New Service: Priority Access at Bright Horizons!
UW faculty, staff, and students, upon approval, are eligible for enrollment priority at designated Bright Horizons centers on a first-come, first-served basis. Bright Horizons Family Solutions is a leader in employer-sponsored childcare and early education. Please contact Bright Horizons directly to locate centers in your area, receive information regarding their tuition rates, and potential waitlists. All necessary registration and tuition fees are the responsibility of the family. Once you have decided upon your desired Bright Horizons location, please email WorkLife for priority access approval before registering at Bright Horizons.

Emergency Back-up Childcare
UW WorkLife and Bright Horizons have partnered to provide UW faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students emergency back-up childcare for when a child's school is closed, a childcare provider has called in sick, or you are travelling and have decided to take your child along. Bright Horizons has numerous centers in the greater Seattle area and nationwide ready to provide for these emergent needs. To locate a facility in your area, contact Bright Horizons and let them know your UW affiliation and need. Most accept children 6 weeks to 5 years of age; however, the Bright Horizons in downtown Seattle (Virginia Street and West 8th Avenue) can accommodate children up to 12 years of age. Be prepared to show your current UW Husky card at time of drop-off. The cost is $100 per day, paid by the UW faculty, staff, or student.

UW Summer Youth Programs
Robots and architecture, writing and drama: UW Summer Youth Programs deliver a curriculum that’s academically rich. Your child can take classes in a fun, safe learning environment. Students learn not only from instructors, but from one another, collaborating on group projects and sharing experiences during field trips. One unique program is the Middle School Girls Academy, offering an opportunity for girls to work together in a fun, supportive atmosphere. The “Connections, Reflections, Dreams” class in July focuses on artistic talents and individual intuition.

UW Summer Youth Programs offer all-day sessions for elementary and middle school students and half-day short courses for middle and high school students. Courses run in 2-3 week intervals from June 25 to August 17. Learn more about the Summer Youth Programs or email the program for information. To register, call 206-543-2310.

Need Help Finding Quality Care for Family Members?
UW CareLink offers a referral service that can help you locate professional, quality care for your loved one. You can access the full array of UW CareLink resources through the APS HealthLink portal (use “UW” as the company code to log in and register). Look for the LIVEConnect instant messaging tool in the upper right corner of the home page for access to a consultant who specializes in child, adult, and elder care referral services.

UW Home Improvement Fair is Today
Transform your living space! Drop by the UW Home Improvement Fair on Wednesday, April 11, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Mary Gates Hall Commons to see how you can integrate technology and green resources, transforming your home into a smart, beautiful, and efficient living space. Exhibits include contractors, interior designers, gardening experts, do-it-yourself resources, and more. There will be refreshments, demos, and door prizes, including an iPad! Learn more.

This event is sponsored by HomeStreet Bank, a partner of the UW Benefits Hometown Home Loan Program. All expenses are paid by HomeStreet Bank and participating exhibitors.

Annual UW Police Open House April 18
Bomb Dog Demonstration. Beer Goggle Obstacle Course. Bicycle and Electronics Registration. Where does all this happen? At the UW Police Department Open House, of course! Come see what's going on at UWPD on Wednesday, April 18, from 1–4 p.m. UWPD is in the Bryants Building at 1117 NE Boat Street (west of Brooklyn Ave NE). Award presentations include the Civilian, Officer, and Supervisor of the Year Award and Community Partner Awards. Department tours are offered as well as electronics and bicycle registration. Exhibitors include Seattle Police, UW Medical Center Public Safety, Health and Wellness, King County Sherriff's Search and Rescue Command Unit, UWPD Recruiting, UWPD Victim Advocate, and Rape Aggression Defense Program (RAD). Find out more about our nationally accredited UW Police Department or like us on Facebook.

Join Us for HuskyFest, April 19 - 21
HuskyFest is a free, three-day celebration of the UW's 150th anniversary. Start the festivities in Red Square, the heart of HuskyFest, with live music, giveaways, a scavenger hunt and an Earth Day celebration Friday. On Saturday, the Seattle campus will open its doors to the wider community to enjoy art exhibits, activities for kids, behind-the-scenes tours, lectures and demos, and much more. From microscopes to microphones, we invite you to experience the UW! 

Spring Training Dates Now Available!
The Violence Prevention and Response Training will be held twice in spring quarter, Thursday, April 26, 1 p.m., at Health Sciences D209, and Tuesday, May 15, 10 a.m. at Odegaard Undergraduate Library 220. Please visit the SafeCampus website to register for training.

