October/November 2002 Edition

Now that the leaves have turned and kids have returned to school, we would like to reflect on the year's accomplishments. This issue looks at what's been going on with Skills For Tomorrow and what's ahead as we identify events, training and activities that will make 2003 another year of achievement.

Keep in mind: we would love to hear from you. To submit suggestions or information on your organization, please email Sharlene Mentor at SMentor@teamster.org .

If you missed last month's issue, check it out at: http://www.ibtstw.org/sept2002.html
Otherwise we wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and lots of fall fun.

Thank You!
IBT Education Staff

What's in This Edition

Teamster Updates

Conferences & Meetings Nationwide

Resources to Build Your Own Education Curriculum

~ Career Skills Library

~ Ground Hog Job Shadow Day 2003

~ Take Our Daughters & Sons to Work Day 2003

~ The Green Squad

~ LabourStart

~ Union Semester Program

Articles of Interest

~ Can Computers Substitute for Teachers?

~ High Schools That Work

Get Connected: Web Site Links

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Teamster Updates

~~~~> Teamsters Honor School-to-Career Programs

Eight Affiliates Awarded for Innovative Plans

More than 100 Teamster leaders gathered in Washington, D.C. on October 31, 2002 as the Teamsters Education Department hosted an awards ceremony honoring eight Teamsters affiliates for their work with School-to-Career programs. These affiliates truly make a difference with young people.

International Vice President Dotty Malinsky and International Trustee John Steger presented the awards. "I've been a part of this program since the very beginning, and watching it grow has been a source of much pride," Malinsky said.

"Our Skills For Tomorrow project helps Teamster leaders and members reach out to young people to teach them about good jobs, exciting careers and the role unions play in making sure a worker's rights are protected," said Mary G. Hardiman, Director of Education for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

The event honored the following Teamster Locals and Joint Council:

• Joint Council 53 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) - Leaders from this Joint Council talked to more than 900 high school students about the many high-paying, growth industries in which Teamsters work.
• Local 96 (Washington, D.C.) - Conducted job-shadowing activities at Washington Gas Company for area high school students.
• Local 115 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) - Held a career day for over 900 area high school students.
• Local 502 (Philadelphia) - Provided information on collective bargaining through book donations in order to promote reading among 6,000 elementary school students. The local also participated in a career day for over 900 high school students.
• Local 512 (Jacksonville, Florida) - Local leaders addressed university students on organized labor and the collective bargaining process.
• Local 537 (Denver, Colorado) - This local met with 150 high school students to educate them about workplace rights and the benefits of being a union member and a Teamster.
• Local 631 (Las Vegas, Nevada) - Reached out to area young people to enlist their involvement in several apprenticeship and training programs currently being offered by Southern Nevada's construction and convention industries.
• Local 769 (Miami, Florida) - Gave classroom presentations to hundreds of South Florida high school students on workplace rights and the benefits of being a Teamster.

School-to-Career programs educate students about the vital role that labor unions play in today's economy and community. Through mentoring, career days, job shadowing, and reading programs (which include such topics as collective bargaining), Teamsters and their business, government and academic counterparts expose students to the real world of work.

The awards ceremony was part of a two-day meeting held at the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Headquarters, in which Teamster leaders, activists, educators and community advocates discussed how the union must make a difference with America's youth. Teamster General President James P. Hoffa and General Secretary-Treasurer C. Thomas Keegel addressed the meeting and stressed the long-term importance of connecting the nation's youth to union jobs and industries.

CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS NATIONWIDE

~~~~> 2003 Career Conference...Learning to Work...Working to Learn

January 27-29, 2003
Marriott Madison West
Madison, Wisconsin

This annual career conference, sponsored by the Center on Education and Work at UW-Madison, provides a national forum for educators, counselors and business leaders to gather and share ideas on issues, best practices, and quality programs related to career development and education for work. This is a comprehensive program offering participants a wide variety of sessions, a chance to visit and experience workplaces and educational sites as well as a choice opportunity for networking.

