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D ecem ber 22, 1999
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Family Living
Oregon kid waiting for adoption
Unemployment
P o rtlan d ___________
rate dow n
Ten-year old Michael is a generally happy boy with a great smile and wonderlul
sense ofhumor. Michael exudes an airofenthusiasm and confidence, especially
in sports. Michael is an excellent baseball player as well as a good team player.
He even hit several home runs in which he is very proud! Michael needs an
adoptive family that will provide him with structure and supervision. He feels
most secure and safe with predictable routines. Michael is particularly in need
o f a strong male role model that can help him as he approaches adolescence.
A family needs to be willing to participate in counseling. Michael would like
to have a family that would be open to providing Michael cultural access to
his ancestry.
To learn more about adoption and the children who wait, please call the Spec ial
Needs Adoption Coalition at The Boys and Girls Aid Society at 1 -800-342-6688
or(503)222-9661 x 111. Agencies waive orreducefeesfortheadoptionofachild
in state care, and financial assistance is available to help meet the child’s needs.
Stable single adults as well as couples are encouraged to call.
Service Learning gets kids involved
for T he P ortland O bserver
Students learn about the importance
o f re c y c lin g p ro g ra m s in the
classro o m , and then take th eir
knowledge into the community by
teaching local business how to reduce
the amount o f waste they generate.
Groups o f students interview seniors
on their experiences such as life during
World War 11. The results o f these
interviews are compiled into an oral
histo ry book, p resen ted to the
seniors, and made available to the
community.
Other students study a local river and
work with the park employees to create
and maintain nature trails.
Service Learning... What is it?
These scenarios are examples o f
service learning a method o f teaching
and learning that integrates practical
life e x p e rie n c e, se rv ic e to the
com m unity, and academ ics for
students o f all ages. Rather than
presenting information to students
in the isolated environment o f a
c la ssro o m , stu d e n ts see and
experience the practical application
o f knowledge they have gained.
While service learning strives to
reinforce classroom academics, it also
provides opportunities for Character
b u ild in g and p e rso n a l g ro w th
working within the community can
teach students more about the diverse
world in which we live, help them
d e v e lo p
c o m p a ssio n
and
understanding, and provide a sense
o f civic responsibility.
Service learning doesn’t occur only
through schools. While some service
learning activities are school-based
and have direct ties to curricula, other
service learning activitirs or projects
occur in local organizations like
YMCAs or Boys and Girls Clubs.
Regardless o f the locale, all programs
take a hands-on approach to learning
and use the students’ energy and
enthusiasm.
What are the benefits?
Research shows that the benefits o f
service learning, through school or
other organizations are profounc. In
Service Learning in the Northwest
Region, Jennifer Fagercites a wealth
o f advantages th at re su lt from
participating in service learning.
Service learning:
Increases students’ feeling o f
connection to their community
Helps students develop a keener
awareness o f diversity
Provides a relevant context in
which students can leant skills
Improves students’ self-esteem
and confidence
Increases m otivation and an
interest in learning
N u rtu re s
n o n -a c a d e m e ic
strengths and talents
Reinforces values such as justice,
com passion, or citizenship
Builds community support for
education
How do I get my child involved?
Your childs’ school may already
integrate service learning into the
curriculum. You can talk to your
child's teacher or school principal
and ask about service learning
opportunities that may be available,
or suggest some possibilities. You
can also contact local community
organizations such as the YMCA to
find out about other service learning
programs in your area. To learn more,
visit the Web site for the National K-
12 Service Learning Cooperative
C le a rin g h o u s e
at
w w w .nicsl.coled.um n.edu or the
National Youth Leadership Council
request/july96/index.htm l. For a
c o m p lim e n ta ry
co p y ,
w rite
Newspaper Column, NWREL, 101
S.W. Main,Portland,OR97204-3297.
This column by Jessica Athens is
provided as a public service by the
N orthw est Regional Educational
Laboratory, a nonprofit institution
Web site at www.nylc.org. Service
Learning in the Northwest Region is
available online at www.nerel.org/
w o rk in g w ith sc h o o ls and
com m unities in A laska, Idaho,
Montana, Oregon and Washington.
