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Youth Services Martin Luther King Education Center E-Newsletter
| May 2010 |
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Resource Laboratory:
Students Grow by Leaps and Bounds
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 As part
of her senior project for the Family and Human Services program at the
University of Oregon, Danielle Goss,
an MLK student intern, launched the Resource Laboratory for MLK students. Since November, students have had a place to complete homework,
take assessment tests and receive post-secondary assistance. For four hours
every Wednesday and Friday, MLK Ed. Center staff, including Danielle, Piper Barry, Priscila Hasselman, Don
Reynolds and Becca English-Ross provide a motivating work environment for students.
A number
of students received certification and employment guidance since the inception
of the lab.
Student
achievements at the Resource Laboratory include:
50 students received their Food Handlers Card 73 students completed the Career Information
System 65 students took the Math and Reading Placement
Assessment 2 students took the General Education Degree (GED)
test 23 job application forms were completed 4 scholarship applications were completed 6 FAFSA applications were completed 8 job searches were completed 22 resume and cover letters were completed
Total
students served by the Resource Laboratory to date: 116!
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Student of the Month: Jimmy
Celeste
|  Congratulations to MLK Ed. Center's May Student of the Month
Jimmy Celeste! Celeste has continually excelled in the
classroom since he arrived. Over the past month and a half that Celeste has
been at the MLK Ed. Center, he has met all expectations. He gets his work done on time and quickly. His ability to work independently and
efficiently can serve as an example for others. His work on a recent bucket list project in his Transitions class is a
good example of his stellar work - he was able to create a great slide show to
illustrate his list. He shows excellent
participation in class and contributes to discussions, showing enthusiastic
interest. Attendance is not a problem
for Celeste, as he shows up every day and brings an admirable attitude into the
classroom. The staff regards Celeste as a pleasure to have in class. We wish
Celeste continued success in the future!
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MLK Ed. Center:
By the Numbers | |
4 - laptop computers donated by Lane
Council of Governments to the MLK Ed. Center Technology Program
15 - heads of lettuce grown by MLK
students this month at their farm
90 - approximate average percentage
earned by Technology Program students on recent examinations
116 - total number of students served
by the Resource Laboratory to date
$250 - Philippine American Association
scholarship awarded to MLK student Briana
Deisler-Hicks
750 - "bangers" and other Scottish delights served by Culinary Arts Program students at the
Scottish Festival in Eugene
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| Upcoming Events | |
May 26 - MLK student field trip to the
City of Eugene's Challenge Course at Spencer Butte with the River House Outdoor
Program
June 9 - Annual MLK Ed. Center all-school
rafting trip on the McKenzie River with the City of Eugene's River House
Outdoor Program
June 16 - MLK Ed. Center graduation
June 26 - Culinary Program catering
service project at fundraiser dinner for Centro Latino Americano
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Horticulture Program: The
Horticulture Students Plow Through Another Busy Month
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This
month students from the Horticulture Program wrapped up their work on the Fall
Creek  national scenic trail, brushing, bucking, leveling and repairing more
than 13 miles of trail. The students are now working on the Gold Point Trail in
Lane County and hope to make significant progress in restoring the trail by
early summer.
Students
continue to remove massive amounts of exotic plants, shrubs and trees from the
Eugene's south hills, improving the native habitat on Mt. Baldy. Students also started laying rock and building
needed structures at the new Shotgun Creek Trails.
As the
weather warms, crops come and go, and crews at Department of Youth Services'
farm continue to harvest and weed in the pesticide- and herbicide-free garden.
Students planted lettuce, snow peas, broccoli, onions and herbs, as well as fig
trees. In the greenhouse, students planted tomatoes and peppers.
In the
coming month, students will propagate and plant native plants and build a shade
house for US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. |
Thank You: Lane Council of Governments
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Thank
you to Lane Council of Governments, which recently donated four laptop
computers to the Technology Program.
This generosity allowed MLK Ed. Center to add a new class session on
repair and maintenance of laptop computers.
As laptop and notebook-style computers gain popularity, the knowledge
and skills related to their maintenance and upkeep have become increasingly vital
and marketable. This donation provides
MLK students with a much broader base of knowledge from which to launch a
career or further their education. Thanks,
LCOG!
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Technology Program: Tired Computers Brought Back to Life by MLK
Students
| During the past month Technology Program students completed
the process of disassembling and reassembling laboratory computers, restoring them
to working order. In addition, students
reinstalled the computers' operating systems, applications, and system drivers,
bringing the "tired" computers full circle from jumbles of useless parts to
operational machines.
Having experienced the joy of a job well done, students
moved on in their curriculum to studying the operating principles of a variety
of internal computer components.
Understanding how these components work is helpful when diagnosing
problems. This in-depth knowledge
inspires confidence in students and their prospective employers. Once this work is complete, students will
begin troubleshooting and seeking solutions to computer problems.
Technology Program students' quiz scores are very high - their
answers are averaging nearly 90 percent correct - and work in the hands-on
laboratory. Technology Program staff
members will soon begin discussions with local businesses and community
partners to secure jobs and work experience for interested students. Students interested in working in the
computer technology industry who have successfully completed the computer
technology class may get a paid, real-life opportunity to apply their skills!
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Culinary Arts Program: Culinary Arts Students Stay Active with Competitions and Conferences
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 Just
when students thought the academic year was winding down, the Culinary Arts
Program has heated up with events and competitions.