Conference Goals are:

• Highlight the career development needs of students and adults
• Address the needs of young people exploring career options in School-to-Career, Tech Prep, apprenticeship, and work-based education programs
• Connect education with business and industry to facilitate School-to-Career transition
• Focus on adults who seek education, training, job relocation, or career skills redevelopment
• Emphasis on technology in career development and counseling

For further information, log onto <http://www.cew.wisc.edu/careers/cc2003/overview.asp>

~~~~> Collective Bargaining Workshops

February 20, 2003 March 11, 2003
Fox Valley Technician College Green Bay, Wisconsin
Fox Cities, Wisconsin

Area high school students will participate in a daylong mock bargaining workshop that will provide a look at understanding of the collective bargaining process and labor-management teams. Using a workbook developed by the University of Wisconsin School for Workers, leaders from labor and management will serve as advisors to the student teams as they negotiate a collective bargaining agreement for a hypothetical company. Over 250 students from 22 area high schools and 60 labor and management advisors participate in this program each year.

To learn more: <http://www.Imcouncil.org>

RESOURCES TO BUILD YOUR OWN EDUCATION CURRICULUM

What to include in your youth outreach programs and activities to educate young people about unions, workers rights, solidarity and child labor. Here are some ideas:

~~~~> Career Skills Library

This eight-volume series includes: Communication Skills, Information Management & Leadership Skills, Learning the Ropes, Organization Skills, Problem Solving, Self Development and Teamwork. These are useful in classroom settings to assist students with fundamental skills regarding teamwork and professional development. A teacher's guide is included (see below.)

Teachers Guide... A Note to Teachers

This guide, to be used with the above Career Skills Library, provides you with creative ideas and activities that can be assigned as extra-credit or homework, for a classroom discussion, a problem solving exercise, or in cooperative learning groups. These activities directly address the student and can be copied on a Xerox machine, used as overheads, written on the blackboard, or placed in your classroom's learning center. They are also fun, flexible, accessible, and allow more time for doing what you do best.

The reading library and teacher's guide complete with activities are available through: Ferguson Publishing Company <http://www.fergpubco.com>

~~~~> GroundHog Shadow Day 2003

On your mark, get set, go ...start planning!

Even if the upcoming Groundhog Job Shadow Day doesn't take place until January 31, 2003, November and December are an ideal time to begin organizing and planning.

Log onto the Job Shadow website for online training at your computer. This site is quick, easy-to-use and will help you and your groundhogs have a great experience, whether with a school, a business or your community. Covers the following:

• Getting started: what schools and businesses need to know
• Creating strategic plans and forging partnerships
• Liability and transportation
• Media training and public awareness
• Resources and tools
• Evaluation and follow up

Accessing it is easy - simply click: <http://www.streampipe.com/rw/jobshadow1811>.

Note: If you are unable to click on the link, please copy and paste the address onto your browser's URL window.

Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day
A New Generation Goes To Work

April 24, 2003

After a decade of success with their award winning Take Our Daughters To Work Day®, the MS Foundation for Women have opened this program to boys, who will also get an opportunity to punch the clock.

Girls and boys need to learn about the wealth of opportunities available to them and the importance of careers, work and being responsible adults.

So, let's get started! For tips and resources on planning the day or some suggestions on learning activities, check out what April 24, 2003 could look like at your workplace.

Go to: <http://www.daughtersandsonstowork.org>

The Green Squad

The Green Squad teaches kids about the relationship between their schools and environmental and health issues. Though designed primarily for students in fifth through eighth grade, this site also offers information for younger and older students as well as their parents and teachers.

The Green Squad is made possible through the support of Citigroup Foundation and the F.A.O. Schwarz Family Foundation.

This highly interactive website is easy to navigate and comes complete with assignments for students and includes a parent-teacher room for question and answer sessions.

To access, please click onto <http://www.nrdc.org/greensquad/intro/about.asp>

~~~~> LabourStart

Children's Books for Trade Union Families

So ...what are you giving your children this holiday season? The following books are just some of the titles available through a partnership between LabourStart and Powell's Books (Portland, Oregon), the nation's largest unionized bookstore. This season give your children the gift of reading!

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

By Doreen Cronin, with color illustrations by Betsy Lewin. Price: $15.00

A delightful children's book (ages 3-7) with an important union message! It seems that <javascript:open_freeship_window('/info/freeshipping_popup.html')>Farmer Brown has a problem. All day long he hears click, clack, moo... click, clack, moo, coming from the barn. He soon discovers that he has some pretty amazing cows - they can type! In fact, they have typed up a memo demanding electric blankets (after all, the barn gets cold at night!)

Farmer Brown refuses, but finds another memo from the cows saying that the barn is closed, and there'll be no milk that day - or any other day until they get their blankets! Farmer Brown responds with his own memo to the cows. Soon, memos are flying back and forth between Farmer Brown and the barn, until the ducks step in as mediators. Will life on the farm be the same again? Can Farmer Brown and the cows reach agreement?

