StageofLife.com Sponsors Kids Food Festival

StageofLife.com CEO, Eric Thiegs, Interviewed by Witf's Craig Layne

StageofLife.com Reports 59% of Teens Don't Trust the Government to Keep Them Safe

Intern Interviews Staff

StageofLife.com Reports Results on Teen Communication Trends

Our Bullying Survey Results get press

August 25, 2011-  The Wall Street Journal's Digital Network, MarketWatch, reported on our writing contest survey results about bullying.  It's exciting to see our writing initiative generating mentions from sources like WSJ's MarketWatch.

SOURCE: MarketWatch

StageofLife.com Reports 91% of Teenagers Have Been Bullied

StageofLife.com Lists Top 10 Back to College Tips

YORK, PA--(Marketwire - Aug 3, 2011) - Every teen worries about starting college. "Will I make friends?" "How will I know where I'm going?" "Is it lame to get home sick?" You get the picture. StageofLife.com compiled a quick guide to help incoming freshmen get ready for college.

Teens Share Personal Stories About Bullying on StageofLife.com

SOURCE: StageofLife.com

July 2011 Teen Writing Contest Topic: "Have you ever been bullied, teased or picked on?  If so, about what?"

Friday, 15 July 2011- Stage of Life Intern, Katie Morris, reached out to Kidzpower.com to encourage their viewers to enter this months teen writing contest based on bullying.    Kidspower.com featured Stage of Life under their advice column.

SOURCE: Kidzpower.com 

THE AMERICAN DREAM: CELEBRATING ENTREPRENEURSHIP – STAGE OF LIFE

Monday, 04 July 2011- On July 4th, StageofLife.com was featured as the American Dream start up of the day.  This article outlines Stage of Life CEO, Eric's, journey from working with fortune 500 companies to the creation and start up of StageofLife.com.  

SOURCE: http://365daysofstartups.com

StageofLife.com Reports School and Self-Image Are Top Challenges for Teens

YORK, PA--(Marketwire - Jun 21, 2011) -  StageofLife.com, a free blog resource for teenagers and college students, asked the question, "What was the most difficult thing you overcame this school year?" as part of its monthly national writing contest.

Over 6,000 students visited StageofLife.com's writing contest, with 1,400+ votes registered in the corresponding teen survey. Teens ranked the following issues as the greatest challenges during the 2010-2011 school year:

School (bullying, teachers, homework, graduation): 27%
Self-Image: 20%
Parents: 16%
Friends: 14%
Boyfriend/Girlfriend: 8%
Siblings: 4%
Drugs and Alcohol: 2%
Extended Family: 1%
Other: 9%
Hundreds of students submitted an essay about their personal obstacles. Topics dealt with break-ups, rape, psyche wards, a soldier's transition from combat to civilian life, losing a parent/friend, and more. From the submissions, five trends emerged about teen problems:

1. School: By far, school was the #1 stressor for teens this year. Teens talked about AP courses, problems with grades, long-term projects, and high expectations they set for themselves -- and were afraid they couldn't reach.

2. Self-Image: Teens struggled with confidence. Many of these stories boiled down to a similar moral: be yourself, love yourself, and most importantly, enjoy yourself.

3. Sports: Many teens suffered sports related injuries and failures. While this had teens sitting on the bench, it did not have these teens settling with disappointment or failure -- these mishaps only inspired teens to try harder, and do better.

4. Drugs/alcohol: The good news -- many teens did not write about struggling with drug or alcohol problems, which speaks positively of the Stage of Life community. Stage of Life strives to be a support system and community for all walks of life -- without the interference of nuisances like intoxicants.

5. Positive: All teens wrote about viewing these struggles positively. If nothing else, these teens discovered that life is a learning experience; a journey, not a destination.

A full summary of the writing contest, with a list of finalists and the winning essays, can be viewed at: http://www.stageoflife.com/Teen_Challenges.aspx

StageofLife.com is a free blog for all generations. It hosts writing contests, printable coupons, coupon codes, and blog directories geared towards each stage of life. Other specialized content includes free lesson plans, life resources, videos, statistics, and more!

SOURCE: StageofLife.com

Prom Drama

May 25, 2011-  Stage of Life discovered that KRO Country Radio (www.wkro.fm) featured our Prom facts on their Did You Know page.  The KRO is stationed in Florida and covers Daytona Beach- Melbourne and Metro Orlando. 

StageofLife.com Reports 34% of Teens Don't Like Prom

YORK, Pa., May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Going to prom is a high school milestone, and prom traditions have been around for decades: Dresses.  Dinner. DJ's.  Dancing.  For most teenagers, it's about celebrating life with friends and/or a significant other.  However, there are also the negative aspects often associated with prom too: Drinking.  Drugs.  DUI's. Damaged self-esteem. Date rape.

StageofLife.com, a blogging resource for high school students, Baby Boomers, and every life stage in between, wanted to know how teens really felt about prom.  As part of its monthly teen writing contest series, StageofLife.com asked thousands of students the question, "Is prom a positive or negative high school tradition?"

Over 5,345 students from all 50 U.S. states and dozens of countries visited the site's writing contest page and scores of high school and college students submitted their thoughts about prom via a 500 word essay to the StageofLife.com website.

From the submissions, of which over 80 essays are showcased on StageofLife.com's teen trends summary page, 51% of teens find the idea of prom positive and enjoy the activity, while 34% think it's negative/"dumb," and another 15% have a neutral view of prom.  StageofLife.com also posed the prom question on its Facebook Fan Page and found more favorable results from a mixed audience of college and older individuals:  85% thought prom was a positive event, while only 15% said it was negative.

From the writing contest essay submissions about prom on StageofLife.com, five key themes and trends emerged:

1. Rite of Passage:  Many teens felt that prom is a rite of passage and a high school milestone.  Prom signifies the end of a high school career, more so than graduation.

One finalist, katimae, wrote, "I say that if going to prom can bring you that sense of completion, then what's the harm? We have the rest of our lives to be discontent with so many open-endings that will undoubtedly arise. If you're able to look past the stress, following the crowd and going to prom can be a major highlight of your younger years" in her essay Prom: A Necessary Evil.

2. Dangerous:  On the other hand, teens also felt that prom has lost its original intentions of being a relaxing night out. Many students wrote about the problems of excessive drinking, drug use, car accidents, date rape, pressure, and low-self esteem issues that prom can spur.

Finalist, Shana Zucker, of Deerfield High School, from Deerfield, Illinois, wrote in her essay Prom: Is it really worth dying for, "Some girls dream of going to prom. 'I'd die to go to prom this year!' they exaggerate. Yet they forget that students have died on the night of a school dance. 'I'd do anything!' But is it worth it? The girls who aren't asked to the dance are left with wounded self-esteem and a low self-image; they starve themselves or binge in an effort to be skinny. Those who are asked will do anything to be cool, even if it means drinking and driving, doing drugs, or engaging in sexual behavior that they are not comfortable with. Even students who don't drink and drive can be hit by a car due to a student driver who didn't make wise decisions."

3. Cost:  Almost everyone agreed that prom is an expensive tradition -- between the ticket, dress, and other accessories, some prom-goers spend $300 or more to attend the event.

Teen Blogger, Callie Ridenour, wrote in her essay, Prom: How Much is that Dress Really Worth, "Last year's expenses: the deep royal blue dress itself -- $380, the delicate alterations on the beading of the straps -- $75, the glittering stoned silver shoes -- $125, the ever so stylish hairdo -- $87, the French nail gels -- $105, the aqua blue stone earrings and ring -- $60, the silver bag that matched perfectly -- $36, and lastly the ridiculous amount of gas used to drive all over New Jersey to find these things -- oh, somewhere around $200. A year later as I'm beginning my frantic prom search again, I am disgusted with the amount of money I spent!"

4. Safety:  Many teens agreed that prom needed to be safer, or that students needed to make better choices. Regardless, prom is about having fun with your friends; and if you stay away from dangerous decisions, you will probably have a good time.

Teen blogger, Priyanka Garigipati, of Clark High School from Plano, TX, wrote, "The excitement prom gives is like a drug itself that keeps you dancing on the top of mountain ecstasy. On the other hand, we tend to make stupid decisions. We expose ourselves to alcohol, sex, and drugs; the whole package in one night" in the essay Prom: The Night of Doom.

5. "A Night to Remember":  Interestingly, multiple teens titled their essays "A Night to Remember," which suggests that prom still has some sort of "magical" allure. Most teens wrote about the hype that is associated with prom; but teens were almost split on whether this hype was positive or negative.

Felicia Czochanski, of Metuchen High School, from Metuchen, NJ, a contest finalist wrote, "This year alone, I've seen my sisters reading books such as Prom, and now Disney Channel has come out with a movie called "Prom". Expectations for prom are rising for young kids. By the time it's their turn to experience the big night, I'm afraid that it might not be everything they dreamed for. Next year I will be a junior, the first year I'll be able to attend and I'm so excited for the magic of the night. I've waited so many years to catch my own fairytale and I'll admit, my expectations are pretty high" in her essay Prom: Catching a Fairytale.

College blogger, Kay Porter, of Stephen F. Austin State University from Nacogdoches TX, wrote, "Prom was wonderful for all of five minutes. After I realized these were just the people I went to school with, we were in our poorly decorated basketball gym that smelled of sweat, and my date was a guy that meant nothing to me, the magic of the prom was gone. Of course, I danced and laughed with my friends at the already drunk couples making fools of themselves but this was just me hanging out with my friends in expensive clothes: Nothing new. The night ended as it began with excitement for going somewhere, however, the excitement at the end of the night was I could finally go home, change into comfortable clothes, take out the torturous pins in my hair, and watch a bad romantic comedy with my sister" in the essay Prom: A Truly Unmagical Experience.

