2004, when the Montreal Expos moved to Washington, D.C., and were renamed the Washington Nationals.

Not holding my breath. Just dreaming a bit.

Movie buffs, there’s cool stuff coming out of the Orange County Regional History Center this month. Through May 16, a 3,500-square-foot exhibition highlights the nation’s rich entertainment history through more than 40 costumes, props and models from some of the most popular films and television shows spanning 60 years.

The exhibit, “Out of This World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television,” includes memorabilia from “Star Wars,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Ghostbusters,” “The Terminator,” “Indiana Jones,” “Star Trek,” “Batman” and others. A complementary exhibit, “Lights! Camera! Action! Filming in Paradise,” showcases Florida’s surprising history in film and television. Visitors follow a Florida Walk of Fame into the exhibit and then visit a “set” to see what’s behind the scenes. In conjunction with “Out of This World,” the History Center also hosts a series of special events and programs.

Personally, I’m not quite part of the age group, but I’m inching closer. (And hope to get there someday.) I have concerns, though.

In a recent national jobless report, the number of unemployed individuals age 55 and older rose to 2,082,000 in November, up 54 percent from November 2008 and the largest since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started keeping records for specific age groups. Also, experts in Florida say older job seekers are faced with unprecedented challenges, and many are on the verge of crisis.

Enter Experience Works, the nation’s largest nonprofit provider of community service, training and employment opportunities for older workers. Billy Wooten, Florida acting state director for the organization (www.experienceworks.org), offers this advice: Get technical. Then he makes a pitch: Through his Senior Community Service Employment Program, qualified participants receive self-assessments, technical and skills training, assistance with the job-search process and placement in an appropriate training assignment with a local community service agency. He adds that the number of older workers seeking assistance from Experience Works has increased an average of 33 percent over the last year.

The clock is ticking.

This effort calls for a salute, if not a badge of honor: The Central Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America, this month completes its Scouting for Change coin drive service project.

Running from Dec. 1 through Feb. 5, the drive was conceived by the Central Florida Council's leadership to raise funds to help build schools in Nairobi, Kenya, which is considered the birthplace of Scouting. There, program founder Lord Robert Baden-Powell was thought to have envisioned Scouting’s ideals and fundamentals. In conjunction with the national organization’s celebration of 100 years of Scouting, coin-collection boxes were placed by Scouts and their parents at Regions Bank branches throughout Central Florida.

Among the community partners are Bright House Networks, Clear Channel Outdoor, Full Sail University, Regions Bank and Technetium Advertising & Web Design.

Young people doing good things — always worthy of attention.

On the topic of kids, they have it made these days, too, at least when it comes to new schools.

Check this out: an entrance lobby designed with a glass wall to allow for natural light; an administrative suite located in the front of the school to allow for a secure view of the property; a media center, two computer labs and a closed-circuit television studio; a music classroom and an art room equipped with a kiln; and recreation areas that include a tot lot, a covered play area, a youth play area and two full-sized basketball courts, among other areas.

That’s what you’ll find at the $14.5 million, 101,639-square-foot Keene’s Crossing Elementary School in Windermere, designed by Orlando’s SchenkelShultz Architecture with Clancy & Theys Construction Co. of Orlando serving as construction manager.

Pretty plush.

Not coincidentally, SchenkelShultz is no stranger to school work. It has designed more than 33 million square feet of K-12 projects in Florida and was ranked as the No. 1 Educational Facilities Architect among Southeast Construction magazine’s 2009 Top Design Firms.

Lucky kids. When I was growing up, times were so tough … .

First, the Burnham Institute for Medical Research at Lake Nona arrived to lead the way for the new medical city. Now, it’s taken another LEED, becoming the largest gold-certified independent scientific facility in Florida, as declared under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

The building was lauded by the council for its eco-friendly construction and commitment to sustainability. Highlights: Throughout the 175,000-square-foot structure, glazed windows transmit more than 50 percent of exterior light while blocking 75 percent of solar heat; with an east/west orientation, overhangs and shading devices on exterior walls, heat and sun reflection are minimized; and compared to a similar building, energy savings at Burnham at Lake Nona are equivalent to the average yearly consumption of 6,600 homes.

The science of being green.

What’s this? Downtown Orlando adds a niche bar/restaurant that puts the accent on food?

OK, Ember and Urban Flats (see Parting Shot, page 38) hit the mark, and a few others come close enough, but I’m talking about a cozy space developed by former college buddies who are barely out of their 20s.

On the menu at the Downtown PourHouse: bison kefta for a snack, lobster grilled cheese for a sandwich and a guava BBQ burger (with gruyère cheese and yucca fries).

Particularly during happy hour, there’s the food of an upscale eatery and the feel of a friendly pub, partly thanks to an arrangement with nearby Gibson Guitar Corp., which sponsored the stage setup and provides two guitars for musicians who are easy on the ears.

