Contents

Not Making the Grade: Strategies to Encourage Educational Achievement
A Fulfilling Role for Those with a Servant's Heart
Latino "Tweens" Get Active with the VERB Campaign
Turning Back the Tide: SRF/HRN Educate against Spread of AIDS
Immigrant Health Professionals Get Back to Work with COPHYLA
Proyecto Futuro Promotes Bilingual Science Education
Justicia Ambiental: Latinos Fighting for a Healthier World
La Columna Vertebral: Shhh! Sex Is a Dirty Word
Announcements
Contributors' Guidelines

Upcoming Hispanic Radio Network Programming

Not Making the Grade: Strategies to Encourage Educational Achievement among Latinos
By Arturo Vásquez, Executive Director, Self Reliance Foundation

In a country internationally known for its superb system of higher learning, one of the largest groups of Americans remains the least likely to attend college or university. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over one-fourth of Latinos do not even complete the ninth grade. Only 57% of Latinos over age 25, versus 88% of non-Hispanic whites, have a high school degree, and Latinos are approximately one-third as likely as whites to get a bachelor's degree.

In the face of these troubling indicators, the Self Reliance Foundation (SRF) and Hispanic Radio Network (HRN) have developed multi-pronged strategies not only to encourage the broader Latino community's interest in informal education but also to facilitate individual Latinos' pursuits of formal learning opportunities. Our various educational programs and services include:

Educational Radio

Spanish-language radio is a particularly effective medium for providing public education to Latino audiences. In the United States, Latinos listen to radio significantly more than other Americans do. Indeed, over two-thirds of Latinos listen to Spanish-language radio, and they listen an average of 23 hours per week. Additionally, many Latinos work in factories, service industries and agriculture - sectors where it is common to listen to radio even during work hours.

SRF and HRN produce six daily educational radio capsules which are distributed across our network of over 160 AM and FM stations. These short-format programs provide valuable information on topics such as the environment, culture, health, science and technology, and financial literacy. Often, a series of programs will be dedicated to a federal public education campaign, for example, we have recently launched a children's health initiative, VERB: Ponte la pilas (get moving), in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control, and a program on HIV/AIDS awareness with the National Library of Medicine. Our radio programs further direct listeners to contact the National Hispanic Resource Helpline in order to receive additional information in particular areas of interest.

National Hispanic Resource Helpline

SRF's toll-free National Hispanic Resource Helpline is the only such multi-purpose, bilingual service in the country. Our staff of certified information and referral specialists is able to assist callers on a broad range of issues from reproductive health to voter registration. When a caller contacts the helpline with an inquiry about education, our professional staff draws from a customized database of over 12,000 Latino-serving organizations to find the right local resources to help the person in need. Whether the caller wishes to learn how to place her child in a better school, how to apply for college loans and scholarships, or how to get U.S. professional credentials for education completed abroad, SRF specialists can help.

Spanish-Language Web Resources

According to the Pew Research Center, America's Latinos are accessing the Internet in ever increasing numbers. From 2000 to 2001, the number of Latino Internet users rose by 25%, and, today, over half of Latino adults in America have been on-line. Like other Internet users, Latinos surf the web not only for recreation but also to gather information.

SRF and HRN's bilingual websites provide extensive information and resources for the Latino community. SRF's Recursos y Enlaces (Resources and Links) pages include Spanish-language information on such topics as AIDS, diabetes, disaster preparedness, human rights and bio-terrorism. And HRN offers back issues on-line of its weekly information and advice column, La Columna Vertebral, which covers topics from mental health to financial management.

At SRF and HRN, we also hope to see other service organizations hosting more Spanish-language services on their websites. Sadly, even federal agencies often do not have web pages posted in Spanish, and many of the Spanish-language sites that do exist have not been designed to facilitate access by non English speakers. Currently, HRN's translation department offers a website service to not only translate a client's site, but to also continuously update that site.

Student Fellows Program

The SRF student fellows program provides Latino students with opportunities to acquire hands-on experience in community outreach. Currently, SRF spearheads this initiative in partnership with four schools: the University of New Mexico; San Diego State University; Pepperdine University; and the National Latino Research Center at California State University, San Marcos.