StageofLife.com prom writing contest finalists were:

• Shana Zucker, Deerfield High School, from Deerfield, IL
• Priyanka Garigipati, Clark High School, from Plano, TX
• Julia Rhodes,  Friends School, from Wilmington, DE
• Kay Porter,  Stephen F. Austin State University, from Nacogdoches, TX
• Maxie Lindholm, Groves High School, from Southfield, MI
• Christine Fossaceca, Urbana High School, from Frederick, MD
• William Gage Dingeldein, Pelion High School, from Lexington, SC
• Hope Roberts, Rim of the World High School, from Crestline
• Felicia Czochanski, Metuchen High School, from Metuchen, NJ
• Aaron Englebardt, Greenville High School, from Greenville, SC
• Callie Ridenour, West Morris Mendham High School, from Chester, NJ

A full recap of the writing contest along with postings of the teen prom essays can be viewed athttp://www.stageoflife.com/prom.aspx

StageofLife.com CEO, Eric Thiegs, added, "The majority of the student essays we had were quite positive.  With titles like 'Time of My Life,' 'A Day to Remember' and 'My Date With Mr. Amazing,' reading many of these essays brought me back to my senior prom 20 years ago... which is important to me because my date later became (and is now) my wife!"

May 2011 Writing Contest for High School Students

This month's writing contest for high school students on StageofLife.com asks the question, "What was the most difficult thing you overcame this school year?"

Entries will be accepted up till May 30th at Midnight PDT and the essay winner will receive a gift card/cash prize from prize sponsors like KodakGallery.com, StageofLife.com SWAG, and featured writing status on the site.

StageofLife.com works with thousands of bloggers from all stages of life along with its sponsors, like Mint.com et al, on its mission of making the world a better place, one story and one resource at a time.

About Stage of Life®:  StageofLife.com is a free, non-partisan, grassroots blogging community that hosts stories, information and resources for teens, Millennials/Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations. Its specialized content allows users to share and archive their life stories. StageofLife.com also touts free lesson plans and writing prompts for Language Arts teachers, monthly writing contests, blogging resources, a platform that helps people promote their blogs, teen trends analysis, custom news feeds for each stage of life, and much more.  The site also features My Life Rewards, relevant coupons and discounts exclusively geared towards each stage of life as StageofLife.com works to provide, "Rewards for Life's Journey®."

SOURCE StageofLife.com

RELATED LINKS
http://www.stageoflife.com/

YORK, Pa., May 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The "media" is an undeniably powerful entity in our daily lives.  It's even more invasive for teens and college students, a generation growing up with more forms of media choices than any other generation before them.

StageofLife.com, a blogging resource for high school students, Baby Boomers, and every life stage in between, wanted to know how teens felt about the media, so they asked its teen and college visitors, "What form of media impacts your life the most, and why?" as part of its national monthly writing contest series for students.

Over 5,190 students from all 50 U.S. states and 69 countries visited the teen writing contest page.  From the scores of submitted blogs to StageofLife.com, four trends/ themes emerged about teens' attitudes towards the media:

1. Internet:   Nearly a quarter of the student writers said that Internet was the media that affected them the most, citing that it's the perfect place to research, and to keep in touch with friends and family.

One contest finalist, Jenny Zhang, of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School from Middle Village, NY, wrote, in her essay entitled,Media: Are we really using the internet, or is it vice versa, "Our fast-paced society demands technology to be always moving at its fastest speed and to the best of it's ability with little to no errors. But has anyone considered the toll the internet has taken on our lives? Technology is frightening. The utmost terrifying development ever created by man. I won't deny that I am a victim of the internet because I find myself drawn to these technologies in ways I never thought I would be."

2. Television:  While some students get their information from television, many wrote about the "mind numbing" effects of this medium. It received the most negative responses; students feel television is "distracting."

Essay finalist, Justina Tran of Garden Grove High School, Garden Grove, CA, wrote, "In essence, the news media presents us with what it thinks we should know, but it's ultimately our responsibility to use that knowledge to make a difference and thus spread hope to those who need it most.  As a wise mentor advised me, two types of people dwell in this world: talkers and do-ers. The news media are fundamentally the talkers and it's up to us to be the do-ers," in her essay Media: The Difference Between Newscasters and Whom They Inform.

3. Facebook: It's no surprise that a large percentage of teenagers cited Facebook as their most influential form of media in their lives, since it connects the students to friends, family, and gossip.  Several students raised privacy concerns about using Facebook in their essays, as well as larger issues like cyber-bullying.

Finalist Riley Brewer, of Rhea County High School from Cookeville, TN, wrote, "The power of Facebook isn't easily defined...I am aware of the most intimate details of my high school classmates' lives; I know who is getting divorced at 22, who is preparing to graduate summa cum laude, who has moved to Vegas to pole dance, and who has traded in football practice for burger flipping. True, I could choose not to read friends' status updates, but I must admit the temptation is too much for a mere mortal to resist," in the essay Media: The Facebook Juggernaut.

4. Overall, Media is Positive: Although there were some dissenters, the majority of student writers felt that media—in all forms and varieties—is an important, powerful, and positive influence on a person's life.

In the essay, Media: Children of the Techno-Revolution, teen blogger Katie Garner, of Vista High school from Oceanside, CA, wrote, "Nearly every aspect of my life, in some way or another, is consumed by the functions of modern technology. But I revel in it, for I am a child of the techno-revolution, an age that has spawned millions of other faithful offspring and captivated our thoughts and imagination. Friends may speak to each other from California to Tokyo without delay. Blogs may swap philosophical concepts or short stories, and people around the planet can share their experiences in a chat room.  So, how could only one form of media possibly affect me when so many intertwine to shape the way I live? These innovations are all strands of the same web. They constantly surround us, my fellow children and I, so that we remain entangled together. Some might find this instant gratification distasteful; but quite frankly, I think it is wonderful."  

Aside from the themes listed above, the student writing contest took in a wide variety of entries addressing various forms of media / communication that included blogs about social networking, cell phones, the internet, television, blogs, books/print, Facebook, celebrities, music, gossip, YouTube, texting, computers, video games, photo editing, prayer, verbal communication, the news, Skype, and the media in general.

StageofLife.com CEO, Eric Thiegs, stated, "If you get a chance to read these essays, you'll find they are truly amazing when you look at how the students break down and analyze the media.  Our winner, Keilah Sullivan, a home schooled student from St. Louis, MO used a tongue and cheek approach to champion her love for print media in her essay, Media: I Like it Black, White, and Read All Over."

Interested readers can read the summary report and find links to over 140 featured essays about Teens and the Media at http://www.stageoflife.com/TeensandMedia.aspx.

Teens & Media Writing Contest Finalists

• Kaleigh Somers, James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA., from Royersford, PA
• Yipeng Xie, Carlisle School, from Martinsville, VA
• Riley Brewer, Rhea County High School, from Cookeville, TN
• Jenny Zhang, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, from Middle Village, NY
• Justina Tran, Garden Grove High School, from Garden Grove, CA
• D.J. Schaefer, Waukesha South High School, from Waukesha, Wisconsin
• Keilah Sullivan, Home schooled, from St. Louis, MO
• Kimmy Tejasindhu, Cajon High School, from San Bernardino, CA
• Felicia Czochanski, Metuchen High School, from Metuchen, NJ
• Jennifer Pasatieri, Wellington C. Mepham High School, from North Merrick, NY
• Andrew Rauh, Divine Child High School, from Dearborn, MI
• Kammy Liu, John T. Hoggard High School, from Wilmington, NC
• Katie Garner, Vista High School, from Oceanside, CA
• Angela N., John F. Kennedy High School and California State University Northridge, from of Los Angeles, CA

May 2011 Writing Contest for High School Students

This month's writing contest for high school students on StageofLife.com asks high school students the question, "What was the most difficult thing you overcame this school year?"  From friends to family to graduation to grades to self-esteem, teens go through a lot in the course of nine months.  With graduation just around the corner (and already have happened for many college students), this contest writing prompt has already begun to elicit some unique responses.  Entries will be accepted up till May 30th at Midnight PDT and the essay winner will receive a gift card/cash prize from sponsors like KodakGallery.com, StageofLife.com SWAG, and featured writing status on the site.

About Stage of Life®: StageofLife.com  is a free, non-partisan, grassroots online community that hosts blogs, information, and resources for teens, Millennials/Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations. Its specialized content allows users to share and archive their life stories. StageofLife.com includes free lesson plans and writing prompts for Language Arts teachers, monthly writing contests for high school students and college students, blogging resources, a platform that helps people promote their blogs, teen trends, custom news feeds for each stage of life, and My Life Rewards, an area dedicated to providing relevant coupons and discounts exclusively geared towards each stage of life.

If you'd like more information about StageofLife.com or an interview with CEO/Founder Eric Thiegs, please call (717) 244-0006, or use the Contact Us  form on the website. You may also contact PR/Marketing Coordinator Megan Colyer at (717) 654-9554 or megan.colyer(at)stageoflife.com.

SOURCE StageofLife.com

RELATED LINKS
http://www.stageoflife.com

StageofLife.com – making the world a better place, one story at a time

May 4, 2011 -  Shoestring Venture featured StageofLife.com as the start-up of the day on The Startup Bible Blog.  Feel free to read the interview and get a little insight into the start-up phase of our Stage of Life project.

Read the full article...

Graduation Etiquette 101: Have Some Class

May 4, 2011 -  FoxBusiness.com talked to our very own in-house etiquette guru, Jay Remer, about graduation etiquette.  Fox Business reporter, Emily Driscoll, was doing research for her story and needed an etiquette expert for the high school and college stage.  She came across StageofLife.com and we were more than please to introduce her to our protocol expert, Jay.

Read the full article...

StageofLife.com featured on BlogTalkRadio.com

April 30, 2011 -  Co-hosts of Symphony of Peace, a global humanitarian project, Seph Dietlin and Shairon Beale, interviewed StageofLife.com CEO, Eric Thiegs, on their weekly Blog Talk Radio series, "Making a Splash." 

The "Making a Splash" episodes support a mission to "empower you to “Make A Splash” in the world by “Making A Splash” in yours."  Dietlin and Beale cover a wide range of topics from the green and sustainability movement, to self empowerment, to the quickly expanding world of heart centered enterprise.

We were honored to be contacted and highlighted in this interview for their BlogTalkRadio.com program.

