This Week's Facts:

-Explore Your Environment

-Entrepreneur's Guide To  Starting A New Business In Indiana

-Childcare.gov

-E-cycle Cell Phones

E-cycle Cell Phones

If you’re like many other people, you don’t quite know what to do with your old cell phone when you get a new one. Throw it out? Put it in the recycle bin? The EPA has a solution for this conundrum, one that’s much better than a box of old phones hidden in the garage. They recommend E-cycling your phone. This has a triple benefit – you clear out your old phone collection, it keeps usable materials out of landfills, and many donated cell phones are given to charities to be sold at a discount or given to those in need. For example, Verizon Wireless uses old cell phones to provide a helpline for victims of domestic violence and AT&T uses funds from recycled phones to buy prepaid phone cards for active duty military personnel. Other programs take the phones apart and reuse the metals for new products. The EPA page on e-cycling provides links to programs offered by various manufacturers and service providers. Next time you get a new phone, join the over 14 million Americans who recycled their phones in 2007 to help out the environment and your community!

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Friday Facts Editorial Team:

Katharine Springer
State Data Center Coordinator

Elisabeth Hedges
Federal Documents Librarian
&
Kim Brown-Harden
State Documents Coordinator

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The DNR Brings You "Explore Your Environment"

Do you have young patrons whose imaginations often take them on a quest for buried treasure? The Indiana DNR has a treasure map of a different kind, just for kids. Explore your Environment is an interactive map designed to take kids to five different areas: A Long Time Ago, I’m Alive, The Hoosier State, Get up and Go Outdoors, and Let’s Have Fun. Each area takes you to different types of information. For example, clicking on I’m Alive will direct you to the Treasures in the Wild photo gallery. You can also read about different types of wildlife in Indiana, including the alligator snapping turtle and the Indiana bat. The map also has ideas for fun things to do: under Get up and Go Outside, you can get ideas for a scavenger hunt, learn how to build a solar oven, and even learn how to identify different animals and cemetery symbols. They’ve even got indoor play ideas for those rainy days that we are sure to receive in the coming months. Next time your young patrons (or even you!) are looking for something to do, this a great site to direct them to.

Entrepreneur's Guide To Starting A Business In Indiana  

When times get tough, many people look around for new ways to make money. One such way is to start your own business. However, it’s not as simple as setting up shop and waiting for customers to beat down the door – there’s a lot of work and planning that goes into starting a small business. Luckily, the Business Services Division of the Indiana Secretary of State’s office has an Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Business in Indiana. It contains the information that you need to know before starting a business here. For example, there are several different options you have when organizing the structure – you can have an informal association of a sole proprietorship or a general partnership, or you can have a formal association. The latter includes corporations, limited liability companies, and more. All of these have a different set of rules that govern them and use different tax and legal forms. It’s important to know which ones you need! The Guide also has tips for nonprofits and continuing responsibilities once you get your business off the ground. You can access a printable version here. Those looking to start a new business in Indiana will surely find this guide helpful.

Finding Good Childcare on Childcare.gov

The school year is winding down, and for many parents who work outside of the home, that means that it’s time to find summertime childcare. Those having trouble finding someone will be interested in Childcare.gov, a project sponsored by the Child Care Bureau of the US Department of Health & Human Services. Clicking the link for Finding Child Care in your Area directs you to Childcare Aware, a clearinghouse of reputable childcare providers around the country. Childcare.gov is full of good information for parents – you can learn what criteria you should use to choose good childcare, how to pay for it (including assistance and tax credits), and what the licensing laws in your area are. There is also information available in Spanish.
This site is also good for childcare providers. You can read about childhood development, safety, and emergency preparedness. There are also ideas for fun and educational activities as well as tips on staff hiring, training, and development. Finally, those doing research on childcare and child development can use the Researchers tab to find research data sets, publications, and access to funding.