One of the owners, Chuck Zell, says he wanted a neighborhood place that was at least a little “different” and welcomed all comers.        Judging by the daytime and evening crowds, a good s

George Eouse, World of Decor president and CEO, just might be onto something: fight the recession by helping to fight hunger.

World of Decor, an Orlando-based fine-furnishings retailer and full-service auction house, has partnered with Kids Against Hunger, an international nonprofit food relief program that has shipped more than 100 million servings of nutrient-rich food to destitute children in 60 countries. Working with Kids Against Hunger to fight hunger across the nation and the world, World of Decor has pledged to help supply one million meals in 2010. To achieve that goal, the company is hosting a series of auctions called “A Celebration of Life,” with a portion of all sales going to support the company’s “One Million Meals” campaign.

Eouse says the recession has taught him a lesson — good businesses shouldn’t be judged by their balance sheets and revenue alone, but also by their ability to make a difference in people’s lives. With one child dying every six seconds from hunger-related causes, according to the United Nations, that’s potentially a huge difference.

Seminole State College, formerly Seminole Community College, is one of the fastest-growing two-year colleges in the nation for several reasons. Obviously, among them is aggressive community marketing.

Already successfully garnering several recent local partnerships, this month the Fine Arts Department is launching Arts Matters, a lunchtime series of lectures and musical performances at the Sanford/Lake Mary Campus designed to explore various musical genres. All performances are free and open to the public. The intent: engage both students and the community in appreciation of all kinds of music.

The series begins Jan. 20 with “Songs Throughout the Ages: Vocal Coaching of Old Standards,” followed by “Early Influences on the Beatles” on Feb. 17.

Ever wonder about music of the Baroque era or the Fab Four? Now is your chance to learn.

More on the topic of recession strategies, the University Club of Orlando expects its membership growth to increase as much as 10 percent this year, as part of a nationwide trend called the “Tree House Effect.”

Huh?

The Tree House Effect, explains Susan Greene, general manager of the University Club, is a reflection of the recessionary downturn. For kids, a tree house is a safe harbor during trying times, a place for retreat and reassurance. Greene’s hope is that professional clubs such as the University Club can serve the same purpose for businesspeople. And there is some evidence to support the theory. National figures show that member use of professional clubs, athletic clubs, country clubs and similar safe places is growing as the economy continues to shrink.

Play friends in these tree houses, she adds, share a common goal—social networking—which she labels the “most important strategy we can use when we need to enrich our lives.”

I’m off to the gym.

It’s certainly not taking long for Dr. Daniel P. Kelly to make a name for himself in Orlando.

The professor and scientific director of the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, which arrived last year, was awarded the American Heart Association’s 2009 Basic Research Prize “for groundbreaking investigations describing cardiac metabolism in the normal and diseased heart, including the impact of obesity and diabetes.”

Trained as a cardiologist, Kelly became fascinated, as a young physician–scientist at Washington University in St. Louis, with the rare inborn errors of mitochondrial metabolism that can cause heart failure and sudden death. Through his pioneering work, he has since become instrumental in defining the way nuclear receptors, which represent a new class of drug targets, serve as regulators of cardiac muscle development and function.

And we have him right here in Orlando.

If you’re a student and want to find campus events, get class listings, locate faculty and staff on campus, and even find out what's on the dining menu, Stetson University has an app for you.

The technology of the iPhone and iPod Touch, of course, offers many students the ability to record lectures, manage tasks and stay up to date on projects. Stetson, though, is among a handful of schools nationwide, and the only one in Florida, to harness this power and bring it to a whole new level by developing a university-specific iPhone application. The application, available free for download from iTunes, was previewed on campus in April, released in July and approved by Apple in October.

Better yet, it was developed by students. In the semester-long preview project for undergraduates in spring 2009, Stetson’s academic and administrative departments partnered with AT&T and Apple Corp., with the companies contributing funding, service and equipment.

The class was run just as a business would do it when developing a new software product — experiential learning at its best.

More accolades for local healthcare providers: Orlando Health has been awarded the Eclipsys Circle of Excellence Award for technology innovation in the treatment of patients with sepsis.

Sepsis, an infection-induced organ failure condition, is the 10th-leading cause of death in the United States. Severe sepsis is associated with a 20 percent to 50 percent mortality rate among patients, and it represents an annual cost of nearly $17 billion. Eclipsys, a leading developer of advanced integrated clinical, revenue cycle and business process improvement software; clinical content; and professional services, presents the award annually to healthcare organizations that demonstrate innovation and achievements in those areas. Orlando Health was recognized for process improvement that is helping to meet an internal goal of decreasing the relative risk of mortality by 25 percent.

Expertise and effectiveness. Just what we want, and need, in healthcare.