Education

Many socioeconomic pundits have bemoaned the trend in modern education and childrearing toward creating an artificially level playing field where everyone gets a participant ribbon for everything they do, regardless of how much effort they put in or how good (or bad) the results are.

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. — Ikea was joined by journalist and television host Lisa Ling to mark its third annual Life Improvement Project with a $50,000 donation to Save the Children’s early education programs.

In addition to the donation, Ikea provided home furnishings, design advice and manpower to help make over a Family Head Start/Early Learn location in Brooklyn, N.Y., a Save the Children-supported facility which was affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Grants worth $14 million to five nonprofit groups will provide nutritional education and help feed 1.7 million hungry kids this summer and next.

Walmart isn’t the first place that comes to mind as a destination for professional business attire so at first blush it was a bit odd to see the company affiliated with a group called Dress for Success Worldwide.

That said, there is more to Dress for Success than meets the eye which is why Walmart, in keeping with its female empowerment objectives, contributed $500,000 to the organization with week. The funds were presented during a special event held in conjunction with the Walmart Northwest Arkansas LPGA Championship.

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — BJ's Membership Club is celebrating its 200th store opening with its latest location at 5200 Red Tip Road in Fayetteville, N.C. The club will feature a fresh bakery, BJ's Cafe, deli, optical services, rotisserie chicken, tire center, gas station and Verizon Wireless Kiosk. 

Los Angeles -- Regency Centers Corp. has broken ground on Juanita Tate Marketplace, a $21 million grocery-anchored shopping center in underserved South Central Los Angeles.

Anchors include a 42,500-sq.-ft. Northgate Gonzalez Market and a 14,576-sq.-ft. CVS/pharmacy. The remaining space will include small shops, quick-service restaurants and a 1050-sq.-ft. educational community center operated by Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles, a community revitalization group once led by Juanita Tate, who died in 2004.

Houston -- United Commercial Realty Houston has announced three new leases for Houston-area centers:

• Goody Goody Liquor will open a third Houston-area location at Copperfield Village Shopping Center this fall.

• Pink’s Pizza has signed a deal for its fifth area location at the Cougar Den Plaza adjacent to the University of Houston’s central campus.

• Affinity Veterinary will open a clinic at a center located at 19450 Katy Freeway in Houston.

Former Mexican president Felipe Calderón will be one of the key note speakers this fall when the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals gathers in Denver for the organization’s annual global conference.