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Initiatives to Promote Delaware’s Employee Wellness and Work-Life Balance

Written by Web Admin on October 16, 2024. Posted in Living In Delaware.

Driven by a shifting demographic landscape in the workplace, practices that foster wellness and work-life balance have emerged as pivotal to attracting and retaining talent. Delaware, which was ranked the #1 state for working from home in 2023 by WalletHub, sees its large employers and public policies continually encouraging a healthy balance between professional responsibilities and personal life. By prioritizing wellness and work-life balance, companies and leaders in Delaware employee wellness initiatives are not only enhancing the quality of life for its residents but also establishing a model for other states to follow.

Innovative Employee Wellness Initiatives in the Workplace

CSC, consistently recognized by the Delaware News Journal as one of the top workplaces since 2007, provides corporate services to businesses globally, including over 90% of the Fortune 500 companies. Located in downtown Wilmington, CSC is committed to promoting work-life balance among its approximately 1,350 employees through both traditional means – such as paid time-off, healthcare benefits, and bonuses – and innovative approaches. These include flexible schedules, remote work options, tuition assistance, on-site fitness facilities, health and wellness days, and mental health support services. Additionally, the CSC Gives Back program matches employee charitable contributions, fostering employee engagement with local organizations and strengthening community ties. In 2022 alone, CSC matched over $130,000 in donations to charity, with 58% directed towards organizations supporting social well-being.

Perdue Farms, a family-owned poultry processer with around 5,780 employees in Delaware and one of the largest employers in the state, has garnered recognition for its workplace environment. Forbes named the company one of Delaware’s Best Employers in 2019, and the Maryland Department of Health awarded it a Gold Wellness at Work Award. These accolades are a testament to Perdue’s commitment to employee wellness, highlighted by the innovative Perdue HealthWorks. This comprehensive healthcare program provides associates and their dependents with affordable ($0 co-pay), quality care at on-site Wellness Centers, which offer treatment from headaches and allergies to women’s health and family planning. Plus, all Perdue Farms associates have the opportunity to receive their high school diploma through an accredited online curriculum at no cost as well as continue their education at the Perdue Learning University.

Public Policies Encouraging Delaware’s Employee Wellness and Work-Life Balance

Delaware’s commitment to promoting work-life balance and employee wellness extends beyond the business community. The Healthy Delaware Families Act, signed into law in 2022, paves the way for a Paid Family Leave program within the state. Although not in effect until 2026, Paid Family Leave fosters work-life balance by offering employees flexibility during critical life moments – whether it be welcoming a new child, caring for a sick family member, or addressing personal health concerns. As of 2024, only 12 other states and the District of Columbia have passed a paid family and medical leave program, underscoring Delaware’s support of balancing employee wellness with professional responsibilities.

The Lt. Governor’s Wellness Challenge stands as another testament to Delaware’s commitment to promoting healthy living. This initiative recognizes individuals, organizations, and institutions that not only champion wellness within their communities but also serve as inspirational figures for fellow Delawareans to emulate. An essential criterion for receiving a wellness leadership award is the ability to showcase tangible improvements in the accessibility of behavioral and physical health services throughout the state. By honoring those who strive to enhance the collective well-being, the Lt. Governor’s Wellness Challenge reflects an understanding in Delaware of the importance of fostering a culture that values engagement and wellness beyond the workplace.

Supporting Prosperity

As Delaware continues to emerge as a leader in fostering work-life balance and promoting employee wellness, it’s clear that both the private and public sectors play pivotal roles. From CSC’s innovative workplace policies to Perdue Farms’ comprehensive health care programs, Delaware’s companies are setting benchmarks for how to support employees’ well-being and personal growth. Meanwhile, state initiatives like the Healthy Delaware Families Act and the Lt. Governor’s Wellness Challenge showcase a governmental commitment to creating a supportive environment that values the health and happiness of its citizens. As Delaware continues this path, it reaffirms the importance of adopting holistic approaches to work and life, encouraging a future where well-being is at the forefront of every organization’s ethos.

