OUR COMPANY

Twistedpropsandcostumes.com brings the fast, fun and friendly service experience customers expect from Twisted Props & Costumes (TPC) online. Since our company opened its doors in 2001, the goal has been to give customers the best products and services at the best value and to give generously to the communities where TPC does business. TPC has always counted on friendly, energetic team members to help keep the promise every day.

Our School Fundraising program is an easy way for schools to raise money. We recently started this program to give back to our schools within our community.

You can designate a school online, or call 1-954-798-2729.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, all of us are dealing with grief, sadness, tension, anxiety, fear, anger and other strong emotions. David Walsh, Ph.D. gives valuable tips on Dealing With Disaster.

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MEDIA EDUCATION AND LITERACY RESOURCES

The goal of the National Institute on Media and the Family (Institute) is to provide resources for educators, parents, community leaders, and others concerned about the ever-increasing impact of media on children, families, and communities. The following is a list of other organizations concerned with media education and media literacy issues. Continue to check our website for new sites and resources.

The resources listed are organizations separate from the Institute. The Institute does not endorse, nor does it assume liability for the currency, accuracy, or availability of any information on these sites.

 

  • American Academy of Pediatrics is committed to the attainment of optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being of all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. This site also includes "A Minute for Kids" a library of audio tapes, and "Media Matters" a national public education campaign.

 

  • The members of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) work to improve the quality and standards of individual and family life through programs that educate, influence public policy, disseminate information, and publish research findings. The members of the association work to empower individuals, strengthen families, and enable communities. Membership includes elementary, secondary, post-secondary, and extension educators and administrators; other professionals in government, business and nonprofit sectors; and students preparing for the field.

 

  • American Psychological Association - "Violence on TV: What Do Children Learn? What Can Parents Do?" is a research-based paper that discusses the thesis: Violent programs on television lead to aggressive behavior by children and teenagers who watch those programs. This site also provides resources for educators, scientists, practitioners, mental health specialists, professionals, parents, teens and the media.

 

  • TheAntiDrug.com  - ONDCP's flagship anti-drug Web site for parents/families, this online resource is featured on all national advertising for the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. It provides high-impact drug education and prevention information, stressing that parent/caregiver presence in a child's life is the best deterrent to drug abuse. The site's content is built around 4 tenants: Truth, Honesty, Love, and Communication. TheAntidrug.com was also named one of USA Today's 'Sites of the Year- 1999.'

 

  • AskERIC and Parents AskERIC - AskERIC is an Internet-based information service for educators, parents, and anyone else interested in education. AskERIC is operated by the ERIC system and coordinated by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology in Syracuse, New York. AskERIC includes an e-mail question-answering service and the AskERIC Virtual Library. Parents AskERIC responds to questions on child development, child care, parenting, and child rearing. This link is through the National Parent Information Network (see below).

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  • Center For Educational Priorities - A nonprofit advocacy and education group with a mission of bringing national attention to the priorities of education in all areas of American life, especially the media. They have a special emphasis on television violence.

 

 

  • Center for Media Education- The Center for Media Education (CME) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of electronic media. CME fosters telecommunications policy-making in the public interest through its research, advocacy, public education, and press activities. The center’s two current projects are Campaign for Kids’ TV, aimed at improving the quality of children’s television, and the Future of Media Project, dedicated to fostering a public interest vision for the emerging 21st century information highway. Address: 1511 K Street, NW, Suite 518, Washington, DC 20005. Phone: (202) 628-2620.

 

  • Child411.com - A site promoting the consultation services of Southern California Pediatrician, Paul Horowitz, MD. He is a resource whose services are used by the media and others. 

 

  • Childcare Provider Resources - The Childcare Provider's Internet Resource Center. Check out our listings of information, products, and services available to childcare providers.

 

  • Child & Family WebGuide - Tufts University: A directory of Web sites that contain credible research-based information about child development. The sites, which are useful for parents, professionals, and students, have been evaluated by experts from Tufts University. Topics include family/parenting, health/mental health, education/learning, typical development, childcare/daycare, and activities by region.

 

  • Children First - The website of the National Parent-Teacher Association. The PTA is the oldest and largest volunteer association in the United States working exclusively on behalf of children and youth. For 100 years, the National PTA has promoted the education, health, and safety of children and families.

 

  • Children's Defense Fund [CDF]- A private, nonprofit organization which exists to provide a strong and effective voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves. CDF's goal is to educate the nation about the needs of children and encourage a preventive investment in children.

 

  • Childwatch International Research Network - A network for institutions and individuals involved in research on children with the aim of initiating and coordinating research and information projects on children's living conditions and the implementation of children's rights. One of Child watches priorities since 1993 has been an international project on children, media, and violence.

 

  • The Christian Media Literacy Institute - Equips parents and educators to teach media evaluation in light of Christian values. We proclaim the Gospel of Christ as we sensitize children and adults to the issues of media literacy.

 

  • Connect for Kids is a virtual encyclopedia of information for adults who want to make their communities better places for kids. The award-winning Web site, e-mail newsletters, radio, print and TV ads help people become more active citizens—from volunteering to voting.

 

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  • Dads and Daughters - The national nonprofit organization for fathers and daughters. DADs provide tools to strengthen father-daughter relationships and to transform the pervasive messages that value girls more for how they look than who they are. DADs’ website offers resource and research links, parenting tips, presentation and free Healthy Body Image curriculum information, sections on media literacy and media monitoring, and more.

