Drugs, violence, teen pregnancy and incarceration — not exactly the stuff of punch lines and laugh tracks. ...

San Diego County high school students who struggle to cope with these issues are confronting them head-on in an unlikely stand-up-comedy class that also serves as therapy of sorts.

Paid for with $6,500 in federal stimulus money, this new course was designed for students who are interested in the entertainment industry. But it has also helped teenagers face their demons and relate to classmates at the county Office of Education community school in National City. ...

About 20 students enrolled in the course, "Laughter Is the Best Medicine," this year. It's taught by Sandi C. Shore, who hails from a family that's well-versed in comedy.
"These kids have been through a lot. I am blown away at their honesty and their creativity -- they don't hold anything back," said Shore.

Labels: education, laughter

Shock Education is part of the country’s Juvenile Diversion Program and is designed to do more than scare delinquents straight. ... Boys and girls, ages 12 to 18, are referred to the program by different agencies -- juvenile court, probation offices, Department of Children and Families, school resource officers and parents.

Labels: alternatives, education, florida, jails

Labels: education, students

In 2007, 16 percent of U.S. residents between 16 and 24 years old were high school dropouts, said the report by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, and the Alternative Schools Network in Chicago, Illinois. Among the dropouts, 60.1 percent were men, 30.1 percent were Latino and 18.8 percent were black.

"Because of the widespread, pressing nature of the crisis and the large numbers of young people who have already dropped out, a national re-enrollment strategy should be a fundamental part of America's national education agenda," the report says.

Labels: dropouts, education, high_school

"The kids that attended Saturday's program at the La Plata Campus of the College of Southern Maryland came from different situations. While some are known to skip school regularly, others are go-getters who took the opportunity to attend the various workshops."

Labels: education, prevention, schools

"Delegate Norm Conway is sponsoring the bill. As an educator for 39 years, he says it's important to help troubled teens make a positive transition. 'They're out of their own families in many instances. You're hoping for the best possible transition and incentives that say hey if you're willing to do your part there are some opportunities out there for you.'"

Labels: college, education, grants

"About 1 in 4 students said they believed meth could make them happy, and help them lose weight. Jose Deniz, CSI student says, 'I think that's exactly it. They're just not educated into exactly what it does to your body and how it deteriorates you. If they were to get some information or knowledge on it, they would probably think differently."

Labels: attitudes, education, prevention

"Research reports in 2004 and 2007 found that suicide attempts were 40 percent less for students in the SOS high school program than for the control group. The results were similar across racial and socioeconomic groups. Because of such studies, SOS is listed on the National Registry of Effective Programs maintained by the US government's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration."

Labels: education, http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif, prevention, suicide

"The youths are taken to bowling nights and movies, as well as Skid Row in Los Angeles and the county morgue. One important event in the program includes being 'arrested' and kept in jail for a few hours, to show the teens what the experience is like."

Labels: education, motivation, support

''A wonderful seed planted right here in Missouri is now to bear fruit all across America. See what happens when we all work together, reaching across party lines to do what is good and right for the people,' Kinder said."

Labels: education, influences, mentoring

"'From what I've read, I think the approaches which try to shock students, either through videos of terrible accidents or other videos that emphasize the gruesome nature of things, the conclusions there are they are not effective and may be counterproductive,' [First Lady Nancy] Freudenthal said. Freudenthal isn't exactly sure why that's the case, but said it might be because students typically don't believe bad things can happen to them."

Labels: education, influences, prevention

"Education campaigns that started years ago are having a significant effect, said James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth, a Washington-based nonprofit group that focuses on prevention of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases."

Labels: education, sex, teen_pregnancy

"Cox's future looked bleak, until a third option emerged. He enrolled at the Adult Education Center in New Haven, most likely his last chance at a diploma. 'I said "Ma, I'm loving it. It was the first time I stayed in school all day,"' said Cox."

Labels: college, education, young_adults