EVERYTHING
FOR YOUR FAMILY
Family News
|
||||
|
Beyond High School Inland Empire program helps youth. Encouraging young people to pursue an educational career path beyond high school can be difficult, especially if they have never been given an opportunity to explore or understand how a secondary education can greatly impact their lives. Over the years, community colleges and universities have started reaching out to middle and high school students, offering them the resources they need to pursue that goal. In 1976, the University of California began its Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP). The objective is to prepare educationally disadvantaged and/or low-income students to become eligible for admission to the University of California. The EAOP provides academic services designed to encourage and motivate middle school and senior high school students to prepare academically for a university education. The program works with parents and the schools to ensure that the students get the most out of school now and in the future. Qualified students in the seventh through 12th grades may participate. These students must demonstrate strong academic ability, qualities of leadership, responsibility and be motivated toward higher education. UC Riverside's EAOP currently serves more than 14,000 students from 155 schools throughout Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties. The program provides services to its participants, including academic advising, career presentations, financial aid, study skills, as well as ACT/SAT workshops. An annual conference, entitled "Education: A Family Affair," is presented by EAOP and is offered free of charge to parents who want to learn more about higher education, financial aid and how to help their children prepare for college. Workshops are offered in both English and Spanish, and explore ways in which parents can help inspire their children to greater academic achievement. Summer residential programs are also available for students. AIM (Advanced Institute for Math) is for those who have successfully completed pre-calculus and have met the academic prerequisites. Project W.R.I.T.E. (Writing, Reading, Instruction Through Education) students are invited to apply for this week-long summer residential program designed to help improve writing skills. MEGA (Mathematics Education and Goals Academy) students who have attended and completed the seventh-grade MEGA classes throughout the school year are invited to participate in a one-week summer residential program at UCR. The summer residential program will include class time, workshops, field trips and recreational activities. Information: UCR's Early Academic Outreach Program, 909.787.4695. - By Julie Engelhardt in Corona Urban Sprawl Inland Empire gets a failing grade A three-year study conducted by researchers from Rutgers and Cornell universities and released by a Washington coalition called Smart Growth America has declared the Inland Empire to be the worst example of urban sprawl in the nation. The report tells of a region where schools and roads cannot keep up with the number of new residents, and where the urban miseries of traffic, pollution and congestion are as bad as they are in any major city. As news flashes go, this will not exactly rank up there on the sudden shock scale for anyone who lives in the Inland Empire. This problem has been growing in plain sight day by day, subdivision by subdivision, and traffic snarl by traffic snarl. Whether one looks at this report pessimistically and sees the Inland Empire as a continually worsening mess, or chooses to see a laundry list of considerable, yet ultimately solvable problems, it is almost impossible not to see that the quality of life here is changing. Whether someone moved to the Inland Empire in search of a safer, less hectic lifestyle, or simply in search of more affordable housing than they are able to find in Orange or Los Angeles counties, they may be coming to realize that life in the area is not what they expected. Professor James Mulvihill of Cal State San Bernardino spends a good deal of time examining how we arrived at this point and what we might do to improve the situation. Mulvihill is chairman of the university's geography department and he sees the problem as multi-dimensional, requiring a broadly based approach to finding solutions. He says that it is not just a matter of more cars on the freeways, but a case of better quality jobs being in one county and more affordable housing in another county. "People know that these issues are combined," he says, "and yet they are still treating them in isolation." n - By Michael J. Medley in Riverside Getting Started...with Michele Piazzoni Researchers at UC Irvine may have discovered a possible link between soy formula and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study, one of the first to focus on soy formula, looked at the high levels of the mineral manganese in soy formula and its effects on rats. (Levels of manganese are 80 times higher in soy formula than in breast milk.) High levels of the mineral caused inconsistent behavior among the rats, while lower doses caused no significant changes. Previous studies have linked manganese to behavioral problems in adults. Low levels are found in nearly all cereals and grains. Although difficult and costly, it is possible to remove manganese from soy formula. 