This book was named one of the Best Children's Books of 2000 by Publishers Weekly, and is a 2001 Caldecott Honor Book.

The Bobbin Girl

By Emily Arnold Mccully. Price: $16.99

Aimed at children ages 4 to 8, this novel is based on the memoirs of Harriet Hanson Robinson, an 1830's mill girl in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is the story of 10-year-old Rebecca Putney, forced to work as a bobbin girl in a local mill so she can help support her family. When she hears talk of a strike at the mill to protest low wages and poor working conditions, Rebecca must decide if she wants to join the protest - or risk her job!

LabourStart is a service of Labour and Society International (LSI), an advocate of the international trade union movement that works for global human and workplace rights through advocacy, education and research through partnerships with trade unions and civil society organizations.

See their website at <http://www.labourstart.org/kids/>

~~~~> Union Semester

New York Union Semester is a unique opportunity to learn about organized labor in a challenging environment. Through the field internship, students will become part of a union's staff for a semester while they study at Queens College

Only in New York
New York City is the home of major labor unions, which play high profile roles in the political and social life of the city. Every student in this program will work for one of these unions, learning every day how labor unions work for a better life for their members.

The Program
Participants will earn 12 or 16 credits from Queens College, City University of New York:

• 8 or 12 credits classroom instruction
• 4 credits in a field internship

For more information, see: <http://www.qc.edu/workered/html/union_semester.html>

ARTICLES OF INTEREST

~~~~> Education Week

The Average Teacher

Anyone who watches Boston Public each week and isn't an education professional would assume the following: Most U.S. teachers are hip, young things who work in schools of weapon-wielding, oversexed teens; and they spend much of their time obsessing about kids' personal problems rather than writing lesson plans. For a more accurate profile of teachers today, we turned to the U.S. Current Population Survey and the recently released Schools and Staffing Survey, which asked more than 42,000 public school teachers scores of questions about their work lives. While those in the business know that there's nothing at all "average" about teachers, we've put together a picture of what she (yes, most teachers are female, hence the accompanying illustration) and some of her colleagues look like. Not surprisingly, most spend abundant hours preparing for class, untangling red tape, and working to expand their knowledge and professionalism. And many, perhaps surprisingly, would return to the classroom if they had it all to do again. See if you recognize a little of yourself in this portrait of the "average" teacher.

Age:
42 years old

Gender:
Female: 75%; Male: 25%

Race:
White: 84.4%; Black: 7.6%; Hispanic origin: 5.6%; Asian: 1.6%; Other: 0.8%

Years of teaching experience:
15

Annual salary:
$39,346

Degrees:
Bachelor's: 99.3%; Master's: 46.3%; Doctorate: 0.7%

Hours worked before and after school and on weekends each week:
12

Class size:
Self-contained: 21 students; Specialized subjects: 24 students

Minority student population at school:
34%

Threatened by a student in the past year:
10%

For more information, see: <http://www.teachermagazine.org/tmstory.cfm?slug=03average.h14>

Can Computers Substitute for Teachers?

By Andrew Trotter, Staff Writer, Education Week

A Connecticut school district is fighting over the use of computers to provide high school courses. This raises questions about whether technology can replace teachers.

Some teachers at Nonnewaug High School are complaining about their less than meaningful role in a special remedial program in which instructions were given by computer. They contend this program violated state law mandating that certified teachers be responsible for instruction, evaluation, and grading of students. The district superintendent worries that opposition by the local and state unions may jeopardize a program that could be a lifeline for some students.

Should technology play a role in the classroom? Should teachers be concerned about being replaced by technology? Join the discussion:

<http://www.teachermagazine.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=07compute.h22&keywords=Computers>

Laugh Track

By Candice Dyer

It's no joke-comedy classes can teach youngsters how to handle life's twists and turns. Duncan Thomas is so tiny that he has to lower the microphone before he can speak into it. But then he grips the device like an old Catskills pro and says, "The pollution is getting bad in Atlanta. The other day, I thought I saw a bluebird in our backyard." Pause. "Turns out it was a sparrow holding its breath."

Buh-dum-bum!
The audience roars with laughter, and Duncan, whose big eyes are fringed with long lashes, blinks and beams triumphantly back at the spotlight.

