OpNet Community Ventures
OpNet was founded in 1997 to bridge the Digital Divide, a well-documented gap in technology access and employment for people of color and women.
Their mission is to create economic opportunity for low-income young adults between the ages of 18 to 25 through technical training and career development services. OpNet’s strategy is to provide promising youth with the necessary Information technology skills, along with the work experience, to compete in the new economy. The program trains students in both technical and job preparedness skills, and then assists them in gaining paid internships or direct employment in an IT position. OpNet’s program also fosters an entrepreneurial spirit among our students, and many of our graduates have gone on to form their own successful businesses.
OpNet offers two training programs:
EntryNet Web Design and Production Curriculum (July 05 2004 – August 27 2004, M-F 9 to 5)
HTML hand coding
Cascading Stylesheets
Illustrator/Photoshop
_JavaScript (pop-ups, roll-overs, etc)
Flash
Dreamweaver/Fireworks
Portfolio of design samples
Application
AdvanceNet PHP/MySQL Web Programming Curriculum (September 27 2004 – Nov 19 2004, TTh 6 to 10, Sat 9 to 5)
Basic Programming Concepts
Introduction to Databases
Introduction to PHP
Introduction to MySQL
Data Structures and Algorithms
Object Oriented Programming
Projects: email marketing, shopping cart development, content management systems, complete e-commerce solution development
Application
For further information, please contact:
Lalitha Vaidyanathan
Program Director
Tel: (415) 882-1555 ext 303
lalitha@opnetwork.org
High School "J Camp" for Journalism Students in D.C.
High school students interested in pursuing a career in journalism are invited to apply for a free summertime project called J Camp. Scheduled for July 30 through August 4, 2004, at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., J Camp will bring together a multicultural group of high school students from across the country to sharpen their journalistic skills in a unique learning environment. Students selected for the program will spend time in classrooms and professional newsrooms, take working field trips and talk with some of the most famous figures in the media, including Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters, network newscasters, and leading editors.
The best and brightest minority students with a keen interest in broadcasting, newspapers, magazines, photojournalism, or new media are especially encouraged to apply. Qualified applicants must be currently enrolled in high school as a freshman, sophomore, or junior, and must be available to travel to Washington, D.C. during the camp week. There is no cost to apply, and all expenses - including airfare, room, and board - will be covered by the camp's sponsors for the 40 students selected to participate in the program. The received-by deadline for applications is April 1.
For more information and to obtain an application form, visit the Asian American Journalists Association's Web site at www.aaja.org or contact Sacramento Bee culture writer J. Freedom du Lac (one of the camp's directors) at (916) 321-1115 or jdulac@sacbee.com.
More Youth in Treatment Due to Marijuana Use
More youth entered substance abuse treatment facilities in 2001, with most of the increase due to abuse of marijuana, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced today. The data is part of the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) for 2001, the most recent complete year of data on admissions to substance abuse treatment at facilities that receive public funding.
There was a 49 percent increase in adolescent admissions to treatment between 1992 and 2001, with 141,403 children aged 12-17 admitted to treatment in 2001 compared to 95,000 in 1992. Marijuana abuse was responsible for 23 percent of adolescent admissions in 1992. This rose to 62 percent in 2001 and largely accounted for the total increase of adolescents in treatment between 1992 and 2001. Fifty-two percent of adolescent admissions for all substances were referred from the juvenile justice system in 2001, and 54 percent of adolescent marijuana admissions were referred through juvenile justice.
Total admissions to substance abuse treatment increased from 1.5 million in 1992 to 1.7 million in 2001.
SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie said: “The increase in youth admissions to drug treatment is the continued fallout from the rise in marijuana use by young people in the 1990’s. Unfortunately, many of these young people are not getting help until they become entangled in the criminal justice system. All Americans must begin to confront drug use B and drug users B honestly and directly. We must provide people in need an opportunity for recovery by encouraging them to enter and remain in drug treatment. To get them that help, the President has committed to supporting a $1.6 billion expansion in federal treatment aid over 5 years.”