Weekly Top 10 Social Media Highlights

April 29, 2011 -  GOSO.com listed StageofLife.com as one of the Top 10 Social Media Highlights of the week of April 29th.  We garnered the #6 spot, between #5 (MySpace Is For Sale) and #7 (The Royal Wedding Lights Up the Web).

Korenne Richardson is GOSO's Automotive and Social Media guru, specializing in social media innovations and popular culture. With the influx of news from 24-hour cable, blogs and social media, it’s hard to catch every story. So GOSO finds stories that matter in the automotive and social media industry and featured ten stories you might have missed.

To have our humble writing project here at StageofLife.com land between the news about MySpace and the Royal Wedding is, well, flattering.

See the full Top 10 List...

YORK, Pa., April 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since its launch last April, over 2,000 bloggers joined and contributed to StageofLife.com – a free, international writing project that takes submitted stories from bloggers and organizes them by stage of life.

Using a multi-generational approach, the site works with both amateur and professional bloggers/writers across the entire age spectrum, from teenagers in high school to Baby Boomers in retirement, as it aspires to build the world's largest collection of cross-generational stories.

Bloggers submit essays, bits of wisdom, links to articles, stories from their existing blogs and other insights about their lives which are coded and displayed in one of ten life milestones on StageofLife.com.  The core mission of the blogger collaboration is to make the world a better place, one story at a time.  Over two dozen editors (personally living in the life stages for which they edit) monitor the incoming essay submissions and lead off each life stage in the site with a From the Editor welcome message.

Homeowner editor Amy Mullis says, "Stage of Life® reminds us that even in our differences, we are all alike. We all have fears and failures, hopes and dreams, goals and accomplishments; and we all want someone to share these things with. We're all one big family–and that gives me an endless stream of cousins who have to laugh at my jokes!"

Two key benefits

The two benefits bloggers enjoy most about StageofLife.com are a) it's free to join as a contributing writer-member, and b) StageofLife.com actively encourages its writer network to include a back link to their blogs from their StageofLife.com posts and profile page.

These promotional elements for key for people as they look for credible channels in which to promote their blogs and gain more traffic.  Additionally, Stage of Life® drives thousands of visitors to its site each month through its public relations, marketing and advertising channels, all of which bring traffic to the site and an opportunity for bloggers to court new readers.

Wedding Editor Elle Lamboy says, "I wanted a place to showcase my writing but was new to the whole blogging scene. Stage of Life® offered a friendly playground to not only share my writing but also learn from so many talented writers."

Featured Bloggers

If members want to get more involved, they can apply for Featured Blogger status. Stage of Life's Featured Bloggers' essays receive additional placements on the website in exchange for contributing on a more regular basis and writing across several of the life stages on the site.

On My Own Editor, Laura Parson, was a former Featured Blogger who become an Editor.  Parson said of the project, "In the age of social media there are an abundance of ways to connect, but Stage of Life® stands out from the crowd because it brings together individuals in the same stage of their life. (It) gives me the opportunity to seek advice, share my struggles, and celebrate triumphs with people who understand the unique nature of my life. Additionally, it allows me to find news and information relevant to my life and needs and sends me deals that I actually want!  It is a safe and positive environment that I can trust to meet my unique stage of life needs!"

Interactive community

StageofLife.com readers can comment on, share and follow their favorite posts and bloggers on the site, as each essay submitted is coded to that blogger's profile page, thus forming a public-facing life journal.  This fosters an interactive community between the reading public and the blogging members, placing StageofLife.com as a central hub for people to find wisdom from others for their current life stage or gain insights on the transitions into future ones.  

College Editor Michelle Pease says, "I am a firm believer that words can change the world; one person's story may be another person's life saver. It is a wonderful mission, and I fell in love."

Save money

As a final perk, StageofLife.com touts My Life Rewards® – a propriety benefit program designed to give bloggers and readers discounts and coupons to relevant national merchants as part of a secondary mission to provide "Rewards for Life's Journey®."  

Over 100 national brands participate directly in the program as Stage of Life® groups discounts, coupons and savings by life stage, just as it does its blogs, thus allowing its users and readers to not only gain wisdom through story sharing but also save money throughout their entire lives.  

Get involved

There are three ways to get involved in StageofLife.com:

• If you're interested in sharing a story to impart wisdom from your life for others to benefit, look for the "Share Your Story" buttons throughout the site.  
• If you're a blogger looking for ways to get more exposure for your blog, become a StageofLife.com member, add your blog to your public profile page and start sharing essays and stories from your life.  
• If you're simply looking for some of the best discounts on cruises, shoes and things you need for your everyday life, check out the My Life Rewards® listing of national merchant offers and start saving today.

Stage of Life® celebrated its one year anniversary this month.  Site traffic is trending to eclipse last year's visit count by over 195% and each month new bloggers are getting involved to help build the world's largest pool of cross-generational stories.

About Stage of Life®:  StageofLife.com is a free, non-partisan, grassroots online community that hosts blogs, information, and resources for teens, Millennials/Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations.  Its specialized content allows users to share and archive their life stories. StageofLife.com includes free lesson plans and writing prompts for Language Arts teachers, monthly writing contests for high school students and college students, blogging resources, a platform that helps people promote their blogs, insights into teen trends, custom news feeds for each stage of life, and My Life Rewards, an area dedicated to providing relevant coupons and discounts exclusively geared towards each stage of life.

If you'd like more information about StageofLife.com or an interview with CEO/Founder Eric Thiegs, please call (717) 244-0006, or use the Contact Us form on the website.

SOURCE StageofLife.com

http://www.stageoflife.com

StageofLife.com featured on Mint Education

April 3, 2011 -  Mint.com named StageofLife.com as one of its two launch partners for Mint Education - an initiative designed to teach kids the basics of money management. From saving and budgeting to setting goals, Mint.com makes learning about personal finance fun.  Essays from StageofLife.com's teen writer and blogger members are featured on the site.

Find out more about Mint Education here

YORK, Pa., March 29, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the wedding season kicking off in mid-spring,StageofLife.com—a resource and  blogging website for high school students, Baby Boomers, and every life stage in between—asked its teen and college visitors, "What is the value of marriage?" This question is part of StageofLife.com's ongoing monthlyblogging contest series.

Over 4,520 students from all 50 US states visited the marriage writing contest page.  From those who submitted a blog entry to StageofLife.com on the topic, 55% of the teenagers shared a positive view about marriage, 28% had a negative view, and 17% took a neutral, unbiased, or more academic approach.  In less than 30 days, over 41,500 words were uploaded to StageofLife.com as students shared their opinions and feelings about marriage.

The winning college student essay, You're Stuck With Me, came from Kaleigh Somers, a Creative Writing minor at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.  When asked why she submitted an essay, Somers explained, "As soon as I read the contest description, I had this strong visceral reaction to it. I knew that I wanted to remind people that college students haven't lost sight in marriage. Some of us, myself included, still believe in the sanctity of marriage. Writing it out was the best method to express that."

Outside of the positive or negative emotional reaction, five common themes/trends about marriage emerged from the scores of essays written by high school and college students:

1.  Religion:  Students used religion—mostly Christianity—to describe the importance of the sacrament of matrimony.  However, some students took an anti-religious tone.  

York College of Pennsylvania junior Michelle Pease confessed in her essay, A Word, "I don't care much for the religious undertones in the word marriage. Words don't belong to certain groups of people, and so there is no reason for the religious to "triumph" the non-religious in the gay marriage debate."

2.  Parents:  Students' parents' marriages affected how these students viewed marriage.  If the parents' marriage was successful, then the student viewed marriage positively; if not, then the students often resented marriage.  

StageofLife.com blogger purpleoveralls broke away from this trend in the winning high school essay, Let me keep my childhood dream.  She wrote, "I know from personal experience the effect divorce has on children, and I would never put my own child through that misery. But instead of giving up on marriage...I will take the risk because I'm a fighter. I will get married, stay married, and raise my children with the one thing I lacked: the assurance that yes, marriages do last."

3. Marriage definitions:  Most students summed up marriage using the same, or similar, words—that marriage involves both love and commitment.  These two values were also detrimental in defining a successful marriage.  

High school contest finalist luvsleepcandy wrote in her essay, Key to Success, "Ever since I've been able to hold comprehensible conversations, my mom has drilled into my head: 'Don't ever rush into marriage. A good marriage ALWAYS needs a strong foundation, and it can't be built entirely on love alone. Successful marriages can only happen when a couple is compatible; the husband and wife's personalities balance each other out.'"

4. Reality strikes:  Many students wrote about the "reality" of marriage as much as they wrote about the idealism and romanticism of marriage. These students understand the commitment involved in marriage.  Not one student wrote about the positivity of divorce.  

Maddie Ann Cramer, a 10th grader in the International Baccalaureate program at Lakewood High School in Lakewood, CO, busted Disney's bubble in her essay, Stay Strong, when she wrote, "When picturing marriage, every little girl imagines the sensational Cinderella reunited with the glittery, but obviously uncomfortable glass slipper. She is gliding down the palace steps, arm in arm with the preppiest prince the kingdom had ever seen. She is escorted into a bedazzled carriage that disappears into the sunset with a staged kiss. But the little girl does not know that as soon as the curtain falls, Cinderella pushes our Preppy Prince off, wipes her lips, and demands to know why his breath smells like rotten tuna."

5.  Marriage is Serious:  The majority of the essays submitted all revolved around one common thread: marriage is serious.  

Dozens of students echoed one student's thoughts: Desiree van Arkens, a graduate from Horizon Honors High School, wrote in her essay, I Gotta Watch You Get Old?, "The value of marriage is decreasing rapidly in society today unfortunately, but if everyone knew the deeper meaning of marriage, I believe more couples would remain married."

StageofLife.com organized a summary page from its findings on the "Value of Marriage" writing contest, which features links to more than 80 of the teen StageofLife.com essays on marriage at http://www.stageoflife.com/marriage.aspx.  

For the March writing contest, StageofLife.com asks its student bloggers, "What form of media impacts your life the most, and why?"  Students have until Midnight (PDT) on March 31, 2011 to submit their 500 word essay.  Winners receive a gift card or cash prizes from national sponsors, along with swag from StageofLife.com.