Hometown Enhancements
Did you know that the Hometown Home Loan Program has been extended to immediate family members of University of Washington faculty and staff? That's right—now you, your parents, and your children can take advantage of reduced fees on mortgages and refinancing anywhere in the Puget Sound region! Over 3,000 faculty and staff took advantage of the program in 2011, representing about 1,600 purchases and 1,400 refinances. Participants saved an average of $1,480 at closing. Learn more.

Do Your "Home" Work
Whether you're soon to be a first-time home buyer, moving up to a bigger home, or starting a remodel or renovation project, do your homework for a successful real estate transaction. Get valuable information about homeownership for all stages by attending free lunchtime seminars offered by our Hometown Home Loan partner, HomeStreet Bank.

• The Path to Homeownership—April 17
• Home Remodeling & Renovation—May 15
• Moving Up: Buying Your Next Home—May 24

Access information and registration.

Homeownership Consultations
HomeStreet's Affinity loan officers are trained to answer your mortgage loan questions. Contact them during business hours to get answers to your questions or schedule a private, half-hour, one-on-one prequalification consultation. Spouses, partners, and anyone else who will be cosigning on the loan are welcome to attend with you. Call HomeStreet's Affinity Lending Center at 206-628-0207 or access the website’s information to register for an appointment.

May is Bike to Campus Month
Get ready to bike to campus during national "Bike to Work" month this May. It's a wonderful time of year to start bicycle commuting and cycling as an active commute option. Throughout the month, Commuter Services and U-PASS will be sponsoring lively events—bike classes, trail party with prizes—to help prepare you and your friends for cycling and to celebrate UW cyclists. Register for one or more events as well as the Group Health Commute Challenge, and download a colorful Bike to Campus poster. Learn more.

MammoVan Appointments Available
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) sponsors a mobile mammography service, "MammoVan," scheduled to roll into various UW Seattle campus parking lots between April 24 and June 1. The MammoVan offers the following advantages to UW employees:

• State-of-the-art technology.
• Appointments are conveniently located just minutes from your workstation.
• Women, 40 and over, who are covered under Uniform Medical and Group Health plans are allowed one screening mammogram per calendar year at 100% from an in-network provider, not subject to the medical deductible. Since SCCA is considered an in-network provider, you pay nothing.
• Scheduling an appointment is fast and easy, and the average appointment time is just 15 minutes.

Access screening information and schedule an appointment.

Peace of Mind While Traveling
If you're traveling this summer, find out how you can protect your health while you're away from home. Knowing your health care options at your destination can give you peace of mind, save you time, and avoid confusion when it comes to possible emergencies. Learn more.

Hearing Aid Options for Hearing Loss
Are you or is someone in your family starting to suffer hearing loss and ready to learn about new hearing aid technology? UW Speech and Hearing Clinic is offering a free informational seminar about today's hearing aid options for hearing loss. The seminar is open to UW employees, family members, and caregivers. Call 206-543-5440 or email the clinic to reserve a space in the next available session on Tuesday, May 1. View event flyer.

Social Security: A Foundation for Planning Your Future
A secure, comfortable retirement is everyone's dream. And now, because we're living longer, healthier lives, we can expect to spend more time in retirement than our parents and grandparents did. Learn what benefits to expect from Social Security and when benefits will be available to you and your family members. Attend the seminar, "Social Security: A Foundation for Planning Your Future," to gain a better understanding of how it and Medicare works. This session is offered on Wednesday, April 25, at UW Tower. Access seminar information and free registration.

Preparing to Retire?
If you're thinking of retiring within the next 12 months, consider attending one of the following workshops to gather information for a sound retirement strategy. Workshops are free and based on your current retirement plan.

• Retiring from UW Retirement Plan (UWRP)
• Retiring from Public Employee Retirement System (PERS)
• UW Supplemental Retirement Plan

Access workshop information and free registration.

Annual Retirement Statements are Available
Annual retirement statements are available online at Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) for UW employees participating in the PERS, TRS, or LEOFF retirement plans. Find out how much service credit (time) you have accumulated towards your retirement, and review the contributions made to your plan. Remember, DRS no longer provides paper statements to its members, so visit the DRS site to register for the online service and download your retirement statement today.

Focus on Your Total Financial Picture
Now that you've filed (or are about to file) your 2011 federal tax return, why not continue to focus on your total financial picture by scheduling a free, half -hour consultation with one of our fund sponsors? Our fund sponsor representatives can help you identify strategies to meet your retirement and financial goals including college planning, estate planning, and wealth management. Sign up for your free consultation—register by phone or online.

Switch to T-Mobile® and SAVE
T-Mobile® is proud to sponsor the UW! Visit the T-Mobile® booth at HuskyFest for special offers, giveaways and a FREE Nokia Lumia 710 Windows® Phone with qualifying plan. (Limited time offer expires 7/10/12, subject to change.)