4 Don't put that in your mouth! It's no surprise that babies under 12 months of age are the most common victims of choking. After all, they put just about everything in their mouth. But a recent report indicates that for every choking death there are more than 100 emergency room visits for the same reason. Food remains a major culprit, but nearly 20 percent of the victims under 4 reportedly choked on coins. A one-inch diameter tube (choke tube) is a great way to find choking hazards in your home. Anything that fits in it can fit in your baby's throat. 4 More vaccine updates: A recent Danish study reconfirms that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. In a study of 400,000 vaccinated and 100,000 unvaccinated children, researchers found the same rate of autism in both groups: 3 in every 1,000. (This is a rate comparable to U.S, statistics.) Another study reaffirmed the American Academy of Pediatrics stand on not delaying vaccinations for preemies. Researchers at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis dismissed fears that vaccines might cause respiratory problems and advised that preemies continue to receive vaccines on schedule, as if they were full term. RECALL RECAP Eveready Battery Co. Inc. is recalling its Kidz Club flashlights. The flashlights can overheat, causing the batteries to leak and possibly burn children. The multicolored flashlights are made with a metal barrel and a plastic head. Contact Eveready at 800.669.6394 for a $12 refund. Damo Plus Corp., is recalling its 10-piece school supply sets because they contain razor knives. The blue, pink yellow or purple sets were sold at discount and dollar stores in California. Take the razor knives away from children immediately and return the pencil sets to the store where purchased for a refund. FAMILY NEWS BITES KOKSHOORN EXHIBIT An exhibit of 11 statues by artist Frans Kokshoorn, sculptor of the "Singing in the Rain" statue dedicated to the city of Temecula on September 11, is on display at the Murrieta Public Library through Jan. 31. The exhibit was arranged by the Arts Council of Temecula Valley as a Cultural Exchange between Temecula and Sister City Voorberg, Holland. Kokshoorn has created a series of sculptures depicting people in various poses, including a Mother and Child, a Reader, and the whimsical "Not Interested." Murrieta Librarian Diane Satchwell says, "Any time you bring something unique or culturally diverse to a community you encourage everyone, especially children, to move beyond their normal experiences. Libraries don't have boundaries and it is wonderful to share and create culturally interesting partnerships." Information: 909.304.BOOK (2665). LINCOLN AND THE SOLDIERS The Lincoln Memorial Shrine of Redlands has unveiled a special exhibit entitled "Lincoln and the Soldiers." The exhibit, which runs through Jan. 26, tells the story of Abraham Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief during the Civil War and his relationship with soldiers on both sides of the conflict. The entire west wing of the shrine will be used to display the nearly 100 artifacts and images from the private collection of Orange County collector Charles Bechtloff. "From the very beginning, Lincoln developed a special bond with those men who would determine the fate of not only his presidency, but the nation as well," said Shrine Curator Don McCue. "We are very pleased to have Mr. Bechtloff's excellent materials. His is one of the finest Civil War collections in Southern California." The Lincoln Memorial Shrine is located in Smiley Park directly behind the A.K. Smiley Public Library, which is at 125 W. Vine St. in Redlands. Hours: 1-5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; admission is free. Information: 909.798.7632 or visit the Smiley Library's website at www.akspl.org. BIG LEAGUE DREAMS IN CHINO HILLS Big League Dreams has opened its third sports park in the Inland Empire. Joining Riverside County facilities in Cathedral City and Mira Loma, Big League Dreams Chino Hills Sports Park consists of baseball and softball fields for kids and adult league play. The 30-acre facility is the company's largest to date and includes batting cages, sand volleyball courts, skate park, an indoor soccer arena, tot lot, pro shop and picnic areas. Big League Dreams makes a priority of accommodating local youth baseball and softball leagues. Their claim to fame has been to design their playing fields as replicas of past and present major league ballparks. In Chino Hills, players will be able to take the field in scaled-down versions of, Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Chicago's Wrigley Field, Brooklyn's Ebbets Field, Cincinnati's Crosley Field, and Detroit's Tiger Stadium. The sports park is located at 16333 Fairfield Ranch Road in Chino Hills. Information: 909.287.6900 or visit the company's website at www.bigleaguedreams.com. - Reported and compiled by Inland Empire Family Magazine staff and contributors |
||||
RSS Subscribe
Digg This ArticleSEARCH THE SITE
