We have very exciting news, renowned speaker and restorative art educator Dominic Astorino can now add author to his titles. Dominic's first book, Postmortem Restorative Art, Principles, Methods and Applications will be released on January 16th in time for the spring 2025 semester. If you have not adopted his Restorative Art book yet, now is your chance. Students will receive e-book access to start the semester if their book will not arrive in time. This restorative art book brings real life examples into the classroom, color photographs and step by step instructions on difficult restorations. This RA book takes our learning to a new level. Your host Prof. Shea has been honored to teach with the preliminary version of this book all semester. Great for both students and experienced practitioners alike. To order your book visit Cognella publishing at https://titles.cognella.com/postmortem-restorative-art-9781793587473?srsltid=AfmBOoox6La5xQ-pLPH2j1-kuKPdGatbeveEpnarud7gSZyCKiD0GSsy.

We sat down with Chase Downs of Gather, one of the industries premiere funeral home softwares that is on the cutting edge of what the industry needs. Join us as we discuss how funeral home software provides value and how the industry has changed and what features you should be using to keep up and be efficient.

Did you miss the NFDA convention this year, get a quick recap of some of the seminars and vendors.

We sat down with Brie Smith of Return Home one of the first Terramation companies in the country as she covers the process, what we can expect and the beauty behind this new form of disposition. Terramation, also known as Natural Organic Reduction or Human Composting is a natural process of converting the body to soil. A very environmentally safe process that promotes new life and the byproduct being soil can be used to plant, garden or to scatter in your favorite location. All the sentimental factors that come with cremation such as jewelry and keepsakes can still happen since it provides a very dry product that does not smell or have the soil consistency until it gets wet meaning it can sit on a shelf or in your favorite locket.

You read that right, the two funeral programs in Massachusetts situated at Community Colleges, Cape Cod Community Colleges funeral program in Bridgewater Mass on the Bridgewater State University Campus and North Shore Community College's funeral program in Danvers are both free to Massachusetts Residents that do not have a prior Bachelor degree or higher. Both institutions still provide a reduced tuition rate to those in New England, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Also check out ContinuingVision.com for your CE credit. Yours truly will be offering the OSHA course so don't hesitate and sign up for this required part of your CE.

We sat down with Bill A Johnston author and owner of Post and Boost as he discusses his new book "The Consumer's Journey to Purchasing Funeral Services: A Marketing Roadmap for Growing Market Share and Revenue"

Join us with Kim Zavrotny from Funeral Professionals Peer Support. FPPS is a non-profit that provides peer-based mental wellness support to bereavement professionals worldwide. Visit funeralpeersupport.com for more information. This is a great program providing free monthly peer meetings specific to students, funeral directors, embalmers, cemetery professionals and other death care employees. Membership includes an extensive EAP program, webinars, 24 access to therapists and much more. Join us as we discuss how funeral service differs from other professions requiring specialized peer support and how Funeral Professionals Peer Support helps.

Join as as we continue the conversation with Faith Haug Department Chair of Mortuary Science at Arapahoe Community College in Colorado. This is part two of transitioning funeral service as we move into how students are today and how the industry will change with them.