Selected, bilingual student fellows develop research, counseling and community-organizing skills while working on-site at their own universities. Student fellows screen community organizations for SRF's service-provider database, make follow-up calls to people who were assisted by our help-line specialists, and perform community services locally. Participating schools have the option of offering work-study funds and/or academic credit to students for their work.

In this issue of Acceso Hispano, Stephanie Bofman discusses her own experiences as a recent SRF student fellow. As our outreach services expand, we hope to integrate more universities into this important program.

Putting It All Together

Typically, SRF develops multi-pronged, public education campaigns which utilize all of our various outreach tools. Our Celebra la Ciencia (Celebrate Science) initiative, for example, a National Science Foundation-funded project, seeks to increase Latinos' access to both informal and formal science learning opportunities. In cooperation with local science museums, children's museums, zoos, and other informal learning organizations, the Celebra initiative mounts extensive science exhibits at Latino festivals in six sites across the country. At a Celebra event, festival visitors can excavate for fossils, build bridges, mix chemical compounds, peer through microscopes, and take part in dozens of other exciting science activities.

To promote and enhance the Celebra campaign, HRN broadcasts ongoing radio capsules featuring Latino role models - successful scientists, astronauts, and engineers - who give advice to adult listeners on how to encourage their children to succeed in science. Celebra capsules also provide our toll-free help-line number. When radio listeners call the help-line, SRF staff is then able to suggest museums, aquariums and other informal learning institutions in the caller's area; provide the names and contact numbers of local magnet schools which the caller's children may be eligible for; offer information on how to apply for college scholarships or students loans; or help in any other way. Finally, our student fellows take part in the various facets of the Celebra campaign by helping to organize and publicize festivals, volunteering at exhibit booths, and assisting the help-line staff.

Making a Difference

Education may be either formal or informal, and can take place in a variety of settings. Although Latinos are the minority group with the lowest rates of formal education in the country, this does not mean that that these 39 million Americans are uninterested in learning. To the contrary, educational researcher Linda Espinosa notes that among Latino parents, for example, "concern for their children. respect for education, and desire for a better life have rarely been capitalized on by the educational establishment."

Language barriers, lack of familiarity with educational resources and systems, mistrust of governmental institutions, and impoverishment all function to dissuade the Latino community from participating fully in the American education system. Yet, at SRF and HRN, we believe that the undaunted collective efforts of Latino-serving public education and community-based organizations across the country do much to reverse this trend.

A Fulfilling Role for Those with a Servant's Heart: My Time with the SRF Student Fellows Program
By Stephanie Bofman, SRF Student Fellow, University of New Mexico

"Hello, I'm calling from the Self Reliance Foundation, a nonprofit organization, which is the largest producer of Spanish-language educational radio programs in the U.S. We have a national outreach, information and referral program that helps Spanish-speaking people in the U.S. and Puerto Rico gain access to information and free or low-cost community services that have bilingual staff. Do you take referrals from other nonprofit organizations?"

These words have been heard by thousands of service providers all across the United States since the Student Fellows Program began in the fall of 1998. These calls are one of the most crucial components of the program, a collaborative between the Self Reliance Foundation (SRF), and various universities including the University of New Mexico (UNM).

Among other tasks, student fellows research and screen providers of a wide variety of community-based services, and then enter this information into SRF's national database. The students pay close attention to those services that are low-cost and offer bilingual assistance, because SRF targets the Hispanic community. The services entered into the database are often advertised over the Hispanic Radio Network, a sister organization of the SRF, and are then given out as referrals, via SRF's National Hispanic Resource Helpline, to Hispanics across the country in need of culturally competent help from a local service provider.

I was initially attracted to this program in the fall of 2000 when my best friend, Julie Tapia, a student fellow for the SRF project at UNM, told me about all the things this program offers both the community and the students who are involved. I am frequently involved in community service projects, and I constantly strive to improve my Spanish, so when I heard about the details of the Student Fellows Program, I jumped at the opportunity to take part in this effort.