At 8 years old, he is the youngest jokester in this August workshop offered by the Kid Komedy Foundation, an Atlanta organization that teaches children how to write and perform stand-up comedy, a form of self- expression that uniquely transforms the most basic fun-making someone else laugh-into art. The process enhances articulation, language development, and self-esteem, says Janet Schultz, a professional comedian and executive director of the foundation.

Duncan and his 11 classmates, ranging in age from 8 to 12, are "graduating" from their weeklong course with a live show for a packed house of family and friends at Dad's Garage Theater, an Atlanta venue that specializes in cutting-edge comedy. There's not a knock-knock or gross- out joke anywhere in the lineup. The kids are performing punch lines they wrote themselves, as well as long, sophisticated sketches by comedians such as Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, and the Smothers Brothers. Some of the classic routines have been translated into kidspeak: Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First?" has become "Who's in First Grade?" and a novelty song by Allan Sherman (best known for "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh") has been updated with references to Destiny's Child and Smash Mouth.

Schultz hovers in the wings to whisper encouragement and forgotten lines to little comics who freeze, but most of them don't need any prompting. "Your Costello-ness is very good," she tells one boy after he's done. He nods and says confidently, "Yeah, I do 'mad' really well."

Backstage, kids buzz with nervous energy, and the floor is littered with strange props. The course "utilizes a multi-sensory model...of audio, visual, and kinesthetic methods," according to the pamphlet describing the class, which means that rubber chickens are involved, along with facial disguises for a tribute to Groucho Marx: "One morning, I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I'll never know," quips a boy wearing fake nose-and-mustache glasses while waggling a plastic cigar and pacing in the stooped Groucho shuffle.

The incongruity of a wide-eyed 9-year-old evincing the grown-up irony of the Marx Brothers or the pitch-perfect Brooklynese of Henny Youngman ("Take my mom-Please!") is a joke in itself, as just about any one-liner gets funnier when chimed in a child's soprano. But the kids' original material can be as incisive as the borrowed stuff:

"My dad is so bad at barbecuing, my steak was mooing at me!"
"My mom has found an exercise she can do every day: aerobic nagging."
"I'm so bad at arts and crafts, my teacher thought my self-portrait was my dog."
Schultz is not surprised by the imaginative joke-writing. "Kids have amazing creativity," she says. "They aren't burdened with the uptightness and self-consciousness that we adults have."

Schultz, a slender dynamo with an intense smile, grew up in St. Louis and spent 11 years as a social worker counseling children and families before pursuing a full-time career in stand-up. "I was burned out with my job, and friends and co-workers were always telling me I was funny," she explains.

She enrolled in a six-week stand-up comedy class that culminated with a graduation performance at the Punch Line, the Atlanta launching pad of television stars Jeff Foxworthy and Brett Butler. "I don't think there's any greater, more exhilarating high than that first time you're onstage and you make a crowd laugh," she says. "I was hooked for good."

Schultz left her job to plunge into the grueling comedy club circuit, performing on stages from Macon, Georgia, to Manhattan. Then about four years ago, while visiting family, Schultz helped her 8-year-old niece Claire write some jokes and silly songs and stage a performance in her backyard for relatives and neighbors, who gave rave reviews. Schultz recalls, "I woke up in the middle of the night knowing exactly what I wanted to do. I thought, If I can give kids that feeling of being onstage, if I can help an 8-year-old feel 10 feet tall, the way I did when I first heard a crowd laugh, it might give them the confidence to help them over the rough spots in life."

So she formed the Kid Komedy Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching the healing art of humor through intensive 12-week after-school programs, weeklong summer camps, and an assortment of one-hour workshops in schools. The foundation, funded by tuition and donations, is essentially a one- woman operation, with Schultz bringing in comedian friends to assist in its programs. To date, Schultz estimates, they've reached about 1,000 kids.

Every class begins with an introduction to the clean comedy of old- school masters. "Kids get a very warped sense of what's considered funny because of what's thrown at them on HBO," says Doug Wren, a 5th grade teacher at Kittredge Magnet Elementary School in Atlanta. Schultz conducts regular workshops at the school, and Wren works as her assistant during the summer. "This course teaches kids they don't have to be dirty to be funny."

Schultz has developed workbooks-"fun books," she prefers to call them-with setups, or cues, for jokes such as, "My mom's purse is so cluttered that...." She works individually with students to refine punch lines and make the most of their deliveries. "OK, you're being physically funny, but don't growl," she says to one of her more expressive students. "Good anger, but you sound like the devil. Don't clench your jaw-Costello had a very clear voice."