 

  • Freevibe.com - Produced in partnership with Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) Offers drug education and prevention information vetted by the National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI), message boards, games, and celebrity news. The 'Lowdown' section of this Web site provides an extensive database of information on particular drugs that our youth audience is able to comprehend. The goal of Freevibe is to provide positive peer reinforcement and highlight the benefits of a drug-free lifestyle. Since it's launch in March, the Web site has averaged close to half-a-million page views per month.

 

  • Freevibe Teacher's Guide - Created with educators and behavioral experts, this truly unique guide provides teachers with classroom activities and teaching tips to help prevent students from using drugs. The Freevibe Teachers' Guide is based on the popular Freevibe Web site that promotes drug-free lifestyles for adolescents.

 

  • Grandsplace - For grandparents, aunts, uncles, step-parents and foster parents who are raising children they did not give birth to; they are raising children for one reason or another. Being a parent the second time around is not an easy task and this wonderful site discusses the many issues involved with being a "grandparent." They provide GrandPlace Resources, Legal Resources, GrandPlace Connections and Everyday Living.  They also have a site "just for kids:"

 

  • LifeSkills 4 Kids - This website and its newsletters provide first-rate resources for educators and parents teaching life skills to children in grades K-6.

 

  • The Lion & Lamb Project - Website works to reduce the marketing of violent toys, games, and entertainment to children.

 

  • www.MyChildHas.com - A website for parents whose children have a disease in common. They can share their experiences and comments. It was created by D & A Communications, Inc. The president of that company is a Pediatrician, Paul Horowitz, MD, FAAP. His Practice is in Southern California. The site includes useful information, message boards, and more.

 

  • Mediascope - A national, nonprofit public policy organization founded in 1992 to promote constructive depictions of health and social issues in the media, particularly as they relate to children and adolescents. A principal objective of the organization is to encourage accurate and responsible portrayals—in film, television, the Internet, video games, music and advertising—without compromising creative freedom. Mediascope addresses a variety of topics relating to the media... including media ratings, teen sexuality, children's television, diversity, media violence, effects of video games, artist's rights and responsibilities, and substance abuse.

 

  • MediaChannel - A nonprofit, public interest Web site dedicated to global media issues. MediaChannel offers news, reports, and commentary from our international network of media-issues organizations and publications, as well as original features from contributors and staff. Resources include thematic special reports, action toolkits, forums for discussion, an indexed directory of hundreds of affiliated groups and a search engine constituting the single largest online media-issues database. MediaChannel is concerned with the political, cultural and social impacts of the media, large and small. MediaChannel exists to provide information and diverse perspectives and inspire debate, collaboration, action and citizen engagement.

 

  • Media Literacy - Intended to create a cultural revolution around media. This site contains research, information, and materials about media literacy.

 

  • The Media Literacy Clearinghouse - The website contains numerous articles, background and lesson plans designed to help K-12 teachers integrate media literacy into classroom instruction.

 

 

  • National Council on Family Relations - NCFR was founded in 1938 by sociologist Ernest W. Burgess, attorney Paul Sayre, and Rabbi Sidney E. Goldstein. NCFR is non-profit, nonpartisan and fully member-funded. Researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers from all family fields and disciplines share knowledge and information about families. For over 61 years, NCFR has linked multi-disciplinary family professionals through its journals, conferences, state affiliate councils, and special interest sections.

 

  • National Parent Information Network (NPIN) - A project sponsored by two ERIC clearinghouses: the ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City; and the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; all other ERIC system components are also contributors and participants. Many collaborating organizations provide information resources to NPIN and promote the use of NPIN among their constituencies. The purpose of NPIN is to provide information to parents and those who work with parents and to foster the exchange of parenting materials.

 

  • PEDINFO - lists articles, user groups and information for parents to use including an exhaustive list of links to other sites. Dr. Andy Spooner set up the homepage to help disseminate the large amount of information available to help parents and pediatricians learn more about the issues facing their children.

 

  • Public Interest Council  - Helps further the development of sound public policy by taking part in the dialogue advanced by the Advisory Committee on Public Interest Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters (otherwise known as the Gore Commission). This site will be a source of information about the Gore Commission, as well as a forum for news and commentary.

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  • Search Institute - For resources on positive youth development and the 40 Developmental Assets from Search Institute.

 

 

  • Teen Futures Media Network - A media literacy/advocacy training, service and research network based in the College of Education at the University of Washington. The Network's website teenhealthandthemedia.net is a virtual meeting place for groups, organizations, and agencies who share a strong commitment to supporting the teen voice. Using media as a hook to engage teen attention to significant life issues, the Network's purpose is to (a) encourage and make use of youth-produced media messages teens talking to teens (b) foster collaborations among agencies, organizations, and individuals working with teens and (c) provide a repository of multimedia resources for parents and adults who work with children and youth.

 

  • TVTurnoff Network - TV: Come discuss it, learn more about it, and see how others have turned it off. TV-Turnoff Network helps children and adults to watch much less television in order to promote healthier lives and communities. Our two primary programs, National TV-Turnoff Week and More Reading, Less TV, have helped millions of Americans turn off the TV and turn on life.

 

  • WebSmart Kids A nonprofit educational initiative that helps families use the Internet safely and effectively. The WebSmart Kids site includes an interactive questionnaire that lets parents gauge their knowledge of the Internet, media literacy and Internet safety. It also teaches parents about media literacy and how to help their children apply media literacy skills to the Internet. This includes giving parents and their kids a hands-on experience in learning about the Internet and the many messages it sends through activities they can do online together.