Delaware’s Strategies for Sustainable Infrastructure

Written by Web Admin on September 4, 2024. Posted in Blog, Living In Delaware.

The growing risk of rising sea levels and more unpredictable weather underscore the critical need for sustainable multi-modal transportation and resilient infrastructure in coastal communities across the United States. Leveraging over $1 billion in federal funds accompanied by state legislation, Delaware is making significant advancements in fostering innovative initiatives to reduce emissions and promote environmentally-friendly infrastructure solutions.

The 2023 Climate Action Implementation Report

As directed by the Delaware Climate Change Solutions Act of 2023, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) assembled the first Climate Action Plan Implementation Report in 2023. This report details a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and maximizing resilience to the impacts of climate change. Significant programs include $44 million dedicated to new bike and pedestrian infrastructure to encourage green transportation and $27 million towards reducing on-road transportation emissions. These investments showcase Delaware’s proactive approach to supporting sustainable transportation infrastructure and will help the state reach its goal of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030.

Electric Vehicles and Alternative Energy

Delaware is also taking strides to encourage green transportation options. The Clean Transportation Incentive Program, complemented by federal tax incentives, offers a cash rebate to Delaware families for the purchase or lease of new electric vehicles (EVs) and for the installation of Level 2 EV charging stations. With 8,000 EVs registered and 281 public charging ports as of October 2023, EV adoption in Delaware continues to grow. Additionally, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) has plans to further this progress with an almost $18 million investment in a network of fast charging stations along major highways like I-95 and Route 1. The state is also on track to convert 20% of its vehicle fleet to electric by 2025, setting a positive example for residents to follow.

Additionally, though still in the preliminary stage, the federally-recognized Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub (MACH2) partnership between Delaware, southeastern Pennsylvania, and southern New Jersey aims to generate clean hydrogen to supply various industries. A key transportation-related component of the proposal is the use of hydrogen-powered vehicles by DART, Delaware’s multi-modal transit system, as well as potential hydrogen refueling stations for long-haul trucks that operate on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Another key alternative energy proposal is a biogas project spearheaded by Bioenergy Devco in Sussex County which received necessary land permits in late 2023 to transform organic waste from the poultry industry into renewable natural gas, or biogas. This biogas will supply Sussex County customers through local utility provider Chesapeake Utilities, supporting the reuse of materials previously discarded.

Resilient Infrastructure

To prepare for the impacts of climate change and invest in resilient infrastructure, DelDOT developed a Resilience Improvement Plan that focuses on segments of the transportation network most susceptible to flooding. This plan provides a roadmap for thoughtful investment in an equitable transportation system, considering both the design and maintenance of roadways to mitigate the impact of adverse climate events as well as evaluating the impact of sea level rise and natural hazards. DelDOT is currently completing an improvement plan along State Route 1 south of Dewey Beach to the Maryland border and will develop a similar roadmap on State Route 9 between New Castle and Kent County.

Delaware is also making critical investments in electric infrastructure. The Grid Resiliency Grants program allocates funding to utility companies for improvements to the electric grid as the transition to electric home heating and EVs increases the strain on the current network. This strategic investment provides $3 million to ensure grid stability and reduce the likelihood of service disruptions. Additional goals of the program include investing in efficient and clean energy infrastructure, supporting work-based learning opportunities, and engaging communities historically underserved by existing energy infrastructure.

Looking Toward the Future

Through strategic investments in electric vehicles, green transportation systems, and resilient infrastructure, Delaware is moving toward its goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build a more sustainable future. While change does not happen overnight, Delaware has an actionable plan to mitigate climate risks while supporting economic development.

This article was originally posted on the delaware online website at: https://www.delawareonline.com/story/money/business/2023/08/23/springhill-suites-opens-near-de-turf-sports-complex-kent-county/70652490007/

Delaware’s Startup Ecosystem: Explore Delaware’s support system for startups, funding, mentorship, and networking

Written by Web Admin on August 26, 2024. Posted in Living In Delaware.