Previous StageofLife.com teen writing prompts addressed topics such as teens and stress, teens and money, teens and heros, teens and education, and more.

About Stage of Life®:  StageofLife.com is a free, non-partisan, grassroots online community that hosts blogs, information, and resources for teens, Millennials/Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations.  Its specialized content allows users to share and archive their life stories. StageofLife.com includes free lesson plans and writing prompts for Language Arts teachers, monthly writing contests for high school students and college students, blogging resources, a platform that helps people promote their blogs, teen white papers, custom news feeds for each stage of life, and My Life Rewards, an area dedicated to providing relevant coupons and discounts exclusively geared towards each stage of life.

If you'd like more information about StageofLife.com or an interview with CEO/Founder Eric Thiegs, please call (717) 244-0006, or use the Contact Us form on the website.  You may also contact PR/Marketing Coordinator Megan Colyer at (717) 654-9554 or megan.colyer(at)stageoflife.com.

SOURCE StageofLife.com

RELATED LINKS
http://www.stageoflife.com

YORK, Pa., March 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In honor of National Volunteer Week starting on April 10, 2011,StageofLife.com, a free blogging platform, asked teens, "What organization, company, non-profit or 'cause' will help make the world a better place in 2011?"

The writing prompt was part of StageofLife.com's monthly student essay contest.  Over 3,950 students from all 50 U.S. states and dozens of countries visited the writing contest page with scores submitting essays to nominate their favorite volunteer organizations.  From the blog submissions, four types of organizations emerged as those held most dear to teens' hearts.

1. Medical related: Teens feel strongly about finding cures and spreading awareness for debilitating conditions like cancer, concussions, and Celiac Disease.
2. Self-image:  Many teens focus on promoting self-worth and healthy living, including healthy relationships and healthy eating habits.
3. Poverty: Teenagers want to give back to those who do not have their basic needs met.
4. Animal rights:  Students care deeply about the humane treatment and protection of animals.

StageofLife.com CEO, Eric Thiegs, explained, "The variety of volunteer organizations and causes nominated by the students was astounding.  One student gives his time to help senior soldiers at a VA hospital and another emphasized 'family' should always come first as the way to make the world a better place."

The winner of the writing contest, writexmusic, tackled self-image issues in her essay entitled, "To Write Love On Her Arms promotes more than ink poisoning." She shared, "According to my friends, self-injury is a way to release the pain they feel inside...that's where the non-profit organization To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) comes into play. The idea behind the name was to write the word 'love' on your arm, instead of cutting yourself.  Use a pen, not a knife."

In its call-to-action leading up to April's National Volunteer Week, StageofLife.com encourages teenagers, college students and people from all stages of life to consider the following four steps as a way to get involved and help make the world a better place:

• Step 1: Research organizations that align with your personal belief system.
• Step 2: Contact those organizations to see how you can help or get involved.
• Step 3: Take action by volunteering, fund raising or creating awareness for the organization.
• Step 4: Spread the word about what you're doing with family, friends, your school and community. You can do this by making updates on Facebook or by writing about it on StageofLife.com.  With each post a blogger or writer makes on StageofLife.com, their efforts and stories will reach thousands of readers, hopefully inspiring another to get involved in a particular cause.  It starts with one person.

A summary report with links to dozens of the teen essays showcasing the goodwill nominations can be found at StageofLife.com's "Making the World a Better Place" page.

Organizations featured by the teens in their StageofLife.com essays included Hope Academy, Invisible Children, Text Free Driving Organization, Wildlife Warriors, The American Cancer Society, World Vision, Doctors Without Borders, Key Club, World Society for the Protection of Animals, Glutino, National Cattleman's Beef Association, Operation Beautiful, Serving in Missions, Kiva, National Eating Disorder Association, Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman Family Foundation, Share Our Strength, Teach For America, Amnesty International, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and more.

StageofLife CEO, Thiegs, hopes that, "this list of essays will serve as a starting point for young people around the nation to start exploring the philanthropic side of their lives."

For the March student writing contest, StageofLife.com asks teenagers, "What form of media impacts your life the most, and why?" and ends at Midnight (PDT) on March 31, 2011.  Winners receive gift card or cash prizes from national sponsors along with SWAG from StageofLife.com.

StageofLife.com will release a summary/white paper outlining its findings from the last teen writing contest dealing with teens' attitudes about marriage later this month.  Previous StageofLife.com teen white papers address topics such as teens and stress, teens and money, teen heroes, teens and education, and more.

About Stage of Life™:  StageofLife.com is a free, non-partisan, grassroots online community hosting blogs, information and resources for teens, Millennials/Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations.  Its specialized content allows users to share their life stories and includes free lesson plans and writing prompts for Language Arts teachers, monthly writing contests for high school students and college students, blogging resources, a platform for writers and bloggers to promote their work and much more, including My Life Rewards, an area dedicated to providing relevant coupons and discounts exclusively geared towards each stage of life.

SOURCE StageofLife.com

How Do Teens Feel About Marriage?

YORK, Pa., Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- How do teenagers feel about marriage? That's the controversial question posed by StageofLife.com, a writing and blogging resource for teens to Baby Boomers.  As part of its monthly writing contest series for high school and college students, the site is asking young people, "What is the value of marriage?"

With an essay submission deadline of February 28th, 2011, over 3,440 high school and college students have already visited the student writing contest page.  From the first wave of essay submissions, teens have shared thoughts on gay marriage, traditional values and a wide range of attitudes about matrimony running the philosophical gamut.

In the pro-marriage camp, one student writer wrote, "To me, I believe that the value of marriage is priceless. It is the true meaning of unity between two people in love. It shows the trust, the devotion, and the hope for an amazing future between the two. When people get married, they want to live the rest of their lives to make their partner happy, and they will try their best to do just that. Even if they live in the Projects or in a mansion in Florida, a loving marriage could make your life better, just the way a loveless marriage can ruin you."

On the other end of the spectrum, a different StageofLife.com teen blogger wrote, "Since I was a small child, I've always wondered what the heck I would do when I grew up and had the option to…dare I say it? Get married. The prospect scared me, and at age seven, I decided that marriage was not for me. Who would want to live with me forever, and more importantly, who would I want to put up with forever?"

Keeping with the marriage theme throughout February, StageofLife.com also launched its wedding writing contest that asks, "What is your engagement proposal story?" to adult couples currently or previously married.

The current wedding and student writing contests end at Midnight (PST) on February 28th, 2011.  Winners from the contests receive gift card or cash prizes from national sponsors along with SWAG from StageofLife.com, and a new writing contest dealing with a real-world topic that concerns teens will start on March 1st, 2011.

StageofLife.com will release a formal summary/white paper outlining its findings from the teen writing contest about marriage in mid-March.  Previous StageofLife.com teen white papers address topics such as teens and stress, teens and money, teen heroes, teens and education and more.

About Stage of Life™:  StageofLife.com is a free, non-partisan, grassroots online community hosting blogs, information and resources for teens, Millennials/Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations.  Its specialized content allows users to share their life stories and includes lesson plan ideas and writing prompts for Language Arts teachers, monthly writing contests for high school students and college students, blogging resources, a platform for writers and bloggers to promote their work and much more, including My Life Rewards, an area dedicated to providing relevant coupons and discounts exclusively geared towards each stage of life.

If you'd like more information about StageofLife.com or an interview with CEO/Founder, Eric Thiegs, please use the Contact Usform on the website or contact PR/Marketing Coordinator Megan Colyer at (717) 654-9554 or megan.colyer(at)stageoflife.com.

SOURCE StageofLife.com

StageofLife.com featured on TIME.com's Money Blog

February 14, 2011 -  TIME.com business/money blogger, Brad Tuttle, mentioned Stage of Life and one of our teen essay contest winners in his Cheapskate Wisdom story series. 

Read our mention on TIME.com here

Teen Bloggers Share Their Stress About Money

YORK, Pa., Jan. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Can money buy happiness?  The answer is "no" if you're a teenager, but it certainly stresses them out.  StageofLife.com, a national blogging and writing resource for generations of Teens to Baby Boomers, released its summary report on "Teens and Money."

The report is complied from the anecdotal insights of 3,335 teenagers and young adults who visited StageofLife.com's recent monthly writing contest for students - many of whom submitted 500 word essays answering the writing prompt, "What is your relationship with money?  How do you spend (or save), and why?"

Major themes emerged from the blog submissions detailing the delicate and often contentious relationship between young people and money.  From anger towards world financial and economic institutions to more pragmatic insights on personal budgeting, StageofLife.com's teen blog summary report provides links to over 60 of the submitted student essays/blogs.

The winner of the blogging writing contest, Justina Tran, a student at Garden Grove High School in Garden Grove, CA, personified money as a living being in her essay, "Affinity Gone Awry."  When asked about her current relationship with money, Tran stated, "(It) still stresses me out to an extent, but I'm confident it won't overshadow my life. I guess money and I can still be friends."

Although stress and money were tied together in many of essays, that relationship is one that can be broken.  StageofLife.com featured Mint.com as its free, educational resource that can help young people establish a budget, learn the benefits of saving, and plan financial goals, thus relieving stress associated with money.

"At Mint.com, we believe money is for living," said Aaron Patzer, VP and General Manager of Intuit PFG and founder of Mint.com. "It's important for teens and students starting college to be financially literate and know how to budget for life. In just a few years, they will be in control of their own bills, bank account, and credit card, so they want to have good financial habits that they can use for the rest of their life."

StageofLife.com teen blog editor, Amanda Konstantine Perlmutter, takes this advice to heart.  "It's important for teens to budget their money. I've been a teen for four years already, and...if I'd have spent less money on unnecessary things in the past, then maybe I'd have been closer to saving up for a car then I am now!"

When asked why she entered the writing contest with her essay, "Money:  Guilty As Charged", Rose Sulentic, a senior at St. Agnes Academy in Houston, TX, stated, "I needed extra practice with personal essay skills.  The question about money was perfect because it was a way for me to vent about my then-recent car accident without being too morose."