The course covers basics, including how to raise and lower the mike (chiefly, the mnemonic "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey"); clear diction and delivery ("don't 'eat' the microphone"); physical mannerisms; and comedic timing. "I cannot emphasize enough how important the pause is," she tells Duncan's class. "It's the difference between a medium laugh and a big, honest laugh. Pause for two beats-bom, bom-before the punch. For example: 'My mom says I eat too much. Bom, bom. I'd argue with her, but it's impolite to talk with your mouth full.'"

The kids also get to indulge in physical humor such as silly walks (à la Monty Python) and sight gags. Steven Perlberg, a 6th grader who has studied under Schultz for three years, says the props are his favorite. One of his routines involves brandishing a rubber chicken and a sneaker, then saying, "Don't you just love the new Chicken Soup for the Sole?"

Kid Komedy Foundation classes aren't just fun-they're unique. While organizations and comedy clubs in cities like New York and Los Angeles host stand-up comedy competitions for teenagers, Schultz's colleagues say they know of no other groups that teach regular, non-performing kids how to stand and deliver. "Most stand-up comedians don't know how to write a clean joke, and the few comedians that could teach this type of class probably make too much money and are too busy to get involved with it," says Jeff Justice, an Atlanta-based comedian and motivational speaker who is Schultz's mentor. "With Janet, you have a funny woman who wants to stay in town, so the kids are very fortunate."

Some students are so buoyed by the experience that they decide they've found their life's work.
Steven Perlberg already is landing professional gigs at comedy clubs and charity events. "I would enjoy being a comedian when I grow up, but it's a hard career, so I'm keeping my options open," he says with adultlike seriousness. Steven's mom, Diane Perlberg, adds, "Will he be the next Jerry Seinfeld? Maybe yes, maybe no. But the self-confidence, ease of communication, and mastery of public speaking he's learning will benefit him no matter what he ends up doing."

These are the aspects of comedy that Schultz prefers to emphasize. In addition to its oratorical lessons, she claims, stand-up comedy can effect miraculous psychological transformations by teaching one of life's most basic survival skills: humor. Done right, a joke can ease tensions at school or the dinner table, and kids learn teamwork by giving each other applause when they step up to the mike. Most important, they learn the cathartic joy of laughing at themselves.

"What you want to do in comedy is poke fun at yourself, but not in a mean-spirited way," she tells her class. "For example: 'I have some behavioral problems. When I play hooky, the teacher sends a thank-you note.' The kid who wrote that really did have some behavioral problems, but once he was able to identify this problem and laugh at himself, he began to deal with it."

In fact, most students in these comedy classes wouldn't be labeled "class clowns" in their yearbooks; they tend to be the sideline spectators who mumble wry commentary sotto voce, or the kids who fidget with an overabundance of energy.

In addition to its oratorical lessons, stand-up comedy can effect miraculous psychological transformations by teaching one of life's most basic survival skills: humor. "Some of the students are referred by school counselors," Wren says. "They might have esteem problems and troubles at home. Comedy is a self-disciplined way for them to do something that might get them into trouble in a regular classroom: being the center of attention."

Vincent Grecco, 10, is another of Schultz's star students. His mother, Dianne Grecco, credits his comedy work with improving his classroom performance. "Vincent is an average student and borderline ADD," she says. "Comedy gives him a way to channel his energy into something constructive instead of disruptive. Because of his clear delivery and comfort in front of a crowd, he gets an easy A on oral presentations now."

He performs regularly for community events, most recently appearing at a conference of school administrators. "I get nervous just before I go on," admits Vincent, who emulates Jim Carrey's wacky physical style. "But then I hear people laugh, and the nervousness goes away. I like to hear people laugh."

Schultz recalls other success stories. "There was one kid with a mild form of autism," she says. "Still, it was clear that he was very bright, and he did well with the jokes. He came to me in the middle of the program and said, 'You have no idea what it means to me to feel like I finally fit in.' Another little girl stuttered, but she was able to get through her entire routine on stage without stuttering. Her mother was in tears."

Motivated by tales such as these, Schultz has plans to expand her organization's work. She's currently seeking funding so she can offer free comedy classes at youth clubs in Atlanta's impoverished neighborhoods.

"My dream is for comedy to be taught as an elective in schools, right along with drama and chorus," Schultz says. "That's a wonderful gift to be able to give a kid the ability to fit in."

