UW Home Improvement Fair April 11
Appreciate and adapt your home at any stage! Whether you want to renovate, remodel, refinance, or are just now taking the first steps towards buying a home, you’ll find lots of expertise for “Building Your Future.” Exhibitors include contractors, interior designers, gardening experts, and do-it-yourself resources. Refreshments, demos, and door prizes including an iPad! Learn more about this fair.

Drop by the UW Home Improvement Fair on Thursday, April 11 between 10 a.m.–3 p.m. at HUB Lyceum, room 160.

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.

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course at IMA
Mindfulness is the practice of sustained focus, self-exploration, and self-liberation with an accepting, open, and kind attitude. Practicing mindfulness can produce calmness and expanded awareness. A course on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is being offered at the Intramural Activities Building on Wednesdays from April 17–May 29 from 5:45–8:15 p.m. Class includes a retreat on May 18. This is offered at $120 as a benefit to faculty, staff, and students. Learn more about MBSR and the instructor, UW Medicine Professor Emeritus Dr. Richard Berger. You may also attend a free informational session on Wednesday, April 10 in the IMA conference room from 5:45–6:15 p.m. Access registration information online. Registration deadline is April 15. An IMA membership is required. For more information contact Fitness Coordinator Anne Garrett at annegarr@uw.edu.

UW Botanic Gardens Youth Programs & New Preschool
The UW Botanic Gardens Washington Park Arboretum brims with life all year. Choose from warm weather youth programs and a new preschool, The Fiddleheads Forest School: A Nature Preschool, opening in September, 2013. At Fiddleheads, your preschooler will explore the Arboretum through all the senses. They’ll search for bugs in the forestland, listen for birds in the wetlands, smell flowers in the Winter Garden, and taste ripe huckleberries. Fiddleheads Forest is a 10-month preschool with two class options. Access Fiddleheads information and registration.

This spring and summer, offerings at the Arboretum include a badge programs for Girl Scouts, a unique, nature-based, seven-week summer camp, and a free, fun-filled afternoon of nature connection in celebration of Earth Day on April 20 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Visit the Arboretum website to plan for all activities.

MammoVan Appointments Available
Take advantage of the “MammoVan” for your next routine mammogram! The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance MammoVan is a customized, mobile breast imaging clinic bringing the latest technology in digital mammograms to you at your workplace. The average appointment time is just 15 minutes. Convenience, state-of-the art technology, and exceptional quality are the reasons why women choose this service.

The MammoVan is scheduled to visit on Tuesday, April 23, at parking Lot W-13 between University Street and Brooklyn Avenue NE, with the first and last appointments starting at 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. respectively. Access screening information and schedule an appointment.

May is “Bike to Campus” Month
Get ready to bike to campus during national “Bike to Work” month this May. It’s the perfect time of year to start bicycle commuting as an active commute option. Throughout the month, Transportation Services and UW bikespace will be sponsoring fun events such as bike classes and trail parties with prizes to help prepare you and your friends for this cycling celebration. Register for one or more UW events as well as the 2013 Commute Challenge presented by Adobe, and download a colorful Bike to Campus poster. Learn more about Bike to Campus.

UW bikespace
If you bike to campus or are bike-curious, UW bikespace is for you! Check out the upcoming bike classes and webinars brought to you by UW bikespace:

• Getting Ready for Bike to Campus Month (April 16)
• Economic Benefits of Walkable and Bike-Friendly Communities (April 17)
• Fix-A-Flat Lab (April 24)
• Bike Maintenance 101 (May 1)
• Intro to Bike Commuting (May 7)
• Rules of the Road (May 14)
• Fix-A-Flat Lab (May 21)
• Basics of Bike Camping and Touring (May 28)

Peace of Mind While Traveling
If you're traveling this spring or 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 about traveling safe.

Lunchtime Workshops in the UW Tower Auditorium
WorkLife and UW Carelink are excited to offer numerous opportunities for your personal development. A series of free in-person workshops and two webinars, available only to UW employees, will be offered over the next few months. Feel free to bring your lunch to the in-person sessions, or sit at the comfort of your own desk for the webinars. Either way, we look forward to your participation. The first sessions are coming up quickly.

Workshops:

• Making a Life While Making a Living: Work-Life Balance, Tuesday, April 16, noon–1:00 p.m.
• Dealing with People Who Are Difficult, Wednesday, May 22, noon–1:00 p.m.
• Avoiding Burnout and Restoring Balance, Tuesday, June 11, noon–1:00 p.m.