Innovation runs in Delaware’s DNA, dating back at least to the founding of the DuPont company in the early 1800s. Today, the startup ecosystem in Delaware continues to thrive, with support including funding, dedicated innovation spaces, and mentorship and networking opportunities. While not an exhaustive list of all resources for entrepreneurs, the following examples illustrate the collaborative community and active ecosystem that startups will experience in Delaware. Additional sources of support can be found on the Startup Resources page.

Funding for All Startup Stages

From pitch competitions to publicly-funded grants and everything in between, Delaware provides many resources for entrepreneurs to elevate their product or company to the next level. Startup 302 is an annual pitch competition sponsored by the Delaware Prosperity Partnership with a focus on supporting early-stage startups led by founders who are from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds, the LBGTQ+ community, or women. Prizes vary from $3,000 to $25,000 and are awarded as grants. Past winners include Rush Roto, an AI technology and photography company, and Resonate Forward, a medical device technology company, among other winners. TOVOIA

Another funding opportunity is the Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) Grant, sponsored by Delaware’s Division of Small Business. This initiative provides competitive grants to qualified small businesses in Delaware, providing up to $100,000 for STEM-based companies and $50,000 for non-STEM entrepreneurs. Recent winners include Marin’s Med, a prosthetics innovation company in Sussex County, and All Azimuth Solutions, an advanced air mobility startup developing proprietary technology in Kent County.

Additionally, access to venture capital and seed funding in Delaware is also available. For example, Leading Edge Ventures based in the Delaware Technology Park provides seed and early-stage venture capital financing. Leading Edge Ventures focuses on startups based in the Mid-Atlantic region operating in the information technology and medical device field, two industry sectors with extensive networks in Delaware.

Innovation Hubs & Spaces

All good ideas need a place to call home, and Delaware has numerous business parks and incubators dedicated to supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the state. For example, the Delaware Technology Park (DTP) provides development-stage companies in the life sciences, information technology, advanced materials, and renewable energy industries with space, resources, and connections to accelerate their business in three locations near University of Delaware. Since its inception in 1992, more than 75 companies have located at DTP such as QPS, a biotech contract research organization, and Prelude Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical manufacturer.

Another facility that supports innovation and entrepreneurship in the life sciences is the aptly-named Innovation Space, with more than 130,000 square feet of state-of-the-art multi-use lab space. Located within the DuPont Experimental Station in northern Delaware, companies located at the Innovation Space benefit from safe, secure labs of various sizes designed to support biotechnology, chemistry, and materials science research. The Innovation Space also provides critical support elements including access to funding competitions and accelerator programs, encouraging dozens of startups like Versogen, a green hydrogen solution company, and Adesis, a contract manufacturing and development organization with a focus on clean tech.

Mentorship & Networking Opportunities

In a small state like Delaware, networking and mentorship opportunities live around every corner. For example, the Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (E3) is a membership cohort from the Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation aimed at supporting entrepreneurs with mentorship, connections, and collaboration. The top areas of focus include leadership coaching, marketing, ecosystem collaboration, human resources, and finance and accounting. Any stage entrepreneur is welcome to join E3 and benefit from participating in a network of like-minded individuals and potential partners.

Other key networking groups include Tech Forum and DelawareBio. Tech Forum provides resources for tech companies in the Delaware area, including presentations from thought leaders and networking events. Past events include discussions of robotics and the Blue Economy, AI, and cryptocurrency. DelawareBio promotes innovation in the life sciences in Delaware through policy research and advocacy, hosting events showcasing industry innovation, and collaborating with industry, academic, and government partners. Events range from monthly happy hours to day-long conferences focused on life sciences.