<http://www.teachermagazine.org/tmstory.cfm?slug=03laugh.h14>

~~~~> High Schools That Work (HSTW)

High Schools That Work (HSTW) is a school-wide initiative dedicated to ensuring that all students receive quality education. It is based on a framework of key practices and conditions that advocates accelerated learning and raises standards for all students through rigorous course scheduling, counseling, and assistance in planning and completing a challenging program of study. It involves the effort of the parent and the community in raising student achievement while requiring teachers to work together for improved learning.

HSTW targets the career-bound student, yet involves all teachers and staff and impacts all students. It is built on the belief that most students can learn complex academic and technical concepts if offered an environment that encourages success. The goal is straightforward and measurable: to increase the number of students who meet reading, mathematics, science and career-technical curriculum and performance goals.

Created in 1987 by the Southern Regional Education Board and a consortium of states, HSTW takes a unique approach to local school reform that places state, system and school leaders in a collaborative partnership that will improve learning. Twenty-three states and more than 900 schools or systems are members of the HSTW network.

High Schools That Work provides intensive technical assistance, focused staff development, ongoing communications and information and a nationally recognized benchmark for measuring school progress; it involves:

• Technical assistance so that schools know where they are and customized recommendations to show how to improve. Services include on-site technical assistance visits by teams of state and local educators, site development workshops and action planning facilitation.

• Staff development services aimed at changing teaching practices (local, state and national workshops and conferences); this includes a national resource bank of trainers along with audiovisual resources.

• Communication services designed to network sites by sharing information on outstanding school and instructional practices that include site development guides, research briefs, newsletters, web-based information services, books and videos.

• Individualized assessment services to help teachers and administrator's link school practices to student achievement. This includes: HSTW student assessment, transcript analysis, follow-up survey of high school graduates, survey of academic and career-technical teachers, counselors and administrators. HSTW student assessment is based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), and measures achievements in reading, mathematics and science and includes the students' own perceptions of their learning experiences. Schools receive individual site results that are benchmarked to those of similar schools, high-achieving schools and the national network.

<http://www.sreb.org/programs/hstw/hstwindex.asp>

GET CONNECTED: WEB SITE LINKS

~~~~> USA Today Career Network

A very valuable career website from USA Today, this is one place to start when you're ready to start looking for a job. It keeps you updated with its Career News section; it offers Expert Advice from people who've survived the job hunt to people who need to. It shows you where the jobs are, what the national trends are and gives provides a search engine for job earnings and career outlook, all attached to their prospective links. In addition, there is a useful resource package that includes guidelines on writing resumes and letters, surviving job interviews and comprehensive information on cyber-job searching. There's even a Quiz Corner so you can test yourself!

And it can all be found at <http://careers.usatoday.com>

~~~~> Construction Education Foundation of North Texas (CEF)

Created through an alliance that includes Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) and Associated General Contracts (AGC), North Texas and Dallas Chapters respectively, CEF's purpose is to provide the construction industry with the most qualified, technically trained people at all levels.

One of the most exciting CEF programs is a School-To-Careers affiliation with North Texas area school districts. The program teaches high school juniors construction craft skills in conjunction with their regular education. These students, sponsored by construction companies, are placed in summer construction jobs prior to their senior year. Their craft education continues throughout their senior year, after which, upon graduation, are automatic candidates for level two of the program and are then placed in a construction job. They then have the option of continuing the remaining required craft education - all of this paid for by the sponsor company.

For more on this career "building" experiment, check out <http://www.ntcef.org/careers.html>

~~~~> Seussville

Yes! There really WAS a Dr. Seuss - his name was Theodor Seuss Geisel. Though not a real doctor, his prescription for fun has been delighting young readers for over 60 years. This website is fun!!!! Complete with a calendar of nationwide events, interactive games and a bookstore, this site is a sure hit for young children and any adult who likes green eggs and ham!

Oh, the places you'll go starts at <http://www.seussville.com/seussville>

End of Issue

To find out more about the Teamsters Union--a vital part of your community in the U.S. and Canada--and our School-to-Work network, visit http://edu.teamster.org/edu.asp and http://www.ibtstw.org.

If you received an email sending you to this page, it is because you subscribed to be a part of the Teamsters Skills for Tomorrow listserv network. Should you wish to unsubscribe, please click on the following link. http://www.ibtstw.org/listunsubscribe.asp.