Webinars:

• The Art of Listening and Giving Feedback, Wednesday, April 24, noon–1:00 p.m.
• Maximizing Your Day: Effective Time Management, Wednesday, May 8, noon–1:00 p.m.

Find all events offered on the WorkLife Events page.

Buying a Condominium
Learn the pros and cons of condo ownership, how to find the right community, and how to secure the right financing. Attend this free lunchtime seminar on April 16 at Seattle’s UW Tower. Access event information and registration at the HomeStreet website.

Free Individual Home Ownership Counseling
The Hometown Home Loan Program is here to help make your dream of home ownership a reality. Schedule a free, private, half-hour, one-on-one counseling appointment with a HomeStreet Affinity loan officer to discuss your home ownership options. Spouses, partners, and anyone else who might be on the loan are welcome to attend with you. HomeStreet is scheduled to visit the following campus locations: April 18 at Tacoma, April 24 at Bothell, April 22 and May 20 at Seattle, and May 22 at Health Sciences. Access event information and registration at the HomeStreet website.

Refinancing & Using Home Equity
When is the right time to refinance a home? Learn the advantages of using cash from your home, how to consolidate or avoid consumer debt, and how to distinguish the difference between a home equity loan and line of credit. Attend this free lunchtime seminar on May 14 at Seattle’s UW Tower or on May 16 at UW Bothell. Access event information and registration at the HomeStreet website.

Home Buying Advantages for the Whole Family
Did you know that the Hometown Home Loan Program (HTHL) is open to immediate family members of UW faculty and staff? That’s right, you, your parents, and your children can take advantage of reduced fees on mortgages and refinancing anywhere in the Puget Sound region! In fact, over 3,100 faculty and staff took advantage of the program last year, representing over 1,600 purchases and 1,500 refinances. Participants saved an average of $1,536 at closing. Learn more about HTHL.

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

Last Chance for Support Professionals Spring Retreat
Space is limited—register now for this April 22 event for UW support staff! Relax, reflect, and recharge as you attend workshops, connect with peers, and take a day to focus on you. Workshops cover a variety of topics, including motivation, self-care, time management, email etiquette, and leadership skills. Access event information and registration.

Assessing Your Career Fit
Two assessments completed prior to class lay the foundation for this full-day course. Receive a personalized career report that interprets your Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Strong Interest Inventory results, and then explore occupations and work roles that might be a good fit, as well as ways to identify a good career match and enhance your work/life balance. Access course information and registration.

Cultivating Cultural Competence
This one-day class brings a light touch to a seemingly heavy subject. Through experiential learning in a nonjudgmental setting, develop positive strategies to handle the interpersonal issues that can arise from cultural differences and to increase your cultural competency. Access course information and registration.

Kaizen Methods & Practice
Sometimes the little things mean a whole lot. Kaizen offers a way of thinking that encourages a holistic sense of seeing, understanding, changing, and verifying good work processes—and the key is learning how to regularly make small changes that increase productivity and eliminate waste. Access course information and registration.

Be Your Own Tech Support with POD Webinars
Need to improve your computer skills? Help yourself through dynamic live webinars on a variety of tech-oriented topics. Spring offerings include Microsoft Excel PivotTables and Macros, Google Analytics, Microsoft Visio Techniques, and Emerging Collaboration Technologies: Blogs, Wikis, SharePoint, and More! Access webinar listings and registration.

“Spring Clean” Your Career through One-on-One Counseling
Is it time to dust off your résumé and toss out your old ideas about your career? Training and Organizational Development Consultant Susan Templeton can help you polish your job-search and interviewing skills, unearth your unique skillset, and add some sparkle to your success and satisfaction at work. Sessions are $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.

Quarterly Market Update for Active Investors
Have recent changes in the financial markets impacted your investment strategy? Do you enjoy keeping a pulse on the market? Join us for an exclusive look at what's driving the economy, the financial markets, domestic and international stock performance, and bond market interest rates. Attend a free Quarterly Market Update on Wednesday, May 1, at the UW Tower Auditorium, room 403. Presented by Fidelity Investments. Access event information and registration.

Focus on Your Total Financial Picture
Now that you’ve filed (or are about to file) your 2012 federal tax return, why not continue to focus on your total financial picture by scheduling a free, half-hour consultation with Fidelity or TIAA-CREF? 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.

