Dothan City Schools Presents YES WE CAN Parent Involvement Summits

Dothan City Schools in collaboration with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s Urban Affairs and New Nontraditional Programs unit is conducting two parent involvement summits this month. The first summit was Tuesday Oct. 21 at Northview High School. The second summit is Tuesday, Oct. 28 from 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Dothan High School.

“The purpose of these summits is to increase academic support for all students enrolled in the Dothan City School System, said Rosalind James, an urban regional Extension agent. “Our ultimate goal is to help students from pre-K through 12th grade succeed in learning.

James serves on the YES WE CAN Leadership Team in Dothan. YES WE CAN is a grassroot program designed by the Mobile County School System in an effort to empower the community to support public education and to improve academic progress for all young people in the Mobile County School System.

The YES WE CAN Leadership Team has had more than 40 community conversations reaching more than 1,000 local citizens since June 2008, listening to citizens express their views on how to improve public education and get more parent involvement in it.

“With the support of parents, community leaders, business, social service agencies, civic and service organizations, we will work together to help reduce the school dropout rate; to increase positive communication skills between parents and teachers; to increase effective communication between school staff, students, parents and teachers; to provide parents with tips relating to special needs children, communicating effectively with teenagers, tutorial services and scholarships and how they can help prepare their children for graduation,” James said.

Experts in the educational field from the State Department of Education, Washington, D. C., Auburn University and much more, will provide parents with practical learning tips to help their children’s academic growth and with ways to build school support.

Session topics include the following: cyber net training for parents; how do you know if your child is learning; understanding data; YES WE CAN program; mega skills training for teachers; communicating with your teenager; getting financial aid for college; types of financial aid; graduating seniors scholarship programs; is your child ready for graduation; helping a special needs child to succeed in school; building school support; building male achievers; pre-k ABC’s to success in school; how to communicate with your school K-5 elementary, middle school and high school; Dothan City Schools address parent needs; a conversation with parents only; and a parent resource fair.

Each summit will open at 5:30 p.m. and refreshments will be served from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Two Disney Cruise family vacations -- four days and three nights in the Bahamas for a family of four -- will be given away at each summit. Participants must be present to win! The cruises are sponsored by Mike Schmitz Automotive Group.

Free childcare services will be provided for children 5 years and younger. Parents can register by contacting Rosalind James, urban regional Extension agent at (334) 794-4108.

Social service agencies and businesses that support parents, children and families will have exhibits at the Parent Resource Fairs. There is no exhibit fee and each exhibitor must provide a door prize valued at $50. To register as an exhibitor, contact James at (334) 792-4108.

The summits are sponsored by Dothan City Schools, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, tThe Wiregrass Foundation, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Mike Schmitz Automotive Group, Wachovia Bank, Landmark Park PTO and Northiview High School PTO.

Lauderdale County 4-H Holds Outdoor Sports Activity Day

While many youth are interested in outdoor sports, such as shooting sports and archery, their parents lack the finances, time or facilities needed to participate in these activities. To meet that need, Lauderdale County 4-H holds Outdoor Sports Activity Day annually in October. The event has five stations through which the participants rotate. At each station, the participants get a safety demonstration related to the particular sport and then try their hand at it. This year’s event was held Saturday, Oct.18.

Several community organizations and businesses helped sponsor the event. The Muscle Shoals Skeet and Trap Club and its president, Eric Massey, have served six years as hosts for the event. The Lauderdale County Farmer’s Federation Wildlife Division’s financial support provided needed supplies for the stations and lunch for the participants and their parents. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Officer Don Howell provided sporting equipment for several of the stations and facilitated the archery station. Dwight Pilkilton and four other volunteers from The North Alabama Shooting Association set up and facilitated the rifle station with .22 rifles on bench rests.

Lauderdale County 4-H has three certified coaches for shotgun sports -- Eric Massey, Greg Allen and Keith Moses. These coaches facilitated the trap and skeet shooting stations. The final station was an educational component – Skins and Skulls, a look at wildlife native to Alabama. Lora Beasley, a parent volunteer, presented this station.

“Forty-three youth and 29 adults attended Outdoor Sports Activity Day. It was a great success.” said Janet Lovelady, agent assistant in Lauderdale County. For youth who developed an interest in outdoor sports after Saturday’s fun, Lauderdale County has active trap, skeet and rifle clubs as part of their 4-H program.

Russians Learn from Jefferson County 4-H

The Jefferson County 4-H Program Staff held an informative meeting Sept. 8 about 4-H and Youth Development for the Birmingham Friendship Force’s delegation of Russian visitors. Twelve Russian youth educators attended. The delegates were part of the sixth Open World Program, which is a program sponsored by the Library of Congress, that allows Russian leaders to learn and experience U.S. democracy, free enterprise, and ways in which the United States meets its social and civic needs.

A PowerPoint presentation was shown that highlighted all aspects of 4-H in Alabama including membership statistics, curriculum, the variety of clubs, funding, special events, volunteers and the 4-H BIG M Model (Belonging, Independence, Generosity, and Mastery). After the presentation, the Russian delegates participated in a question and answer session with 4-H staff Bridgett Helms, Tammy Belcher and Joann Wissinger, accompanied by 4-H volunteer Harriett Hall. Most questions revolved around funding and program management. One interesting point learned by staff was that, in Russia, someone is considered a youth until age 30.

After the PowerPoint and question sessions, the delegation was offered a chance to browse a variety of 4-H exhibits including Project Green Thumb, Just Move, Robotics, Health and Nutrition, and many more. The delegates were also welcomed with a small reception in their honor. Upon returning to Russia, the delegates will share information with their local communities and organizations.

For more Extension news from Jefferson County, visit www.aces.edu/Jefferson.

Extension’s Urban Affairs and New Nontraditional Programs Unit Implements Community Outreach Project

Spring and fall can bring severe weather changes. Recent hurricane occurrences in coastal areas again brought not so subtle reminders that we should be prepared. During the month of September, the Urban Affairs and New Nontraditional Programs unit implemented a community outreach project to provide personal hygiene kits to assist families and first responders in the event of a disaster. The project was timely because September was designated as National Emergency Preparedness Month.

Thanks to the donations of Extension staff members, Urban Affairs assembled 500 kits that contained essential personal items a victim may need immediately following a disaster. The kits were donated to the Salvation Army in Huntsville for distribution.

For more information on emergency preparedness, visit the Extension Web site at www.aces.edu.