The current writing contest for college and high school students asks, "What organization, company, non-profit or 'cause' will help make the world a better place in 2011?"

"This month's essay contest is an opportunity for teens and college students to shed light and share with us worthwhile 'causes' that we should all know about," states StageofLife.com CEO, Eric Thiegs.  For each person submitting an essay to the current writing contest, their nominated cause will receive a link on a newly created resource page called, "Making the World a Better Place."  

Site sponsor, KodakGallery.com, is providing the monthly prize and StageofLife.com is offering up SWAG and Featured Blogger status to the next student writing contest winner.

The contest summary report page about Teens and Money can be found at: http://www.stageoflife.com/Teens_and_Money.aspx

About Stage of Life®:  StageofLife.com is a free, non-partisan grassroots project with a mission to make the world a better place, one story at a time.  By hosting blogs, information and resources for teens, college students, Millennials, Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations, its hope is that cross-generational story telling will weave a network of wisdom from which all can benefit.  Specialized content includes free lesson plan ideas and writing prompts for Language Arts teachers, monthlywriting contests, blogging resources, goal setting worksheets, a free national platform for writers to promote their blogs and much more, including My Life Rewards, an area dedicated to providing relevant coupons and discounts exclusively geared towards each stage of life.

If you'd like more information about StageofLife.com or an interview with CEO/Founder, Eric Thiegs, please use the Contact Usform on www.stageoflife.com or call 717-650-0699.

SOURCE StageofLife.com

Marine Corps Veteran Wins Holiday Blogging Contest for Teens and College Students

"There are a lot of things I'm thankful for. I'm grateful to have a lovely wife who supports me and makes my life warm and more meaningful. I'm thankful for real food that is cooked in a real kitchen, running water, a real shower, and a comfortable bed at night. These things I used to take for granted... It is hard to imagine a world without these simple pleasures. For most of us we see a lot of these things as necessities. Yet the places I've been to in Iraq and Afghanistan, I didn't always get these things, and I witnessed other people who didn't have it as good as we do here. The sad truth of our society is, we don't realize how good it really is, unless we step away from it into a different world. 

"Although I'm thankful for these things, there is nothing I am more grateful for than the solitude I feel as I write this (essay). Each morning I have the freedom to wake up and drive to this college. Every morning I get here early, so that I can find a quiet spot in the library where I can challenge and expand my mind in ways other than the ways of war. Here I can sit and read such things as literature or philosophy, and I am able to ponder the ideas of the scholars before me. I am no longer expected to be a warrior. And I am not so sure now what exactly I am called to be from now on, but for now I'll sit here quietly, soaking up the serenity."

10 Tips to Help with a Winter Pregnancy

YORK, Pa., Dec. 14, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pregnant women in their 2nd or 3rd trimesters may not feel as agile as they once were.  This becomes even more relevant as winter looms and snow or ice make navigating front steps and driveways across the U.S. more difficult.  

Husbands and partners of soon-to-be mothers should consider these 10 ways to not only help around the house during the final terms of a winter pregnancy, but also emotionally support their pregnant partner.

• #10:  Encourage Nesting Instincts. Many pregnant women possess strong urges to paint, remodel, move furniture, and otherwise begin to make changes to their environment.  This is biology telling her to get things ready for the baby.  Rather than fighting these urges or getting frustrated with the changes, get involved and ask how you can help with the nesting process.
• #9:  Keep the Car Parked on a Level Surface (and Warm it Up for Her).  If you have a slope to your driveway, park the car in a fashion that reduces the risk of falling or slipping, especially during icy or snowy conditions.  While you're monitoring car care, run out and start it a few minutes before she has to get in, too.  Chivalry ranks above saving the planet by the 3rd trimester.
• #8:  Ask How She's Feeling.  It's hard for the other person to truly understand the full extent of the physical changes occurring during a pregnancy.  Stay engaged and make sure to ask your partner how she's feeling.  It's important for her to know that a) you're interested and b) that you care.
• #7:  Make Dinner. As the pregnancy develops, the motivation and ability to move around the kitchen may diminish.  Keep your partner happy and healthy with surprise meal preparations that are good for her and the baby.  
• #6:  Say I Love You.  Saying these three simple words allows your partner to know that she's not alone during a sometimes scary, bodily transformation.
• #5:  Talk to the Baby. By the second trimester, the baby can hear you.  Ask your partner if you can read to the baby or even talk to her belly during bedtime.  Cuddle up at night and pick a story that will keep all three of you interested.
• #4:  Start a Pre-Birth Journal.  Suggest to your wife or partner the idea of keeping a "Daddy" or "Soon-to-be-Parents" Journal.  This can be something as simple as a notebook in which you keep daily thoughts on world events, life, and/or the conversations you are having together leading up to the birth of your child.  It'll be a piece of you that your teenage son or daughter can read one day.  For those more inclined to start a blog, parents-to-be can also use the free blogging tools at StageofLife.com to create a profile that will archive their stories online.
• #3:  Help Her Feel Sexy. For some women, the last thing on their minds during pregnancy is sex.  For others, their drive becomes stronger.  No matter the situation, continue letting your partner know how sexy she is.  This can be accomplished with something romantic like a candle lit backrub in front of the fireplace, or as simple as a surprise greeting card with a personalized inscription.
• #2:  Talk Money.  Don't wait until the baby arrives to share breaking news on your finances or the fact that you can't afford the crib you both have been talking about for four months.  Sit down before the baby is due and look at your budget together.  Talk openly about the economic changes and opportunities a baby will bring.  Make it a positive conversation...not something scary or negative.  Talking money isn't about adding stress, it's about taking it away and being prepared financially.  Websites like Mint.com can help with these conversations, or completing  the New Year financial planning and goal setting work sheet found on StageofLife.com.
• #1:  Vacuum. Yes.  Vacuum.  Better yet, vacuum AND dust.  Believe it or not, it's often the little things that count the most during this time, especially when you're cooped up inside during the winter months.  If you happen to already vacuum, then pick up a chore that she typically does (laundry anyone?) no matter how much you hate it.

If you have other suggestions or additions on how to help a pregnant partner during the 2nd or 3rd trimesters, Stage of Life is taking suggestions and stories at www.StageofLife.com.  For the remainder of December, Stage of Life is also running a baby story writing contest for soon-to-be mothers and fathers that asks the question,

"If you could share one piece of advice about your experiences of being a new parent (however long ago it may have been) during that first month home from the hospital, what would it be?"

National sponsor, KodakGallery.com, is providing the essay prize, and StageofLife.com is offering up SWAG and Featured Blogger status to the baby story writing contest winner.  Enter the Stage of Life writing contest for parents today.

About Stage of Life™:  StageofLife.com is a free, non-partisan grassroots project hosting blogs, information and resources for parents, teens, Millennials/Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations.  Its specialized content includes baby story writing contests, free lesson plan ideas and writing prompts for Language Arts teachers, monthly writing contests for high school students  and college students, blogging resources, opportunities for writers and bloggers to promote their writing and much more, including an area dedicated to providing relevant coupons and discounts exclusively geared towards each stage of life.
If you'd like more information about StageofLife.com or an interview with CEO/Founder, Eric Thiegs, please use the Contact Us form on the website

SOURCE StageofLife.com

Teens Talk Stress

YORK, Pa., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today's teens feel stressed out.  From school to relationships to college and beyond, high school students deal with pressure from a variety of sources.  StageofLife.com, a teen blogging and writing resource, welcomed 2,733 students to its monthly blogging contest for teens to answer the prompt, "What stresses you out?"

Teens shared personal experiences ranging from a sibling's drug addiction to the day-to-day stress of dealing with homework.  From the collection of these student essays, six major themes emerged on teen stress:

1.  School:  Students talked candidly about the pressures from homework, grades and school transitions.  Teen blogger, laura310, stated, "School is the thing that most high school students dread...There's so much homework, projects, and tests due in a short amount of time and sometimes it feels like it's the end of the world."

2.  College:  Many students worry about college.  One teen writer, coffeeinthebin, talked about making the right choices for getting into college,  "Every choice I make has to be thought through...I need to think about the consequences. Getting high, or drunk some night like half the population of my school do, won't help me. I'll be tired and will fail a test the next day."

3.  Romantic Relationships: Teen relationships can be a perfect recipe for stress.  Youthful expectations.  Untested emotional boundaries.  Hormones.  One student shared that this stress doesn't come from a crush on Justin Bieber, but the emotional commitment given to "people, places, activities, and ideas...which is why it stresses me out constantly!"

4.  Friends and Family: Like romance, this category heavily involves interpersonal relationships, a natural cause of stress. One high school blogger pointedly observed, "Friendship stresses me out to the point that I want to rip out my hair and scream on the top of Mt. Everest. Because reality is, friendship isn't just hard. It's downright difficult."

On the family side, an essay finalist in the teen writing contest talked about her stress of losing a loved one, in this case her father, "In order to deal with the pain of his passing I turn to God and pray to him to relieve me suffering. Sometimes it works yet other times the pain remains. (The) stress of losing a loved one is like feeling the weight of the world crushing down on your shoulders and no matter what you do the weight never goes away."

5.  Social Expectations/Society:  People of any age, especially teens, can often become overwhelmed by what is often "expected" of them.  Several writers described frustrations with "what you should look like, how you act, how much money you should make to be successful."

6.  The Future:  As if school, college, love, family, friends, and society weren't enough, there was a consensus amongst many of the teens that "the future" stresses them out. One of Stage of Life's high school editors, Amanda, a junior at the Keystone National High School, summed up what many of the teens expressed, "Facing the unknown is a scary thing, and many teens don't have much experience outside of high school, their peer-to-peer social life, and bucket-loads of extracurriculars. When the future is suddenly thrown at us, we're lifted completely out of our environment, and therefore out of our mental comfort zone."

In fact, it was an essay about this stress category that propelled writing contest winner, Lily Nguyen, to stand out from the group of eleven finalists. Her essay, "What Stresses Me Out: the Future", addressed her worries about the future and living up to parental expectations,

"(My mother) and my father had escaped Vietnam during the war, hoping for a better life.  So I can see why they have a 'the sky is the limit' attitude on everything I do. I'm also not saying that it's a bad thing. But on a journey to find a profession that both fills my personal needs and my parent's expectations is where I find most of my stress."