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. Remember, you must apply for PEBB retiree benefits (or deferral of your insurance) within 60 days after UW-paid or COBRA coverage ends. If you miss that deadline, you’ll have to go back to work to re-qualify for PEBB retiree coverage.

The following workshops are free and based on your current retirement plan and/or eligibility:

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

Access workshop information and free registration.

SafeCampus Training
One way you can contribute to a safe work environment is to learn how to recognize behaviors that could lead to violence and what to do when you are concerned. SafeCampus offers a free, 50-minute training for all members of the UW community. Upcoming training sessions include: Wednesday, April 24, at 2 p.m. in the Allen Library Auditorium and Thursday, May 16, at 9 a.m. in the UW Tower Auditorium.

Walk Safely at Night
Concerned about walking alone at night on campus? The UW offers multiple services: Husky NightWalk, NightRide and UWMC Public Safety Escorts.

Husky NightWalk is a walking escort for students, staff, and faculty. Uniformed security guards provide a safety walk to and from campus locations, including all residence halls, between 6 p.m.–2 a.m. year round; hours may alter during months of later darkness. Call 206-685-WALK (9255) to request an escort.

Free with a U-PASS, NightRide shuttles operate Monday through Friday from 8 p.m.–1:30 a.m., excluding University holidays. NightRide does not operate during summer quarter. All shuttles are wheelchair accessible and operate every 20 minutes; every 30 minutes after midnight. Schedules are posted at each of the NightRide stops. Visit the NightRide website for more information or email shuttles@uw.edu. You can also track the shuttles in real time on your smartphone by downloading the Ride Systems app from the iOS or Google Play stores.

Hospital Public Safety Officers provide escorts to nearby parking lots for UW Medical Center employees from the main entrance on the third floor. This service is provided for free from 3:30 p.m.–6 a.m., seven days a week. For more information, contact the UWMC on-duty security officer at 206-598-5555. A van service is also available for free from 5 p.m.–1:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, and the pick-up point is also the main entrance on the third floor.

Celebrate Earth Day on April 22
You’re invited to participate in Nature Conservancy’s Earth Day celebration. Join millions for the “All Hands on Earth" project by participating in any or all of the following activities, and even earn points and badges:

• Picnic for Earth—Join or host a picnic and celebrate our planet, food, and people in the great outdoors
• Trashless Lunch—Use reusable containers and utensils
• Start Birding—Get some binoculars and a bird guide, take a walk, and use the Internet to find great bird-watching locations
• Clean Green—Use green products such as baking soda and vinegar, along with reusable cloths and sponges, to eliminate toxic chemicals and reduce trash
• Short Shower—Every five minutes in the shower uses 20 gallons of water
• Recycle Batteries—They're full of heavy metals and toxic chemicals, so recycle them
• Kids Clothing Exchange—Exchange used clothing and you will reduce the amount of resources and chemicals used in making new ones
• Take in the Trash—Head out on a walk and pick up any trash you see along the way
• Use Reusable Bags—Each year, approximately 100,000 sea turtles and other marine creatures are harmed or killed by plastic in our oceans

Nature Conservancy is one of the more than 3,800 charitable nonprofits that are part of the UW Combined Fund Drive. Visit All Hands on Earth for more information.

Wishes in Flight Drive Results
Thank you to all those who contributed to the UW Combined Fund Drive Wishes in Flight airline miles drive. Thanks to you, we raised an amazing 701,147 miles! Your generosity will make wishes come true for children living with life-threatening medical conditions.

Low Cost Exercise Safety Gear
Have fun and be safe while you exercise! Check out low-cost bike accessories including lights and locks offered by the Student Health Advisory Quorum (SHAQ), a registered student group comprised of peer health educators that promote safe exercise. SHAQ also sells pedometers and reflective vests for walking and helmets for biking, skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, and rollerblading. Contact SHAQ at 206-350-9599 or shaq@uw.edu to make your purchase. Learn more about SHAQ.

View more discounts listed at the UW Discount program.

Take a Break
See what UW’s BFA students have been working on at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery this month. From April 2–12, graduating students in the Photomedia program will exhibit their work. The gallery features work from the Interdisciplinary Visual Arts program from April 16–26. See work from the Painting and Drawing program on display from April 30–May 10. The Jacob Lawrence Gallery is located in the Art Building. Hours are normally Wednesday–Saturday, 12–4 p.m.