At first, I felt apprehensive about joining the program because all of the other student fellows were Hispanic and, if hired, I would be the only Caucasian. I would also be the only person whose native language was not Spanish. I am a Spanish major at UNM, and although I can understand, read and write quite well, I constantly need to work on my speaking skills. I felt my lack of confidence in the language might impact my effectiveness. Despite my insecurities, I was graciously welcomed into the program by Lawrence Roybal, the Associate Director of Outreach Services at UNM, and the direct supervisor of the UNM Student Fellows Program.

I am currently beginning my fourth and final year as a student fellow. I will be graduating in May and will soon begin to search for a career that fulfills my journalistic interests, and at the same time, is community service oriented. I will take with me many skills that I don't think I would have learned without the unique experiences that being a student fellow has afforded me. Those skills include research, communication, advocacy, advertising, understanding a database, networking, and improved writing and speaking skills in both English and Spanish. I also have increased my awareness concerning community issues, including the disparities that exist between various groups throughout the United States.

Community service is another equally important component of the Student Fellows Program. Student fellows at UNM are currently involved in two of SRF's national campaigns: Celebra la Ciencia and VERB: Ponte las Pilas. These two initiatives target children throughout the nation as they call community members into action to help improve the lives of tomorrow's leaders...our children. Celebra la Ciencia offers informal science activities and hands-on demonstrations at Hispanic community festivals in order to spark children's interest in science at a young age. The Student Fellows Program and UNM have been a major source of leadership for Albuquerque's Celebra la Ciencia festival, and it has been a privilege to take part in such an imperative community effort.

VERB: Ponte las Pilas is the major focus of the student fellows this year. We have currently begun researching, contacting and entering into the national database providers of children's physical activities such as YMCA, 4-H Club, and Special Olympics, to name a few. The national VERB campaign is a response by the Centers for Disease Control to the growing concern over the rising child obesity rate in America and the health risks that result from this epidemic.

It is the opportunity to take part in projects like these that make being an SRF student fellow a fulfilling role for those with a servant's heart. Through my work with SRF, I've been part of the effort to find more ways to help the people in our country who are the most disadvantaged and who are often ignored by those with the power and resources to help raise them out of destitution.

Through our shared experiences, all of the UNM student fellows have become close friends, and the times we've had together have been unforgettable. The innumerable memories and friendships I have made through my participation in this program have strongly contributed to an enjoyable college experience and have impacted my life more than words can describe.

Latino "Tweens" Get Active with the VERB Campaign: New Program to Link Latinos with Health and Fitness Resources in Their Communities

On September 29, Hispanic Radio Network and the Self Reliance Foundation launched a new public education campaign to inform the U.S. Latino community about the need to get children involved in physical activity in order to prevent childhood overweight and obesity. This initiative, called VERB: Ponte las Pilas, (Get Moving) will use Spanish-language radio and TV media, and special community events to encourage Latino "tweens," or youth aged 9-13, to pursue more physically active lifestyles. As part of this campaign, Latino parents across the country will be able to call SRF's National Hispanic Resource Helpline at (800) 473-3003 to receive free information about places to go in their communities to get their children and their families involved in physical activity. In addition to making these referrals, many of these community organizations and service providers will be contacted about opportunities to participate in special events and activities related to this important campaign.

The VERB: Ponte las Pilas campaign serves as the Spanish-language portion of the Youth Media Campaign called "VERB. It's What You Do." The national, multicultural campaign was launched in June 2002 by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is intended to create a movement to promote positive physical activity and displace unhealthy, risky behaviors among 9 to 13-year olds. VERB encourages tweens to participate in at least 60 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical such as soccer, basketball or swimming with organized clubs or groups or other family members.

To effectively reach out to the Hispanic/Latino community, culturally relevant and bilingual messages were developed. The campaign uses television, radio, billboards, and the Internet to reach parents and tweens across the country. Other components of the campaign include partnerships with media, private companies and community-based organizations in conjunction with research and evaluation efforts.

While childhood overweight and obesity are growing problems in the nation as a whole, they are more prevalent among Hispanics than any other ethnic group, affecting 1 in 5 Hispanic children. Incorporating physical activity into the lives of our youth is one answer to this grave problem. "We're very concerned about this growing threat to our children's health," said Arturo Vásquez, Chief Operating Officer for HRN. "It's an honor to have been selected to participate in this national campaign, and we have developed multiple strategies to connect Latinos in-need with appropriate community service providers that focus on getting children involved in physical activity."