So what can students do about stress?  How can they find positive coping mechanisms for it?

Humera Proctor, eLearning Instructional Designer for LearntobeHealthy.org, the online extension of the Susan P. Byrnes Health Education Center in York, PA, commented, "Writing/blogging is a great way to reduce stress for teens. It gives them a chance to describe what is overwhelming.  And by reading it, they can reflect on how they are feeling and think of ways to solve their problem."

Because chronic stress can lead to long-term health issues, which are the leading cause of death in the U.S., Proctor went on to encourage teens to identify what is causing them stress so they can avoid it (if possible), prioritize their work, get enough sleep, find time to relax, be optimistic while setting realistic goals, and engage in positive coping mechanisms, like writing.

Rebecca Thiegs, M. Ed., Education Consultant for StageofLife.com and current high school Language Arts teacher at Red Lion Area Senior High School in Red Lion, PA, expanded on Proctor's comments,

"We see examples of negative coping mechanisms everyday in the stories we examine in the classroom.  For instance, look at Holden Caulfield or Hamlet.  Both of these literary characters deal with stress in very destructive manners.  At StageofLife.com, we're working to give students a positive outlet, each and every day, to release stress through that process of writing and blogging."

StageofLife.com consolidated many of the "What Stresses You Out?" teen essays on a summary page for review at http://www.stageoflife.com/Student_Stress.aspx along with a link to an informational video about teen stress from LearntobeHealthy.org.

The current writing contest for high school students asks the question, "What are you thankful for?"  National sponsor, KodakGallery.com, is providing the monthly prize and StageofLife.com is offering up SWAG and Featured Blogger status on the site to the next student essay winner.

About Stage of Life™:  StageofLife.com is a free, non-partisan grassroots project hosting blogs, information and resources for teens, Millennials/Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations.  Its specialized content includes lesson plan ideas and writing prompts for Language Arts teachers, monthly writing contests for high school students  and college students, blogging resources, a platform for writers and bloggers to promote their work and much more, including My Life Rewards, an area dedicated to providing relevant coupons and discounts exclusively geared towards each stage of life.

About LearntobeHealthy.org:  LearntobeHealthy.org is an online health education center that has been designed to help educators, teachers, parents, families and the community communicate physical and mental health science education concepts to students K-12 through health educational resources such as games, activities, and lesson plans. LearntobeHealthy.org's web-based kits meet many National and State Health, Science and Technology Education Standards and make health education fun.  It is a part of the Susan P. Byrnes Health Education Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to keeping people WELL!

If you'd like more information about StageofLife.com or an interview with CEO/Founder, Eric Thiegs, please us the Contact Us form on the website or call 717-650-0699.

SOURCE StageofLife.com

RELATED LINKS
http://www.stageoflife.com/
http://www.learntobehealthy.org/

[October 14, 2010]

MOM RANKS #1 ON TEENS' HERO LIST

YORK, Pa., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Move over Lady Gaga. Gandhi and Nick Jonas, please take a back seat. In fact, Oprah, Michael Jackson, and Coach Nick Saban can take the bench as well. In its national essay contest for high school students, StageofLife.com, a writing resource for teens, discovered that “My Mom” is the number one answer given when teens were asked the question, “Who is your Hero?”

2,500+ high school and college students visited the writing contest page, and hundreds of students submitted essays describing their hero. The essays nominated a wide variety of people ranging from Ellen DeGeneres to Todd Beamer (Flight 93 hero on 9/11) to Maurice Jones-Drew to Delta Force Snipers to...Dobby, the House Elf from the Harry Potter Series.

As judges poured over 100,000+ words written about heroes, several insights emerged about today's teens:

1) Teens are inspired by family: Whether it was Mom (#1 most named “hero” in the contest), Dad, Grandparents or a variety of other blood relations, nearly half of the teen essays named a family member as their personal hero, indicating that those closest to the daily routines and life of a teenager often have the best chance to make a positive impact.

As one of the essay finalists wrote her about mother, “Some people may look at a famous cartoon character as their hero, but my mother is my own superwoman.”

Another finalist had this to say about her father in her essay entitled, My Hero is My Knight in Shining Armour, “Of all the superheroes, mythical monsters, and epic warriors of time long past my hero was always right at my side.”

2) Teens find inspiration from celebrities and athletes: The second largest group of nominated heroes fell into the “famous person” category. Essays about Britney Spears, Walt Disney, Bruce Lee, Tyra Banks, Tupac Shakur and dozens of others poured in as many students looked to public figures as their role models.

One student said of rapper, Eminem , “One of [his] most famous quotes is 'Success is my only option, failure's not'. I live my everyday life from this quote. I will never let anyone bring me down, or say I am not good enough.”

3) Teens rely on those around them: While celebrities drew scores of nominations, there was another group nearly just as large – everyday people. These were non-family individuals who come in contact with the student on a regular basis. Teens found heroes in their friends, significant others, coaches, and teachers.

One essay finalists had a creative introduction about a favorite teacher, “An army of rabid school children stand before him. Fueled by teenage angst and enraged by having last lunch, these monsters are ready to devour all who dare to educate them. But one man, armed only with a tome of infinite knowledge, and the legendary sword of 'Expo', awaits these savages with a wink and a smile. That man is (my) World History teacher and my hero”

4) Teens want to change the world: Some of the essays did not name a specific person, but rather a concept or a larger group of people as their hero. From lifeguards to men and women of the armed forces to anyone with a disability, students expressed a need to make a difference in the world, and their heroes reflected that desire. For instance, one student named “Cancer Fighters” as her hero – defined as anyone fighting the battle of cancer.

A blog comment left on the Cancer Fighter essay read, “I wanted to say thanks...because it is like you are saying my mom is a hero to you even though you have never meet her...she is a cancer survivor.”

The winning essay, written by homeschool student, Taylor of Putnam, CT, honored Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, a woman who died in a Nazi gas chamber in 1944, but who was better known for spending her time selflessly teaching children art and other forbidden subjects in the Terezin Concentration Camp.

Taylor's essay shared, “Her story shows that hope can bloom even in the coldest of environments; that creativity can change the world, even if that world is the dream world of a child; and above all that even in the darkest of situations, the kindness and goodness inside of us can find a way to shine.”

In partnership with StageofLife.com, the MY HERO project will also featured Taylor's about Friedl Dicker-Brandeis on MyHero.com.

Margaret Dean, Communications Director for the My HERO Project comments, “Her thoughtful reflection on the character qualities that prompted Friedl Dicker-Brandeis to teach art and bring hope to children during the darkest of times, at great risk to her own life, paints a stirring portrait of the best of humanity.”

As an extension of the hero essay contest, StageofLife.com released its monthly free lesson plan for history and language arts teachers on its education resources section of the website. The lesson plan asks students to define “hero” and leads the class through a series of activities, including a “Hero Walk,” that challenges, refines and/or supports their original hero definition.

Rebecca Thiegs, M. Ed., Education Consultant for StageofLife.com and current high school Language Arts teacher at Red Lion Area Senior High School in Red Lion, PA, stated,

“Archetypal theory applies to so much of history and literature. Teachers will find the application of the hero lesson plan flexible for a variety of texts, and the closure/homework section of the lesson supports our core mission of getting students to write and blog more outside of the classroom.”

StageofLife.com has consolidated many of the “Who Is Your Hero” essays on a summary page for review at http://www.stageoflife.com/Who_Is_Your_Hero.aspx . When asked why she participated in the writing contest by naming Ash Ketchum, college student and essay finalist, Allison, answered,

“I like Stage of Life because it's a convenient forum to share life experiences with others in similar situations, and give/receive advice from people in all stages of life.”

The current writing contest for high school students asks the question, “What stresses you out?” A resource video about understanding stress from LearntobeHealthy.org is available for teens to view, and national sponsor, Shutterfly.com, is again providing the monthly prize. StageofLife.com is offering up SWAG and Featured Blogger status on the site to the next student essay winner.

# # #

About Stage of Life™: StageofLife.com is a free, non-partisan grassroots project hosting blogs, information and resources for teens, Millennials/Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations. Its specialized content includes lesson plan ideas and writing prompts for Language Arts teachers, monthly writing contests for high school students and college students, blogging resources, and much more. Its My Life Rewards® program provides site visitors a wide collection of in-store coupons, shopping discounts and exclusive cruise and resort offers as StageofLife.com provides “Rewards for Life's Journey®.”

If you’d like more information about StageofLife.com or an interview with CEO/Founder, Eric Thiegs, please us the Contact Us form on the website or call 717-650-0699.

30

[September 29, 2010]

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OFFER SOLUTIONS FOR IMPROVING EDUCATION

YORK, Pa. - StageofLife.com/PRNewswire-USNewswire

Teachers and tax payers are surrounded by media buzz on the education debate. From President Obama's Back to School address, to Mark Zuckerberg's $100 million donation to Newark public schools, to the NBC News “Education Nation” summit, to the recent release of the film documentary on charter schools, “Waiting for Superman,” the national conversation over education is heating up. Some would argue boiling over.

However, through all of the hype and hyperbole, little has been gleaned about the student perspective on the education crisis. In an effort to capture the voice of teens on this issue, StageofLife.com, a non-partisan blogging resource, asked a simple question in its recent writing contest for high school students:

“What suggestion(s) do you have to make a positive change at your school or with the educational system as a whole?"

Over 1,500 visited the student writing contest page and scores of teen leaders submitted a response. From the essays, five themes emerged. These student-generated, education solutions could play an integral part of the road map that teachers, administrators, and public policy decision makers use to chart the fate of education in America.

Rebecca Thiegs, M. Ed., Education Consultant for StageofLife.com and current high school Language Arts teacher at Red Lion Area Senior High School in Red Lion, PA, stated,

“The education system in the U.S. needs an overhaul. Students' voices could help find a solution. We've been allowing state and federal mandates to drive what's happening in the classroom and it's not working.”

