Business Briefs

Professional and Business Singles Network will sponsor an after-work social July 27, 5:30-9 p.m. at Charlie Brown’s, 247 Raritan Avenue (Route 27), Highland Park. Membership is not required. For further details, call (888) 348-5544; e-mail pbsn@aol.com, or visit the Web site www.PBSNinfo.com.

Ecological & Environmental Learning Services, Clarksburg section of Millstone, will conduct two-day professional development workshops in ecology and environmental education for elementary and middle school teachers. The workshops will be held at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area’s Conservation Center, off East Branch Road, just outside of Roosevelt.

At the "How to Teach Basic Ecology" workshop on July 27 and 28, participants will learn how to identify aquatic organisms, gain experience in doing aquatic sampling, practice lessons on wetlands and watersheds, learn how to conduct an aquatic research investigation and analyze the data, understand how the Internet can be used for aquatic studies, and learn how to design and maintain aquatic ecosystems in the classroom.

At the "How to Teach Environmental Education" workshop, to be held Aug. 10 and 11, teachers will practice age-appropriate activities designed to give students the knowledge, skills and motivation to promote environmentally responsible behavior, learn techniques to promote awareness of the environment, and learn how to set up environmental stewardship activities. For more information, call Dennis Gemmell at (800) 206-6672 or e-mail eelsinc@earthlink.net.

Venture SystemSource, an IBM Premier business partner with corporate headquarters in Mississippi and an office in Freehold Township, has been recognized by CMP Media’s VARBusiness magazine as Editors’ Choice Company of the Year and as one of North America’s top technology integrators. Venture SystemSource was also ranked number 299 in the 10th annual "VARBusiness 500" ranking. The 500 companies are the leading revenue producers among approximately 90,000 solution provider organizations and account for $324 billion in sales of information technology (IT) services and products, according to a press release from Venture SystemSource. Founded in 1990, Venture SystemSource focuses on IBM, Lotus, WebSphere, Tivoli and Rational software brands.

Century 21 Action Plus Realty, Freehold, has announced the opening of its third branch office, at 5 Route 33 in Freehold. Century 21 Action Plus Realty’s main office is located at 2218 Route 9 south, Howell, and has a new Jackson office at 10 North County Line Road. All three locations will operate in unison providing its 100-plus sales associations with the support and full use of each office. Century 21 Real Estate Corp., a subsidiary of Cendant Corp., is the franchiser and is comprised of more than 6,600 independently owned and operated franchised broker offices in more than 28 countries and territories worldwide.

Brookdale Community College, Office of Business and Community Development, Lincroft section of Middletown, will host two three-day workshops for current and prospective substitute teachers Aug. 16-18 and Sept. 27-29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the school’s campus, Newman Springs Road. Topics include strategies and survival skills for all grade levels, administration expectations, classroom management tips and tricks, and evaluating and improving substituting performance. The program will be facilitated by Barbara J. McMorrow, who began in the Freehold Regional High School District in 1971 and retired as principal of Howell High School in 2003. She also served almost 10 years as councilwoman for the Borough of Freehold and is listed in "Who’s Who in American Education" and "Who’s Who of American Women." The course code is XEECG 434. For fee or more information, call (732) 224-2315.

Pathmark Stores Inc., Carteret, has announced the "Quest to Make a Difference" fund-raising effort for The Arc will take place through Aug. 1 at 10 Pathmark stores in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Customers at each store may purchase a donation card in the amount of $1, $3 or $5, and each card will be hung in the store as a "wall of fame" to show customers’ donations. Proceeds will benefit The Arc’s programs and services for individuals with mental retardation and related disabilities.

The Richard Stockton College Board of Trustees unanimously approved a tuition increase of $11.10 per credit at a special meeting recently.

According to a press release from the college, the 7.5 percent increase assures the college will have the necessary operating funds to meet all salary and program requirements, as well as launch the new college initiatives. Among these are hiring new faculty to reduce the student-to-faculty ration, adding a chief financial officer and an assistant to the vice president for academic affairs, as well as to initiate a new honors program. The tuition increase makes the per-credit cost at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey $159.10 per credit hour for in-state students and $258 per credit hour for out-of-state students.