BRIEFLY.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Springfield Middle School

to host MLK celebration

Springfield Middle School will host a celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event, sponsored by the Springfield Alliance for Equality and Respect, the Springfield School District, the city of Springfield and the Willamalane Park & Recreation District, will feature emcee Marc Mullins of KMTR, student awards and music performances. The school is located at 1084 G St.

Program pays schools

to recycle voter cards

Schools stand to make a few bucks under a new elections program that will pay schools to recycle old voter registration cards.

Under the penny-per-card payment program, each school will receive 1 cent for each old voter registration card it recycles. The payments will draw on federal Help America Vote Act funds, not state funds. The program, which aims to benefit schools while ensuring accurate, up-to-date voter registration, was established by Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury in cooperation with the state Department of Education and Oregon's County Clerks.

The state recently redesigned voter registration cards, and all the new ones feature a bar code at the top. Old cards may be found in phone books, through voter registration organizations (such as students, unions, and nonprofit organizations) willing to donate them, banks and credit unions, post offices, libraries, city halls and other locations.

Schools will report the number of old cards collected to the secretary of state at the end of February. For information, call Lane County Elections at 682-4234.

Deadline is Jan. 31

for award nominations

The deadline is Jan. 31 for nominations of innovative educators who are making a positive difference for K-12 education.

Cable in the Classroom's Leaders in Learning Awards recognize programs that are transforming education by demonstrating excellence in expanding and enhancing learning opportunities and producing measurable improvements. The program is open to classroom and community program teachers, administrators, community leaders and policy-makers, as well as others who work both in and out of the classroom.

Awards will be presented in five categories: Cable Partnerships for Learning; Pushing the Envelope with Cable Technology and Programming; Media Literacy Education; Policy-maker Excellence; and General Excellence. The online application is available at www.leadersinlearning awards.org. Completed applications will be judged by a panel of experts from throughout the national education community. Winners will receive a $3,000 cash prize and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., in June.

`Teaching Tolerance' kit offered free to schools

The Southern Poverty Law Center has a free educational toolkit, "Teaching Tolerance," available to schools on request. Designed for use in grades 8 through 12, the kit is based on the Oscar-winning documentary "One Survivor Remembers," which centers on the story of Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein. The kit sheds light on the 20th century's history of prejudice and genocide, and includes specific lessons about anti-Semitism and broader issues of hate crimes.

Included in the package is a copy of the documentary film; photographs, government papers, letters, postcards and maps drawn from Klein's private collection; a 50-page teachers' guide with standards-based lesson plans; and a 40-page resource booklet. To obtain a copy, visit www.splcenter.org.

Library workshop to focus on the basics of finances

The Eugene Public Library will hold a free workshop Saturday for older teens and younger 20-somethings focused on managing finances. "On Your Own: Money & More" will offer practical, easy-to-understand information about bank accounts, credit cards, apartments, cars, jobs, careers and ways to get the training or education to make it all happen. Local experts, including library staff, will answer questions and give real-life tips on avoiding common mistakes and improving your chances of getting where you want to go. The workshop is from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the downtown library, 100 W. 10th Ave. For information, call 682-8316.

Students, parents invited to financial aid workshop

Lane Community College will hold a workshop Saturday for students, parents and other individuals interested in learning about financial aid and scholarships, including the hundreds available through the Lane Community College Foundation.

Last year, the foundation awarded 383 scholarships totaling $470,000 to help keep education accessible to area residents. A list of scholarships appears in the college's Scholarship Opportunities book, now available in Career and Employment Services, Building 1, Room 102, and from high school guidance counselors. The list, and an application form, are also available online at www.lanecc.edu/foundation. Most have a deadline of March 13.

The free workshop will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the main campus, Building 17, Room 308. To register, call 463-5252.

Free drop-in art classes available for youths

The Lane Arts Council, DIVA and Looking Glass Youth and Family Services will offer free, drop-in art classes for youths beginning Jan. 23. The classes will be held at DIVA, 110 W. Broadway, Mondays and Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. For information, visit www.lanearts.org or call 485-2278.

Deadline to register

for arts program is Jan. 31

The registration deadline is Jan. 31 for middle school students interested in enrolling in the Visual and Dramatic Arts (VADA) program at Springfield's Briggs Middle School. The program, which began last year, integrates art and drama into core academic classes, giving students an opportunity for intense study in those areas. Briggs Principal Mike Riplinger encouraged students who live in Eugene to also apply, as cross-district transfer requests are generally easy to obtain. For information, call 744-6350.

MECCA sale includes

special deals for teachers

MECCA's Winter Clearance Sale continues Saturday, with special deals for teachers and students. The sale, with 50 percent off on everything in the store, will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Teachers and students can take all they want for $5, with the exception of fabric rolls and sample books, yarn, sticky vinyl, wine corks, maps and beads. Items for sale at rock-bottom prices include large cardboard tubes, frame samples, vinyl records, colorful paper scraps, broken tiles and ceramics and old greeting cards. MECCA (Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts) is located at 43 W. Broadway in Eugene.