If student voices are to be heard, five themes were transparent in the teen responses:

1. Focus Less on Test Scores: Students strongly feel that teachers' primary role should be to produce critical thinkers and shape young minds, not churn out test takers. They want the classroom environment to emphasize the learning process versus hammering away on rote memorization or test taking skills. At a larger level, students feel the education system perpetuates a test taking culture verses the advancement of critical thinking, analysis, and passion for learning. One student went so far as to suggest that “multiple choice and true and false tests should be eliminated” as they do not challenge analytic thinkers but simply reward those with a talent for memorization.

2. Get Out of the Classroom: Students desire experiential and out-of classroom instruction. Essay examples ranged from a request for more field trips to the desire for greater access to online courses to some encouraging schools to foster partnerships with community, civic and volunteer organizations as a way to round out a secondary education. As one StageofLife.com student writer aptly put it, “School is not life,” but it should reflect more of it.

3. Refresh Teacher Training: Students feel that many teachers are not trained or equipped to deal with the “Facebook nation.” One teen blogger specifically called for an “Education Renaissance” by asking teachers to “target and talk to students directly”, at a level that will better engage them in the learning process. Another high schooler asked what many students probably feel...when will favoritism stop? These types of issues could be tackled with innovative teacher training addressing the new social-networked-generation.

4. Reduce the Cost of College: The stress of planning for college, financially, has students upset. One student suggested a system of university internships for freshmen based on intended major, vocation or trade to reduce the cost of tuition. Increased involvement from high school schools and guidance offices on the financial aspects of college preparation, in addition to assisting with the admission process, is needed.

5. Combat Peer Apathy: Finally, and most importantly, the writing contest named an ugly truth that for many students is no surprise...student apathy. Essays painted pictures of “jocks who rarely show up for class” or unmotivated burnouts “sleeping on their desks.” While these may seem like gross stereotypes, for teachers, it is often a reality dealt with everyday. However, for an increasing number of high school students - they are fed up with it.

Students are tired of watching their peers waste class time, disrupt the education process, or simply float through the school day disengaged with the opportunity for learning. These disconnected students hamper the learning environment for those that want to be in school. The spark of change to improve this issue will need to come from the students themselves, at a local level. Young leaders must emerge in their schools to hopefully change apathetic cultures and combat classmate apathy.

StageofLife.com has consolidated some of the “How to Improve Education” essays on one landing page for review at www.stageoflife.com/How_to_Improve_Education.aspx

The current writing contest for high school students asks the question, “Who is your hero?” National sponsor Shutterfly.com is providing the monthly prize and StageofLife.com is offering up SWAG and Featured Blogger status on the site to the student essay winner.

[September 2, 2010]

10 Tips for Hiring a Home Remodeling Contractor

YORK, Pa., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the US economy facing the lowest home sale statistics in fifteen years and home values continuing to slide in many regions, it's not surprising to hear that housing trends point towards a large percentage of American homeowners looking to improve and maximize their existing property investment versus buying a new home.  When deciding to undertake a remodeling project however, there are several invaluable tips to keep in mind as you discuss your home make-over with potential contractors.

Through advice and stories shared by both contractors and consumers, StageofLife.com, a blogging resource for homeowners, discovered 10 important tips on how to find a trustworthy home remodeling contractor to help ensure the right person or company is hired for your next home improvement project.

Tip #1:  Does Your Contractor Have Proof of Insurance?
Ask the contractor to have his insurance company mail or fax a copy of his current contractor insurance card to you.  If the contractor can't do this - stay away.   Why?  If there is an accident at your home, you are then liable.   This also applies to any sub-contractor or employee that the contractor may use - those individuals should have active insurance cards faxed or mailed to you as well.

Tip #2:  Did You Check References and See Photos?
Ask for at least three references - with two of them being for the same type of project you are planning - and then call the references.  Additionally, ask the contractor to provide photos of previous work, especially for the same type of project.  If he produces lawn and garden photos and you're planning a bathroom remodel, you may want to check out another contractor.

Tip #3:  Does Your Contractor Take Debit or Credit Cards?
Besides your ability to earn a few points, bonus miles, or cash back on your project, a good sign that a contractor is financially savvy and has a bank behind his business is his ability to take debit and credit cards.  This doesn't just apply to big contracting companies.  Many small, one-man shops will take cards if they have a good relationship with their business bank or credit union.

Tip #4:  Manners and Appearance?
If the contractor drove his vehicle to your home to give you an estimate, take a look at the way he keeps the equipment and vehicle.  Are things clean?  Neatly arranged?  If not - that's a big warning.  The way a contractor treats his tools is a direct connection to how he'll treat your home.   During the initial meeting,  does the contractor present himself in a professional way?  Do you feel comfortable around him or his employees?  They will be working in your home after all.

Tip #5:  Clean Up Policy?
Ask about the clean-up policy.  For example, if your home improvement is a multi-day project, will the contractor be cleaning up at the end of every day or will he leave the dust, wood chips, and other mess laying there for day #2?  The more mess in your home - the more it gets tracked around.  Many homeowners find themselves with mouths gaping wide after the contractor has left for the day and their floors and home are dirty and messy around the project area.

Tip #6:  Will the Contractor Put It In Writing?
Is your contractor willing to put both his bid and the scope of work in writing?  If not - walk away immediately.  You'll be surprised how many homeowners have been duped by contractors who verbally tell you what's included in their scope of work, but will then, in the middle of everything, require extra money to finish the remodel, thus holding you hostage with an uncompleted home project.

Tip #7:  Availability?
Can the contractor get the job done in your timeline rather than his timeline?  There's nothing more frustrating than if a contractor tells you that a job will be done by a certain date and then it isn't .  On the flip side, if you can't find a good contractor that's willing to commit to your timeline, your expectations may be too high and you may need to adjust your timeline.

Tip #8:  Does Your Contractor Use "Subs?"
Does your contractor plan on doing everything himself?  Or will he "sub out" work to the "trades?"  For example, if you are remodeling a bathroom, you may need a plumber, electrician, and carpenter.  It's okay if the contractor subs work out to these specific trades - it shows he wants the work done right. 

Also, it's fair to say that you can expect your contractor to make money off the trades, or other sub-contractors, by marking up those quotes for the project.  That is a standard practice to help the general contractor recover costs in the time it takes to manage the schedule.  If you don't want to spend the extra money on your contractor marking up the trade quotes, then you should prepare to project manage the remodel yourself, but know this may limit your options on contractors willing to work with you.

Tip #9:  Quoting & Billing Procedure?
Ask the contractor about his quoting procedure.  Will it contain general information, or will it be specific?  For example – most contractors will charge you for a fuel surcharge, material up-charges, waste removal, labor, etc.  Some will show you these exact costs in a line item invoice, but others roll it up into one big bill.  How much detail do you want?  You should clarify that with your contractor upfront. 

Also - what is the payment or billing policy?  Is money required upfront?  If so, go back to #1 and #2 above to make sure you have the contractor's references checked and have a copy of his contractor's insurance.

Tip #10:  Did Your Contractor Get the Permits?
Ask your contractor to take care of the permits.  Although permits cost you money, the inspection process is meant to protect you from poor workmanship and to make sure that everything is being built to code.
By following these 10 tips for hiring a home contractor, you'll feel more confident that you've found the right contractor for your remodeling job.

About Stage of Life™:  StageofLife.com is a free, grassroots project hosting blogs, information and resources for teens, Millennials/Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations.  Its specialized content includes housing statistics, lesson plan ideas for Language Arts teachers, monthly writing contests for high school students  and college students as well as baby story writing contests.  In its My Life Rewards® program, site visitors have access to a wide collection of in-store coupons and shopping discounts as StageofLife.com helps provide "Rewards for Life's Journey®."
If you'd like more information about StageofLife.com or an interview with CEO/Founder, Eric Thiegs, please us the Contact Us form on the website
SOURCE StageofLife.com
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[20-August-2010]

Teen Bloggers Outraged By America's Obesity Problem 

YORK, Pa., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teenagers are extremely concerned about America's relationship to food.  In a national writing contest for high school students hosted by StageofLife.com, a blogging and writing resource for teens, high school students were asked, "Do we have an obligation to take better care of ourselves by making changes in the way we eat and/or buy and consume food?"

Teens from all 50 states visited the writing contest page and scores participated by submitting an essay.   As a whole, the teen bloggers passionately spoke out on a variety of ills tied to the 21st century food industry.  Topics ranged from customer observations by a student working at a fast food chicken restaurant to insights that lower-income families often don't have the education, incentive or money to eat healthy.

"Lower socioeconomic groups aren't looking to spend a ton of money at Whole Foods when they can easily go to the nearest fast-food restaurant and pick up the same amount for a lot less," wrote one teen blogger.

Could there be some hope?

StageofLife.com's education and curriculum consultant, Rebecca Thiegs, M. Ed., an honors Language Arts teacher at Red Lion Area Senior High School in Red Lion, PA, thinks so,

"Popular TV shows like NBC's 'Biggest Loser' pull in millions of viewers, and books like Michael Pollan's Food Rules fly off the shelves.  Even independent film documentaries like 'Food, Inc.' and 'Super Size Me' now push the conversation of America's unhealthy relationship with food into the mainstream consciousness." 

Unfortunately, the truth is that obesity in America is nearing an epidemic, and young people are caught in the crossfire.  According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, 32% of US children are overweight and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation states the nation is now in danger of raising the first generation of American children who will live sicker and die younger than their parents' generation.

In an effort to fight these trends, StageofLife.com released new lesson plans on its education resources page for junior high and high school teachers that provide writing prompts encouraging teenagers to think about their relationship to food and the traditions around the family dining room table.  Eating habits develop at home and the website wants to start a dialogue between teens and their parents.

But lesson plans for teachers aren't the only tools being used to help spread the word on the problem.  High school senior, Audrey Keathley from Milton Academy in New York, NY was the StageofLife.com winner for the food essay blog contest and she felt a personal responsibility to share her viewpoint,

"I entered the writing contest because I had something to say about this topic...I encourage more students to try putting their writing out there, because chances are somebody, somewhere is going to want to hear what you have to say."