John Walters, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, stated: “This report shows us yet again that we must not let our guard down when it comes to educating teens and parents about the dangers of marijuana. Many people will no doubt be surprised to learn how large a role marijuana plays in the demand for drug treatment for teens. It is time for the rest of America to catch up with what experts have now known for the past few years. Marijuana is a serious source of dependency and harm. While treatment is key to helping addicted youth get off of drugs, we all have a responsibility to reach out to those who are experimenting with drugs or alcohol before it becomes a problem. Encouraging parents and teens to use the power of their influence is crucial if we are to continue our progress in reducing underage drinking and illicit drug use in America.”
TEDS showed that:
-Marijuana use began at an early age among primary marijuana admissions – 26 percent had first used marijuana by the age of 12 and 56 percent by the age of 14. More than half of marijuana admissions of all ages (57 percent) were referred to treatment through the criminal justice system.
- TEDS admissions for primary opiate abuse (heroin or narcotic pain medications) increased from 12 percent of admissions in 1992 to 18 percent in 2001.
- In 2001, 88 percent of admissions for primary opiate abuse were for abuse of heroin and 12 percent for abuse of other opiates, primarily prescription painkillers.
- There were 45,060 young adults 18-24 admitted for heroin and other opioid abuse. Of these, 39,685 were admitted for heroin abuse and 5,375 were admitted for abuse of narcotic pain medications.
- Five substances accounted for 96 percent of admissions in 2001 – alcohol, opiates including heroin and prescription drugs, marijuana/hashish, cocaine and stimulants, primarily methamphetamine.
- More than one drug of abuse was reported by 54 percent of all TEDS admissions.
- Admissions for alcohol abuse, while still 44 percent of admissions, were down from 59 percent in 1992. Of these alcohol admissions, 45 percent reported secondary drug abuse, as well.
- Cocaine admissions declined from 18 percent of admissions in 1992 to 13 percent in 2001.
- Admissions for methamphetamine/amphetamine and other stimulants increased from 2 percent of admissions to 6 percent between 1992 and 2001.
- About half of discharges represented positive treatment outcomes, defined as completed treatment (39 percent) or transferred to another level of treatment program (11 percent). One in four (24 percent) left treatment against professional advice, and 19 percent were terminated by facilities.
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Wellness Center
Christy Parsons (Wellness Coordinator) is available daily.
Ian Enriquez (Community Health Outreach Worker, Youth Outreach Coordinator) is available daily.
Monica Murphy (Nurse, Tobacco Intervention Coordinator) is available from Monday - Wednesday and Friday.
Sharon Wong (psychologist) is available Tuesday and Thursday.
Sheening Lin (psychologist) is available Monday and Wednesday.
Chris Pepper (peer resources) is available daily and teaches classes during 4th and 5th period.
Marie Chen (drug counselor) is available on Tuesday and Thursday.
Susie Li (Mandarin speaking counselor) is available on Wednesday and Friday.
Laura McGourty (counselor) is available on Monday and Tuesday.
Beth Ringheim (counselor) is available on Mondays.
Talia Korenbrot (relationship counselor) is available on Thursday.
James Guay (therapist) is available on Wednesday.
Reconnecting Youth classes held 5th and 7th period.
Eating by Example
Youngsters have innate likes and dislikes and can be incredibly stubborn about what they will and will not eat, but a study of the behavioral aspects of their eating habits showed parental example has a major influence. "Parental consumption was the strongest predictor of children's consumption," Lucy Cooke, a psychologist at University College London, said in an interview.
The World Health Organization recommends eating five portions of fruits and vegetables to stay healthy and avoid illnesses such as obesity, cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Cooke stressed that children will not automatically eat the same foods as their parents but it helps if they see adults and older siblings eating and enjoying nutritious meals. "Eating together as a family is a really good thing, and parents being vocal about how much they like healthy foods because children are programmed to imitate their parents in many ways," she added.
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