All This Plus More

Considering the wealth of funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities available to startups in Delaware, it is no wonder that the state is home to a thriving ecosystem for entrepreneurs across multiple sectors. More resources for funding, mentorship and networking can be found here, as well as information about incubators, accelerators, education programs, and more.

Former Delaware Poet Laureate JoAnn Balingit Receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award

Written by Web Admin on June 16, 2023. Posted in Working in Delaware.

Wilmington, Del. – The Delaware Division of the Arts is pleased to announce that Dr. JoAnn Balingit has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in Literature: Creative Writing to the Philippines for the 2023-2024 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Dr. JoAnn Balingit served as Delaware’s 16th poet laureate from 2008 to 2015. A poet and essayist, her work has been honored with 2022 fellowships in creative nonfiction from the Delaware Division of the Arts and from the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. She received a 2021 Pushcart Prize nomination and was featured in Poetry Magazine’s August 2021 Poetry Podcast. Her poems and essays are published widely.

As an advocate for arts-in-education and community arts access, JoAnn has directed state-wide programs such the Delaware Writing Region of Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for middle school and high school students; led poetry workshops and writing retreats for adults, and has taught poetry writing at the University of Delaware. Dr. Balingit also teaches creative writing classes at New Castle County Libraries for the Creative Aging program, with an emphasis on storytelling through memory work. She has been a coordinator and teaching artist for Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud program for the past 15 years.

“Dr. Balingit is deserving of this prestigious award,” said Governor John Carney. “Throughout her career — and especially during her time as Delaware’s poet laureate — she has shown a passion for sharing creative storytelling with our community. I want to congratulate Dr. Balingit on this achievement and look forward to seeing her future work.”

“Congratulations to Dr. JoAnn Balingit on being awarded the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Dr. Balingit’s selection for this esteemed honor is a testament to her exceptional talent and dedication to the literary arts. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a deep commitment to storytelling and fostering arts-in-education and community arts access. Her contributions as Delaware’s poet laureate and her extensive work in the field exemplify her passion for nurturing the artistic growth of others. We are thrilled for Dr. Balingit and look forward to the valuable cultural exchange and insights she will bring during her Fulbright journey. Congratulations once again on this well-deserved recognition,” said Jessica Ball, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts.

Dr. Balingit’s project, entitled WHAT WERE the NAMES of the TREES? A Memoir, is a hybrid-genre lyrical work about growing up bi-racial in the American South, and coming of age in the aftermath of the violent loss of her parents. Separated from her eight younger siblings, the lonely teen enters adulthood desperate to belong. During her stay in Pampanga Province, she will seek an understanding of her Filipino family history and the forces that shaped her father’s education and environment as a U.S. colonial subject before he migrated to the United States.

With archival research, interviews, and a fuller view of race and empire, especially as it relates to erased Filipino American history, and diaspora, the mestiza writer traces her parents’ lives and her own path of survival to becoming a writer. Most compellingly, she traces how her attitude toward her mixed identify and her father’s legacy has changed. As a poet who experiences language as the richest living tie to a silenced history, during this Fulbright grant she will continue to study in depth her father’s native language and culture, Kapampángan.

Dr. JoAnn Balingit is among over 800 U.S. citizens who will teach or conduct research abroad for the 2023-2024 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Scholars engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs, and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad.

As Fulbright Scholar alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Notable Fulbright alumni include 62 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, 78 MacArthur Fellows, and 41 who have served as a head of state or government. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries – chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential – with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to challenges facing our communities and our world.

In addition, over 2,000 U.S. students, artists, and early career professionals from all backgrounds in more than 100 different fields of study receive Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards annually to study, teach English, and conduct research overseas.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program. In the United States, the Institute of International Education supports the implementation of the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.

For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit https://fulbrightprogram.org.

This article was originally posted by the State of Delaware at: https://news.delaware.gov/2023/06/06/delawares-dr-joann-balingit-receives-fulbright-u-s-scholar-award-for-2023-2024/.

Author: Web Admin