Hometown Capsules UW-SP'S "PROJECT FORWARD" SUPPORTS HMONG STUDENTS: "Project Forward, a Career Ladder Model for Hmong Participants in Northern Wisconsin," is working toward alleviating the chronic shortage of Southeast Asian educational professionals throughout central and northern Wisconsin. "Project Forward" is a state and federally supported effort to increase the numbers of Hmong teachers throughout Wisconsin. Kao Xiong is project coordinator for the UW-SP School of Education's Project Forward, a collaborative initiative between UW-SP and UW-La Crosse's Research Center for Cultural Diversity and Community Renewal. UW-SP's contractual agreement with UW-La Crosse pays for Xiong's 12-month appointment as well as full tuition support for the students. Project Forward's objective is to provide full tuition support for 12 educational assistants and/or bilingual aides who are working in K-12 school districts; support for 12 recent high school graduates; and support for 10 graduate students to pursue a master's degree in education, reading, special education, guidance and counseling or educational administration. This semester Project Forward includes 24 undergraduate and four graduate students with the majority enrolled at UW-SP. Others are attending UW-Marathon County and one student is attending UW-Superior. The goal is for these participants to some day serve the communities of Stevens Point, Wausau and Wisconsin Rapids. All participants must have a high school diploma or GED. Each enrollee is taking courses through five area campuses (UW-SP, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Superior, UW-Marathon County and UW-Marshfield/Wood County) to prepare for a career in teaching. In addition, each participant is required to pursue English as a Second Language or a bilingual education certification minor. Students in Project Forward must maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or greater in order to sustain tuition support and must meet monthly with Xiong. In this second year of the five-year grant, Project Forward is supported with $179,000 from the U.S. Department of Education under Title XII. The grant was submitted through UW-La Crosse. * * * ROSHOLT SCHOOLS PLAN WINTER CONCERT: The Rosholt Public Schools Music Department will present a Winter Concert at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, in the high school auditorium. Performing groups will include the middle school and high school choirs, as well as the beginning, middle school and high school concert bands. The Rosholt Area Friends of the Arts (RAFA) will hold a holiday bake sale. The organization supports the visual and performing arts for all Rosholt area students and community members. The choirs are under the direction of Patrick Burhkart, with Lynn Seifert as accompanist, and the bands are under the direction of Kathryn Kawleski. * * * LIBRARY SPONSORS ORNAMENT WORKSHOP: The Youth Services Department of the Charles White Library, 1001 Main St., Stevens Point, is sponsoring a Santa's Workshop ornament-making craft program on Thursday, Dec. 13, at 6:30 p.m. in the Prairie Room for children of all ages. Call 346-1549 or visit the Youth Services Department to sign up for the program. * * * EAGLES WILL HOLD CHRISTMAS PARTY: The Eagles Auxiliary and Aerie 2330 will meet Monday, Dec. 10, at the Blue Top Supper Club. The Christmas dinner party will be at 6 p.m. and meal at 7 p.m. Each guest should bring a $2 bingo prize and a white elephant prize. Cost of the dinner is $10. * * * MUSIC TEACHERS MEET: The Stevens Point Area Music Teachers Association will meet at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12, at Mitchell Piano Works, 809 Wisconsin St., Stevens Point. Julie Weiser, auditions chairperson, will discuss changes with 2002 student audition rules/regulations. All members are strongly urged to attend and are asked to bring a holiday treat to share with the group. For more information, contact SPAMTA president, Gail Heywood, at (715) 435-3275. * * * NATIONWIDE DAY OF PRAYER: The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis will join in a national public day of prayer scheduled for Friday, Dec. 7, organized by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. The sisters will open the chapel at the St. Joseph Congregational Home, 1300 Maria Drive, Stevens Point, to the public for private prayer from noon to 5 p.m. A prayer service at 2:30 p.m. will be led by Sister Barbara Jean Peplinski, the congregational liturgist at the home. * * * BETA SIGMA PHI MEETING: Wisconsin Preceptor Alpha Nu Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, at the home of Carol Walther. Members unable to attend should call 344-8501. * * * GREAT ESCAPE RAISES RELIEF FUNDS: The Stevens Point Area YMCA's Great Escape program participated in the "Lights On Afterschool!" event on Oct. 11, a nationwide event sponsored by the Afterschool Alliance, an organization dedicated to ensuring all children have access to after-school programs. As many as 15 million children in the U.S. leave school each day without a safe place to go. As part of the event, children at the YMCA Great Escape held a silent auction to raise money for the Red Cross National Disaster Relief Fund. They spent three weeks creating artwork to be sold at the auction and Target and Wal-Mart donated merchandise. The action raised $186.82. The children also created red, white and blue support bracelets, which were sent to the New York YMCA for distribution to children who lost family members in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. * * * ROUS NAMED CDP PROGRAM MANAGER: Jerry Rous has been named program manager of the Collaborative Degree Program (CDP) at UW-SP. In cooperation with UW-Marshfield/Wood County and UW-Marathon County, the CDP provides a convenient way for adults throughout central Wisconsin to complete a bachelor's degree in business administration or general studies. The program, which features evening upper division coursework, is especially helpful to place-bound adults in central Wisconsin. Coursework is provided through interactive television classrooms linked between the three campuses and by instructors from each campus, with some who travel among the three locations. Rous has eight years experience coordinating credit courses and programs for off-campus audiences at UW-SP Extension. He has experience with a variety of distance education delivery technologies, ranging from interactive television delivery such as School of Education graduate courses for K-12 teachers to high school sites throughout the state, to online courses as part of the Technology and Leadership Certificate (TECHLEAD) provided by the Division of Communication. In addition to his work with CDP, he also will continue to manage TECHLEAD. An eight-year veteran of UW-SP Extension, he is located in Room 012 Main at 346-3301. * * * SENIOR SUZUKI VOICE RECITAL: Johanna Chelcun and Mollie Sprouse will perform in a senior Suzuki voice recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, in Michelson Hall of the UW-SP Fine Arts Center. The performance is open to the public without charge. Chelcun is the daughter of Greg and Cindy Chelcun, 3157 N. Shore Drive, and Sprouse is the daughter of Tim and Susie Sprouse, 1775 Spruce Lane. Both girls are high school seniors and students of Mary Hofer of the American Suzuki Talent Education Center. They will be assisted by pianist David Becker, who teaches Suzuki violin, and Evelyn Andersen, daughter of Kurt and Margaret Andersen, 2208 East Ave., a Suzuki violin student of Pat D'Ercole and a high school sophomore.