University of Washington faculty, staff and their families can save over $1,100 a year on their wireless phone plan versus AT&T, plus get added perks! (Classic Premium 3-line family plan with discounts vs. similar AT&T plan)

• 15% discount on monthly, recurring charges
• Exclusive discounts – by phone order only – on the latest 4G smartphones
• Waived activation fee – saving you an additional $35
• Free shipping

To get a great deal on a new Android™, Windows® Phone, or BlackBerry® smartphone: Call 1-866-464-8662 and use promo code 2990TMOFAV or visit T-Mobile online.

UW Employee Discount at Radford Court
Radford Court Apartments is the premier housing option for UW employees looking for a real neighborhood experience while still living close to campus. Located next door to Magnuson Park and Lake Washington, this is the perfect place for an outdoor enthusiast and nature lover. Convenient access to bus lines and the Burke-Gilman Trail makes it easy to travel to campus and back home again. With Radford Court you will find a contemporary and comfortable home in a peaceful and beautiful community. Whoever said life's not a walk in the park obviously didn't live here! Learn more about the amenities and discount offered at Radford Court.

More Discounts for UW Faculty & Staff
Want to see more discounts? Visit the UW Discount Program for a list of ongoing offers.

Professional & Organizational Development (POD) courses are open to all UW employees, subject to supervisor/budgetary approval and UW's release time policy. Please view POD's policy page for additional information.

Creating a Culture of Accountability
Whether you lead a unit or a project group, accountability among all team members is key. Discover a new definition of accountability, steps toward being more accountable, a coaching method that promotes greater accountability, and tools for creating a higher-performing culture. Access course information and registration.

Learned Optimism: Understanding Your Explanatory Style
What are your thinking habits? How we explain events to ourselves plays a huge role in the attitude we bring to work each day and how we impact others around us. Learn new insights about how to respond to setbacks and retool how you interpret the events in your life. Access course information and registration.

POD Webinar: Business Writing for Success
In this live webinar, learn to achieve outstanding results from all your written communications. Explore passive and active voice, subject and verb agreement, appropriate tone, common goofs and mistakes, planning and organizing written material, crafting strong sentences and paragraphs, and more! Access course information and registration.

POD Webinar: Managing and Organizing Your Inbox in Outlook 2010
Acquire innovative techniques for managing your Outlook inbox while taking this live webinar at your own workstation! This webinar covers a variety of features in Outlook, as well as tips and tricks for managing time spent on email, optimizing your communications, and overcoming email overload. Access course information and registration.

Explore Your Options Through One-on-One Career Counseling
As many UW staff members have discovered, career counseling can help you uncover your unique strengths, be more competitive in the job market, or chart a new path for your current or desired career. Sessions are offered through Training and Organization Development Consultant Susan Templeton for $95 per one-hour session if paid with a UW budget number (with supervisor approval) or $109.82 if paid with cash, check, or credit card (due to a mandatory institutional overhead fee). Learn more about this service.

Earth Day 2012
Celebrated in 192 countries, April 22 marks the 42nd anniversary of the annual worldwide Earth Day celebration—a day set aside to inspire awareness and appreciation for the environment. Activities will be held around the Puget Sound throughout the month, including the University of Washington Earth Day Celebration on April 20 in Red Square.

Do your part to make a difference in the world and pledge an act of green: plant a tree, reduce waste, reuse, recycle, use non-toxic cleaning products, or replace your light bulbs with low-energy alternatives.

Consider a gift to a nonprofit organization supporting the environment, including the Arbor Day Foundation, Bicycle Alliance of Washington, Climate Solutions, EarthShare Washington, Nature Conservancy, Rainforest Alliance, or the World Wildlife Fund. Visit the UW Combined Fund Drive donation page to make a donation and support your favorite charity.

UW Libraries Feature Protest Movement and Seattle World’s Fair
During the month of April, the UW Libraries feature exhibits examining Seattle's history of social activism and cultural innovation. Find "Taking it to the Streets: Protests, Strikes, and Activism in Washington State" in the Allen Library's north lobby. View materials drawn from the libraries' government documents, special collections, and microform & newspapers illustrating the long history of protest in Seattle. Examine protest materials on Occupy Seattle (2011-present), WTO (1999), Unemployed Citizens' Councils (1930s), Seattle General Strike (1919), Vietnam War (1960s and 1970s), and IWW Free Speech Fights (1910s).

The "Century 21 Exposition" includes ephemera, design elements, and promotional items from the libraries' collections commemorating the 50-year anniversary of the Seattle World's Fair. The display is housed in the Special Collections lobby, Allen Library, south lower level.