Debra Williams grew up in New Jersey, the daughter of loving parents who forged a stable, middle-class existence. Still, she says that as a teen she found herself leaning toward what weren't always good decisions.
A teacher stepped in to provide perspective and support.
"She became a mentor to me," Williams says.
Now Williams, a case manager for Southwest Youth and Family Services, is playing the same role with at-risk Seattle-area youngsters. Continue reading »
Published: Sunday, January 4, 2009
The new year is always a time for change.
This one is likely to bring greater challenges than ever with the financial world in chaos, employment tenuous, retirement suddenly uncertain, a new administration in the White House and a nation struggling to see its future.
Students of history know this isn't the first time we've been faced with such difficulty, and it won't be the last.
Gardens have always been Continue reading »
What makes this game so revolutionary is that it introduces the concept of "Living Ink," which means kids draw a requested object and when they do, that drawing comes alive through animation and it is incorporated into a story. Because it is so cool to watch their drawing come to life, kids are motivated to read the next part of the story so that they can find out what they get to draw next.
And to help new readers, all words in the game can be Continue reading »
Fifty ecstatic kids from Alameda Point Collaborative (APC) descended on Alameda Towne Center Dec. 22 and 23 to shop for a free pair of shoes at Payless Shoes. APC was among 630 nonprofits selected to participate in the 2008 Payless Gives Shoes 4 Kids Holiday Program, the first-ever national, grassroots campaign to deliver $1 million in free shoes to children of families in need. APC competed with 2,600 organizations to become a Payless ShoeSource Continue reading »
Losing weight seems to always be the number one New Year's resolution. But we found out that resolution isn't just for adults anymore.
Many kids are starting to get in on the workout action and they even have their own gym to work out in.
My Gym Children's Fitness Center, at
is seeing more kids getting interested in working out.
Gym employees say their goal is to try and instill a sense of fun with working out so kids will keep good habits. Continue reading »
SCHENECTADY — While the Internet and texting are still the preferred choice of communication for today's generation, there are still some people who love their ''hams.''
The ham radio, that is.
Or as Anthony Pazzola with the Schenectady Museum Amateur Radio Association describes it, ''an oversized CB set" or short wave radio. The group is again getting ready to participate Saturday in National Ham Radio Kids' Day, aimed at generating interest Continue reading »
Policy efforts to bring meaningful change to Utah's faltering health care system will take time. As the Legislature lays the groundwork for comprehensive health reform in the upcoming session, improving children's health coverage should be a highest priority.
Last year, both the Legislature and the governor made a commitment to reform health care and to provide relief to the state's uninsured. Given the current economic crisis, it may be tempting Continue reading »
WHY IT'S COOL: Looking for a rocking New Year's Eve celebration that's kid-friendly too? The Red House, Walnut Creek's very own house of rock — and jam sessions, workshops and music lessons too — is hosting the Bay Area's kid rock band, the Time Outs, for a live concert, a countdown to midnight (well, it's midnight somewhere) and activities guaranteed to make a rock star out of anyone. Air guitar contest, anyone?
WHAT KIDS LIKE: The Continue reading »
Parents aren’t always aware (or acknowledge) that their children and teens are overweight or obese. It often falls to doctors to correctly diagnose those children, and, in the best-case scenario, give them guidance for a weight-loss program.
But are physicians doing a good enough job at identifying which kids are too heavy? Maybe not, says a new study that reveals diagnoses may be falling short.
Researchers examined medical records from 60,711 Continue reading »
Blacks, Hispanics Are Rare Heroes With Newbery Kids Books Medal
Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) -- In “Bud, Not Buddy,” author
tells the story of a Depression-era black
boy in Flint, Michigan. The book won the
, the top
prize in children’s literature, eight years ago.
It was the last time a black character had the lead role in a
Newbery book. If you want a Hispanic protagonist, you have to go
back 43 years.
Characters depicted in Newbery winners Continue reading »