School tools

Sneakers for Project 300

Ron N Shoot (RNS) Sports has a goal to collect 300 pairs of new sneakers for Durham-area kids in need for the upcoming school year by Sunday, August 18. RNS Sports is a nonprofit that uses basketball to connect young people with opportunities to become community leaders. If you’d like to donate some sneakers or simply learn more about #Project300, call Sharard Johnson at 202-617-1420 or write to rnssportsnc@gmail.com.

Durham County’s new Pre-K Program

Durham County is launching a new Pre-K Program for kids who will be age 4 by August 31 (of this year). There are some spaces left in this free, high-quality program for the 2019–20 school year. Call 919-403-6960 for more info. Classes are filling fast—act now!

‘The Schools We All Deserve’

A new exhibit, The Schools We All Deserve: The Struggle for Educational Equity in Durham, will be on display on weekdays, 9am–5pm, at the WG Pearson Center (600 E Umstead St, just east of the Stanford L Warren Library). Learn how each generation has responded to racial and economic inequality here in Durham, and learn more about this topic. Free admission; a small parking lot can be found on the side of the building by Spaulding St. Click here for more info.

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.

Contract Law: From Trust to Promise to Contract—Learn how contracts are formed, what makes them enforceable, and what happens when one party breaks a promise. [8-week self-paced course offered by Harvard University starts Wednesday, July 10; click here for more info and to sign up.]
Spiritual Competency Training in Mental Health—Mental-health providers can receive training in basic spiritual and religious competencies, which can help when discussing religious and spiritual issues with clients. [5-week self-paced course offered by the University of Maryland–Baltimore starts Sunday, July 14; click here for more info and to sign up.]
Question Everything: Scientific Thinking in Real Life--Learn how to use math and science to solve everyday problems. [8-week self-paced course offered by the University of Queensland (Australia) starts Monday, July 15; click here for more info and to sign up.]
Human Rights: The Rights of Refugees--Learn how to defend and better help those seeking refuge locally. [3-week self-paced course offered by Amnesty International starts Sunday, July 21; click here for more info and to sign up.]
Video Game Design: Teamwork & Collaboration--Learn how a team comes together to create, market and deliver a video game. [5-week self-paced course offered by the Rochester Institute of Technology starts Monday, July 22; click here for more info and to sign up.]
Cybersecurity Fundamentals--Learn how to detect threats, protect systems and networks, and anticipate potential cyber attacks. [8-week self-paced course offered by the Rochester Institute of Technology starts Tuesday, August 6; 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.