That's StageofLife.com's hope.  That students will continue to share their voice and weigh in on real topics that concern them, their community and the world at large.

The August 2010 StageofLife.com writing contest for high school students tackles the subject of improving education.  The writing prompt asks teens, "What suggestion(s) do you have to make a positive change at your school or with the educational system as a whole?"

It's a big question, but dozens of the blog entries have already begun to appear.  Teen writers must submit their essays through the site by August 31.  Rules, details and the submission button can be found at StageofLife.com.  Winners receive a gift certificate from Shutterfly.com, SWAG from StageofLife.com, and Featured Writer status on the website.

About Stage of Life™:  StageofLife.com is a free, grassroots project hosting blogs, information and resources for teens, Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations.  Its specialized content includes lesson plan ideas for Language Arts teachers, monthly writing contests for high school students  and college students as well as baby story writing contests.  In its My Life Rewards® program, site visitors have access to a wide collection of direct merchant partnerships, sponsors and coupon offers giving money saving discounts as StageofLife.com helps provide "Rewards for Life's Journey®."

If you'd like more information about StageofLife.com or an interview with CEO/Founder, Eric Thiegs, please us the Contact Us form on the website

SOURCE Stage of Life LLC

Media Contact: Eric Thiegs of StageofLife.com

Web Site: http://www.stageoflife.com

[22-July-2010]
 
DALLASTOWN, Pa., July 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  It's the middle of summer, but high school Language Arts teachers across the US are planning fall curriculum now.  On the first day of class, they will most likely confront three months worth of time their students spent addicted to "constricted writing environments" such as Facebook, Twitter,and mobile texting – mediums that confine the expression of ideas to a limited character count.  By nature, this can lead to students throwing out proper grammar, sentence structure, and other traditional language skills needed for English class and the college application process.  To address this trend, teachers are looking for innovative ideas to encourage their students to write more (not less) during the coming school year.

To help in this mission, StageofLife.com, a blogging and resource website for high school students, released its first installment of lesson plans for Language Arts teachers.  The lesson plans provide writing prompts and describe methods for incorporating blogging into the curriculum for a real-world application to get students writing more outside the classroom.

Writing Contests for High School Students: One of the first strategies outlined in the blogging lesson plans talks about the use of the student writing contests to strengthen traditional language skills.

Laura Li, a student at Mt. Carmel High School in San Diego, was a finalist in a StageofLife.com teen writing contest themed around the environment – a timely topic stemming from the BP Oil Spill.  She heard about the contest from her AP English Teacher,

"My teacher was talking to our class about small actions making big changes in the world. The next day she offered us an extra credit assignment, which was to submit an essay to the StageofLife.com student writing contest.  And since I was also taking AP Environmental Science, I had a lot of knowledge of the environment and thought I would give it a try."

What makes this student writing contest unique, however, is that the entry process sets up each submission as a blog so other contestants and visitors may view, read and comment on the essay. 

Rebecca Thiegs, M. Ed, a Language Arts teacher at Red Lion Area High School in Red Lion, PA and curriculum consultant for StageofLife.com says, 

"The blogging aspect of the writing contest provides an incredibly positive experience for students.  Teens today get instant feedback from their peers, family, friends and others in their social networks.  Teachers should have a resource to provide this same level of interaction as they roll out pieces of their writing curriculum."

The current writing contest dovetails off of the popularity of TV shows like NBC's Biggest Loser and best selling books such as Michael Pollan's Food Rules as it pushes students to examine America's relationship with food.  The contest question asks, "Do we have an obligation to take better care of ourselves by making changes in the way we eat and/or buy and consume food?" 

The winning student of the food essay contest receives a cash prize, website swag, and "Featured Blogger" status.  Entry details and submission guidelines for the high school writing contest can be found on StageofLife.com.  A new contest topic is posted at the beginning of each month.

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About Stage of Life™:  StageofLife.com is a website for today's teens, Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations to share a story, impart wisdom, ask for advice, give advice and find videos, statistics, quotations, must visit websites and other resources tailored to each stage of life from high school to retirement...and all of the major milestones in between.  The site also provides lesson plan ideas for Language Arts teachers and is nationally known for its monthly writing contests for high school students  and college students as well as its collection of merchant partnerships offering money saving discounts helping give visitors "Rewards for Life's Journey."

If you'd like more information about StageofLife.com or an interview with CEO/Founder, Eric Thiegs, please use the Contact Us form on the website

June 2010

DALLASTOWN, Pa., June 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Each month, thousands of students in high school and college visit the monthly writing contest page on StageofLife.com.  Stage of Life LLC, a Pennsylvania start-up, kicked off the monthly writing contest geared toward teen and college students six months ago to provide a national venue for aspiring young writers and bloggers to share their viewpoints and perspectives on a monthly topic that's relevant to students. 

Last month's writing contest topic used the Gulf Oil Spill as the backdrop to ask the question, "What is one behavior you can either change or incorporate into your daily life that will reduce our negative impact on the environment?"  

Scores of essays and blogs were submitted by teens and college students across the US tackling environmental issues and topics ranging from the nation's dependence on oil, waste management, litter, carpooling, and more.  Six finalists were named and the winner, Michael, a high school student from San Diego, who found out about the contest from his AP English teacher, was notified about his winning essay this week by CEO Eric Thiegs.  Michael is receiving a gift card, T-shirt, and permanent status as a Featured Blogger on StageofLife.com for his winning essay addressing the Gulf Oil crisis entitled, "Preserving Nature's Splendor "

Past high school winner, Derek, of Baltimore said, "Though I was thrilled about winning, I'm more thankful that I am now a Featured Writer for the site. The site has taught me that by just being in 11th Grade and having survived two and a half years of high school, I do have something to say. And that's a really empowering feeling to truly believe that you have a voice and that your thoughts matter."

Megan, of Red Lion, PA, another previous teen writer winner, shared in the excitement, "When I found out I won, I was really proud of myself. This time last year, it would have killed me to write that (essay). But my eyes were opened to the love of writing, and having it recognized as a winner was absolutely fantastic."

The monthly writing contest offers a chance for students to share and compare ideas across sensitive or difficult subject matter.  Past contest topics included, "Policy change:  If you could effect political or social policy change in the United States on one issue - what would it be and why?" and, "The 2000's in review:  What would you name the last decade?  The last ten years from a student perspective."

The student writers' essays must be no longer than 500 words and must address the monthly question or topic proposed.  The essays are open for the general public to read and the site also allows for people to rate and post comments or give writer feedback on the individual contest submissions.

The current writing contest question for June uses a USAToday web series entitled Degrees of Difficulty as the backdrop to pose the question:  "What is the most difficult thing (for you) about college?"  

And this is not a hypothetical question.  Stage of Life wants to know.  The June writing contest ends at midnight PST on June 30 and a panel of judges are ready to review the next batch of writing contest submissions.

The organic and viral success of the student writing contest and its subsequent increase of traffic by teen, college and student writers to StageofLife.com has energized Thiegs.

"We didn't know what to expect when we started the student writing contest.  Six months ago, our first topic had maybe a dozen submissions.  This is an organic experiment and when you suddenly have thousands of teens and college students looking at your site AND participating...it's exciting.  We've always been about changing the world, one story at a time, and this is a real chance for students to have their voices heard and their words read about important issues by a growing and diverse audience...and to us, that alone is a prize for aspiring writers."

Sponsorship opportunities for national brands are currently being considered by Stage of Life in conjunction with the monthly student writing contest for the 2010-2011 school year.  

Stage of Life™ is a free website for the generations of today's teens, Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomers to share a story or some wisdom, ask for advice, and get deals and discounts from well known brands and merchants for every stage of life between high school and retirement...and all the major milestones in between.  Stage of Life gives you "Rewards for Life's Journey."

If you'd like more information about StageofLife.com or an interview with CEO/Founder, Eric Thiegs, please contact here

October 2009

Stage of Life Founders, Eric Thiegs and Joe Thiegs, were invited by Spring Hill College assistant professor Michael Piafsky (Asst. Professor of English/Writing) to conduct a webinar for his class about the challenges of running a blogging site, launching and maintaining a blog, and other aspects of the Stage of Life blogging mission. 

The 90-minute session was held live via an interactive web demo through which the entire writing class was able to view and participate in the discussion.

July 15, 2009 – Website start-up, StageofLife.com, will be recognized as one of three finalists in the “Coolest Website” category at Central Penn Business Journal’s 2009 Best of the Web Awards on July 27, 2009.

Stage of Life LLC’s web site, www.STAGEOFLIFE.com, was selected by an independent panel of judges for its functionality and usability; information and content; technical innovation; visual design and creativity; and its overall user experience.

StageofLife.com is a free online community in which users may share their life wisdom, ask for advice, and get deals and discounts for every stage of life from high school to retirement and all the major milestones in between, e.g. college, having a baby, home ownership, raising a family, grandparenting, etc.

“We wanted to build a site that a 16-year-old high school student could quite literally grow old with through his or her entire life.  It’s all about providing ‘Rewards for Life’s Journey’ – whether the reward is information, wisdom or a discount based on your stage of life.” says Eric Thiegs, CEO/Founder

The Best of the Web awards luncheon will be held as part of the Internet Summit event taking place on Monday, July 27, 2009, at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel & Convention Center in Camp Hill, PA from 7:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

The summit will begin with morning presentations from Web experts on topics including social media marketing, e-mail marketing, search marketing and SEO, Web site design, as well as Disaster Recovery & Security. During breaks, attendees will have the opportunity to visit and network with exhibitors. Following the presentations will be a luncheon and the Best of the Web Awards, where finalists will be recognized and the winners of each category revealed. Awards include several industry-exclusive categories, as well as “Best e-Commerce Process,” “Best Use of Technologies,” “Coolest Web Site,” “Web Site of the Year” and “Design Company of the Year."

The Internet Summit and Best of the Web Awards are programs of the Central Penn Business Journal and are sponsored by D&E Communications, Inc., Embarq, Maltese Process Management, and TECHQuest Pennsylvania. For more information or questions about either program, contact Colleen Jones from the Central Penn Business Journal

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