School tools

ACT Prep Review

APlus Test Prep & Academic Services presents a free ACT Prep Review on Saturday, January 11, 10am–noon, at 3500 Westgate Dr (Suite 405). During this free session, high school can learn more about the upcoming comprehensive ACT test (on February 25), which can help determine who gets college scholarships and financial-aid opportunities. Click here for more info and to register.

Another ACT Prep Review will be held on Saturday, January 25, 11am–12:30pm, at the same location. Click here for more info and to register.

Health-education workshops for teens

The Community Health Coalition announces a new workshop series, The ABCs to Healthy Living from Your, the Youths’, Point of View, for young people ages 12 to 18. This free workshop series will run for eight sessions on Tuesdays, 4:15–6pm, at North Carolina Central University’s Wellness Clinic (500 Nelson St, in the Miller Morgan Building) from January 21 to March 10. Participants are invited to learn how drinking and vaping can adversely affect their health. Snacks will be provided, and each participant will receive a camera and $25 at the end of the program. Call 919-470-8680 for more info and to register.

DPS Text-a-Tip

Students (and sometimes even their parents) often feel that reporting bullying and drugs/weapons possession at school can put themselves at risk. Durham Public Schools has started its Text-a-Tip program, which simplifies the process and makes it totally anonymous. You have two choices:

Go to tipsubmit,com and then type in Durham Public Schools under “Choose agency.” Click on Next in the lower right-hand corner; you’ll see the “Confidential tip disclaimer.” Click on Agree in the lower right-hand corner, and you’ll end up on the page where you can fill out an “Incident report” (type of incident, time, location, and details. You can even add photos or video footage.) Then, under “Follow-up,” you can add your contact information, or you can choose to leave it blank.
Or you can decide to use text. Text your tip to 274637 (they suggest adding this number to your contact list). Be sure to start your message with DPSTIP so it will be routed to the right person quickly. Your phone number and any identifying information will be kept confidential.

DPS employment opportunities

Click here to see the list of full- and part-time jobs at Durham Public Schools. This list is up to date, so if you’re looking for work, check back periodically.

Free tutoring program

First Calvary Baptist Church and the West End Community Foundation’s free Project FINE Tutorial Program is underway and ready to help students (kindergarten through college) with one-to-one tutoring and remediation assistance. Snacks will be provided. Study sessions will be held 10am to noon at the Lyon Park Recreation Center (1309 Halley St) on Saturdays, January 11, 18, 25, and February 1. Contact Elnora Shields at 919-688-7833 or elnorashields@aol.com, or DeWarren Langley at 919-937-2115 or dewarrenklangley@outlook.com to set up your child’s study session.

Edu-informational podcast

Get loads of information on various school-related topics by listening to the Center for Family Engagement’s podcast, “Notes from the Backpack.” Click here for more info and to see a list of podcasts to choose from.

DPR computer labs

Just because school is out, that doesn’t mean you have to lose access to computers. Here’s where you can go to use a computer free of charge during your summer vacation:

Holton Career and Resource Center (401 N Driver St)—Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10am to 2pm and then 6 to 8pm; also on Saturdays from 1 to 5pm.

Free college-level courses

Keep your skills sharp and have fun learning new things over your summer vacation. edX is an online source for finding classes offered by renowned colleges and universities from around the world that you can take for free. Some courses start on specific dates and others are totally self-paced. Most require that you dedicate a few hours per week to the course, and although work is involved, you don’t have to worry about finals and term papers. Here are some upcoming courses; click here to explore the site and look for classes on subjects you’re interested in.

The Science of Happiness—Explore the art of positive psychology and learn science-based principles of leading a meaningful life. [11-week self-paced course offered by Berkeley University of California starts Monday, January 6; click here for more info and to sign up.]
How the US Government Works and How to Get Involved—Get an overview on the inner workings of government and learn how to apply the tools to make your voice heard. [6-week self-paced course offered by Georgetown University starts Thursday, January 9; click here for more info and to sign up.]
Leading in a Complex Environment—Learn how to lead your business or organization through challenging, up-to-the-minute global issues. [10-week self-paced course offered by the University of Queensland starts Monday, January 13; click here for more info and to sign up.]
Blockchain: Understanding Its Uses and Implications—Learn about Blockchain technology and how it makes digital currency such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, etc possible. [14-week self-paced course offered by the Linux Foundation starts Tuesday, January 28; click here for more info and to sign up.]
How to Build Chatbots and Make Money--Learn how to build, analyze, deploy, and monetize chatbots for social media and websites. [2-week self-paced course offered by IBM starts Monday, February 3; click here for more info and to sign up.]

Arabic classes for k–6

Arabic Classes are being offered on Saturdays from 6 to 7:30pm at Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman’s Fayetteville St masjid (3034 Fayetteville St). These classes are for young people from kindergarten through 6th grade. Call 919-394-7336 or write to administrator@ibadarrahman.org for more info.