Defend Adult Education for the 99% in Los Angeles!

Why This Is Important

Citing the budget crisis, the School Board of the Los Angeles Unified School District is seriously considering the elimination of all funding for the Division of Adult and Career Education at the end of this school year.

Our students and communities need adult education classes. Why?

• The elimination of adult education would cut off hundreds of thousands of students from pathways to good jobs and careers via affordable career technical (job training) classes.
• Parents need to learn English and improve basic academic and life skills, so they can get family-supporting jobs and help their K-12 kids succeed in school.
• High school dropouts/pushouts need qualified teachers and appropriate places to study for their GEDs, complete high school, and prepare for success in postsecondary education or career training.

It is unfair for the school district to target the cuts on immigrant and low income communities, those who need adult education the most!

Click HERE to sign petition to help defend
adult education for 99% of Los Angeles

Project Toward No Drug Looking For Participants to Receive $120 Target Gift Cards

"Project Towards No Drug (TND)” is a new program at APLA geared towards reducing risk/use and educating youth about Drugs, HIV and STI’s.

APLA is working on getting a group of about 6-8 possibly 10 participants, that are available over a weekend (Saturday and Sunday @ 8 hours each day).

Participants should be men of color ages 18-24; HIV status and sexual orientation is not a factor (participants should be mindful of the sexual orientation diversity).

Lunch and refreshments will be provided both days.

Upon completion of the group all participants will received $120 worth of Target Gift Cards.

The group is scheduled for the last weekend of January – Saturday January 28th and Sunday January 29th time TBA

Interested participants should contact Eric Hernandez by Thursday January 26th directly at 323-329-9914 or via email at ehernandez@apla.org so they can be assured space.

 Eric Hernandez
Outreach Specialist, Project TND
AIDS Project Los Angeles
3743 S. La Brea Ave / Los Angeles, CA 90016
P: 323.329.9914/ F: 323.294.3949/ E: Ehernandez@apla.org

Jan 24th: Save LA County and Stop Jail Expansion!

 SPEAK OUT!!!!  PACK THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 24TH, 10AM TO CHALLENGE SHERIFF BACA'S PROPOSED 2.66 BILLION $ EXPANSION OF COUNTY JAIL.
 (Click Here for Flyer) SIGN PETITION NOW!  CLICK HERE!

Tell LEGO: Stop marketing sexist toys to girls

Iconic toy brand LEGO recently launched a new line of toys meant just for girls -- but two young women, Bailey Shoemaker-Richards and Stephanie Cole, think the products are unfairly "dumbed down" for girls.

The new line is called LadyFigs, and it's made up of busty, pastel-colored figurines that come with interests like shopping, hair-dressing, and lounging at the beach. The uninspired toys even come with pre-assembled environments -- so there is no assembly (or imagination) required.

Bailey and Stephanie say they're frustrated that LEGO is pushing outdated gender roles on girls and cheating them of the opportunity to build and discover. So they took to the internet, blogging about what they call the new "Barbielicious" LEGOs and petitioning the toy company to lose the sexist LadyFigs line and go back to empowering both boys and girls with its original products. Click here to sign Bailey and Stephanie's petition today.

LEGO hasn't always thought its toys were only for boys. In the 1980s, the company was actually celebrated for a major advertising campaign that spotlighted a young girl and her LEGO creation with the tagline "What it is is beautiful." But since then, LEGO reversed course and decided to market its products only to boys.

The company claims its research shows girls just don't appreciate the original LEGO line. But Bailey and Stephanie argue that with LEGO's renewed emphasis on boys -- featuring only boys in its ads and stocking products in the boys' aisles of toy stores -- it's no wonder young girls wouldn't think LEGOs were meant for them.

Bailey and Stephanie's fight to get LEGO to return to its gender-neutral toys is already making waves, with the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Time weighing in on the issue. But LEGO is stubbornly holding its ground and told Business Week that the LadyFigs launch is a "strategic" move to "reach the other 50 percent of the world's children," as if girls have never been part of LEGO's focus.

Public pressure can prove LEGO wrong. If enough people sign Bailey and Stephanie's petition, it could convince LEGO that the new LadyFigs are bad business and the company should return its focus to empowering boys AND girls with toys that inspire creativity and innovation.

Tell LEGO to stop selling out girls -- sign Bailey and Stephanie's petition today.

Thanks for being a change-maker,

Volunteers Needed For Income Tax Assistance Program

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
Volunteers Needed

 
Looking for a Way to Help Out in Your Community 

During these Tough Economic Times?

Join SHIELDS for Families providing free tax preparation assistance to families!

Free training and certification to prepare taxes begins 

January 2012 so call now!

For more information contact:
Program Specialist, Jennifer Johnson at 323-242-5000 ext 1227