’Tis The Season
It’s a wonderful time of year for people The visits from fnends
and family, decorating the tree, the last minute shopping, and
the hustle and bustle of the holidays in general combine to get
everyone in the holiday spirit It is. after all, the season to be
merry!
But to a small puppy or kitten arriving m a household during
the holidays the excitement and cheer will be strange and
frightening Away from its litter mates for the first time, sur
rounded by strangers noise and constant activity, a young
animal could become quite confused and scared.
The holidays are simply not a good time to give an animal as
a gift In the midst of all the excitement, the many needs of
a puppy or kitten could be neglected It is best to give a gift
certificate for a pet. promising that an animal will become a
new member of the family when things quiet down and the
animal has the best chance of adapting to its new surroun
dings in an atmosphere of calm, loving attention.
Y outhBuilders
is a non-profit vocational educational
program providing construction train-
ing and education to young people
between the ages o f 18-24.
Oregon unemployment rate 5.1%—
down .4% from October and the
National unemployment rate 4.1 %—
unchanged from October.
O re g o n ’s s e a s o n a lly a d ju ste d
unemployment rate dropped to 5.1
percent in November, from 5.5 percent
in October. At the same time U.S.
jobless rate remained unchanged at
4.1 percent in November. At. 1 percent,
Oregon’s unemployment rate is at its
lowest point o f the year tied with the
May unem ploym ent rate o f 5.1
percent. The only period during the
past 20 years in which Oregon’s
unemployment rate been lower was
during late 1994 through late 1995
when the state ’ s rate ranged between
4.4 percent and 5.0 percent.
“We have seen two consecutive
m onths o f stro n g em p lo y m en t
g row th, w ith m a n u fa c tu rin g ,
w h o le sa le tra d e , and se rv ic e s
reb o u n d in g from re c e n t w eak
performances,’ said David Cooke,
Em ploym ent D epartm ent. “The
strength in these sectors has meant
jobs for hundreds ofOreeonians who
Portland Youth Builders offers:
Paid construction training
Job Readiness training
GED or HS Diploma
Leadership Skills
Positions are available for a limited time. Call
or visit the program today!
C A L L (503) 286-9350x18
VISIT 7332 N. Smith Portland, OR 97203 (St. John’s area)
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N o strings attach ed . Anytime something
knocks out the lights, we're ready. We re here to give
you fast, responsive, dependable help. Our C ustomer
Service Center is open 24 hours a day to answer vour
calls. Our crews work around the clock, too. And we
have teams from all over our service area prepared to
offer extra help wherever there's a major outage.
Lights out? We’re on it.
Now here's what you can do if the lights go out
Hexeadyl______________ .___ - --------
Keep in vour house: a flashlight, battery-
operated radio, batteiy-operated clock,
bottled water, manual’can opener and extra
batteries. If someone in your home is on life
support, be sure to have a backup system and
an action plan in case of an outage.
Before you call us. check your breakers
or fuse box to make sure you don’t have a
tripped breaker or blown fuse, l ook for lights at
your neighbors'.
After you’ve checked.give us a call-----------------
.it 1 -877-548-3768 to report the outage. Have
your account number nandv to help us work
more quickly.
Turn off major appliances__________________
and other electrical equipment to prevent over
loading circuits once the power's back.
Keep warm and safe.______________________ -
Wear a hat and extra layers of clothing. Make
sure propane or kerosene heaters have proper
ventilation and never burn charcoal inside
vour house.
Cover your freezer with a blanket
and keep the door closed.___________________
Food should stay frozen and safe for about
two days.
Turn your porch light and one inside light an.—
That way you and our crews will know when
power is back on.
When your power returns, if your lights are
There may still be a problem.
If there's an outage, we don’t kid around. We ll get
the power back as fast as we can.
To report an o u ta g e,ca ll I -877-548-3768 ( I -877-LITESO UT).
# AACIFIC POWER
A PacifiCorp Company
Making it happen.
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