Early in
the month, students competed at the eighth annual Lane County High School Culinary Competition at Lane Community College's Center for Meeting and
Learning in Eugene. Students prepared a mouth-watering beef, asparagus,
lemongrass and shitake mushroom stir fry served with jasmine rice and mango
chipotle. For dessert,  students whipped up a strawberry-banana turr�n, a
traditional Philippine delicacy. The competition was tough, and although the
MLK Ed. Center did not place this year, students had a great time and received
lots of praise.
Following
the competition, students catered the United Way Opportunity Conference,
providing breakfast and lunch to more than 200 attendees during the two-day
event. Students prepared a variety of
dishes, including Mexican-inspired fare - carne asada, chicken mole, pork,
rice, beans and homemade guacamole, salsa and horchata. Also on the menu were
Caesar and tossed salads, fruit platters, watermelon fresca and cored apples
with flan. Once again, the students worked well as a team and presented
themselves professionally under pressure.
As if
they didn't do enough this month, students from the Culinary Arts Program also
prepared and helped serve approximately 750 hot dogs and "bangers" (Scottish sausages), at the Eugene Scottish Festival. The owner of the food booth where students worked during the festival expressed gratitude for the students' cooking and customer service service.
In addition, students prepared and served breakfast, lunch and treats this month at the Latino Education Summit at Meadow View School in Eugene. More than 200 breakfast burritos, 450 enchiladas and several pounds of Spanish rice, salads and more were served to attendees who gave the students rave reviews.
Things
don't slow down for the students this summer! They are already looking forward
to catering the Central Latino Americano fundraiser dinner in June, as well as continuing
to learn butchery skills with Oregon Natural Meats.
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Student Spotlight: Michael Roberts
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 Michael Roberts started at MLK Ed. Center in spring 2009 and began participating in the Culinary Arts Program. During his time at the school, he maintained solid attendance, earned good grades, and increased his reading level by 3 grades. He continued his work with the Culinary Arts Program during last summer, becoming a leader in the kitchen and someone the staff could rely on to get things done. Mike served at many large catering events including the MLK Holiday Meal, MLK Open House, Willamette Leadership Academy Banquet, Communities of Color Network, and others.
Mike successfully transitioned back to his home school district in April 2010 and earned additional credits for his work experience gained while at MLK Ed. Center. He has made  excellent progress in his school and work this past year, while managing a great deal of change and disruption in his life. Mike also completed all of the conditions required of him by Lane County's Department of Youth Services and his case was recently closed. He continues to work in the Culinary Arts Program and is applying for summer jobs.
Mike gained an additional skill during his tenure at MLK Ed. Center as a ping pong player. He had never played the game before attending the school and took the time to develop skills to become a very skilled player. Mike often arrives early for his work shift at MLK to play ping pong against staff and students. It's great to see him and all the success he's created for himself!
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Presentation by Jordan Rawlins Inspires Students
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MLK students were recently
inspired by a presentation of personal testimony given by Jordan Rawlins, a
world traveler who overcame significant obstacles in pursuit of her
dreams. Rawlings described rural
Indian life and her experience of living in an ashram, a locus of Indian
cultural activity. Her
presentation emphasized the importance of cultural sensitivity.
"Youth in crisis need hope and a means to reach for
something above the basics," says Stephan
Willow, MLK teacher. "Jordan's
experience as an individual who overcame personal obstacles in pursuit of a
dream is one that our students desperately need to hear."
The presentation was an excellent introduction to the upcoming
curriculum unit on goal setting that presents techniques for developing goals
and recognizing barriers and means to overcome those barriers.
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| Transitions |
Sasha Barbadillo and Brandon Downes are in the process of taking their GED tests. Steven Rider, who will continue working
on the MLK Horticulture/Forest crew until he transitions to the Job Corps,
completed his GED testing. Students and staff eagerly await the results, ready
to celebrate Barbadillo, Downes and Riders' graduation soon.
Alex Konnoff  | Alex Konnoff and Brianna Diessler-Hicks will speak at the MLK Ed. Center Graduation
Ceremony. Both Konnoff and
Diessler-Hicks completed their GEDs at MLK during the winter term and started
classes at Lane Community College in March.
They also both plan to transfer their credits earned at LCC to a
four-year university in the future.
Alex Konnoff completed the Computer Technology
course and an off-site internship at NextStep Recycling.
Johnnie Cartwright  | Several
MLK Ed. Center students completed scholarship and financial aid applications
forBrianna Deisler-Hicks receives her scholarship from the Philippine American Association of Lane Countyy  | post-secondary education. Brianna Deisler-Hicks was awarded a
$250 award from the Philippine American Association of Lane County. Deissler-Hicks is the first recipient of this
scholarship, which was created for MLK Culinary Arts Program students who
assisted with this year's Asian Celebration.
Johnnie Cartwright, Alex Konnoff
and Brianna Deisler-Hicks received Delta Foundation scholarships to be used in furthering their education. A special thanks to the Delta Foundation Scholarship, Lane Community College Foundation, and the Philippine American Association for their scholarship programs for MLK students.
Kayla Brown  | Kayla Brown, who has developed into a
student leader at the Culinary Arts Program, has accepted a position with the
Eugene School District Nutrition Services. In her new position, Kayla will work in school cafeterias in the
Eugene-Springfield area. While learning
and gaining experience at the Culinary Arts Program, Kayla earned the National
Restaurant Association's Safeserve Certification, becoming just the second MLK
student to pass the nationally recognized food safety exam. |
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| Save 20% |
Save 20% on your next catering order of $50 or more with the MLK Jr. Education Center Culinary Arts Program.
Print this coupon and present it in person to redeem value. Limit one per person. Offer not valid with other discounts or prior purchases. | | Offer Expires: June 25, 2010. |
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