For more information on VERB, parents are encouraged to visit www.VERBparents.com, while tweens should go to www.VERBnow.com. To receive regular updates about VERB, sign up to the campaign's electronic listserv. Join the 1,200 people that have already signed up by sending an e-mail to listserv@cdc.gov with only the following in the body of your message: subscribe verb-list.

Turning Back the Tide: SRF/HRN Educate against the Spread of AIDS in the Latino Community

To mark AIDS Awareness Month in December, the Self Reliance Foundation and Hispanic Radio Network will be launching a 2-week, HIV/AIDS public education campaign, Conociendo el SIDA (Understanding AIDS). The campaign will feature daily radio capsules and two nationally-syndicated newspaper columns providing information on HIV/AIDS symptoms, transmission, prevention and treatment.

The initiative is being funded by the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health. The Whitman Walker Clinic and Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington will also be providing their guidance to the project. "We feel honored that the National Library of Medicine has selected us for this important initiative," said Ellen Alderton, SRF Project Officer. "There's a growing awareness that the AIDS epidemic is hitting the U.S. Latino population particularly hard, and that public health agencies need to pursue new avenues for reaching this community."

In the past two decades, HIV/AIDS has emerged as one of the most significant threats to world health. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control cite over 816,000 cases of AIDS reported since the emergence of the disease in the early 1980's. In this same time period, almost half a million Americans have died from AIDS. As the epidemic continues to expand, the disease is coming to disproportionately affect Latinos. In 1993, 18% of those living with the virus were Latino, but by 1999, these numbers had increased to 20% - yet Latinos make up only 13% of the U.S. population.

A number of high-risk activities in the Latino community are contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS. Among infected Latino men, 42% have contracted the disease through unprotected homosexual sex and 35% through injection drug use. Among infected women, unprotected heterosexual sex accounts for the largest proportion of cases (47%), while 40% have become infected through injection drug use. Non-injection drug use, which can encourage trading in sex or unprotected sex, is also implicated in the spread of AIDS among Latinos.

During AIDS Awareness Month, SRF further anticipates fielding a higher number of calls regarding HIV/AIDS via its National Hispanic Resource Helpline (1-800-473-3003). This toll-free, bilingual service connects Latino callers around the country to culturally competent community organizations in their areas. In preparation for AIDS Awareness Month, SRF staff is canvassing the grassroots field of Latino-serving AIDS clinics and health clinics in order to be able to provide the most up-to-date referrals to callers. If you would like your organization included in our database, click here.

Immigrant Health Professionals Get Back to Work with COPHYLA
By Dave A. Ramos, COPHYLA Administrator

Latinos in the U.S. suffer from lack of healthcare due to financial cost, under-representation of Latin American healthcare providers and inadequate healthcare facilities. The American Medical Association recommends a ratio of one physician per every 650 people. Today, affluent non-minority areas have an abundance of health professionals - one primary care physician per 458 residents. In contrast, Latino areas have one primary care physician per 3,750 residents, a ratio that can only be correlated to lesser developed countries.

In California, Latinos represent 30.4% of the total population, yet less than 4.8% of the physicians are of Latino heritage. Concomitant with this, California medical schools are accepting fewer Latino applicants than they did in the late 70's and early 80's.

COPHYLA is one of 12,000 Latino-serving
community organizations included in
SRF's National Hispanic Resource
Helpline database.

In order to help alleviate this problem of mal-distribution of healthcare providers, and to insure the Latino community proper and expedient healthcare, international Latino doctors and other healthcare professionals founded the Consortium of Physicians from Latin America (COPHYLA) in 1990. A community-based organization located in California, COPHYLA provides immigrant healthcare professionals with education, retraining and job referral services as they prepare for licensure and certification in the United States. Our programs help immigrant professionals to become socially and culturally acclimated into the mainstream workforce, and to become legally and culturally prepared to meet the licensing and social requirements of medical settings.

COPHYLA services include registration, orientation, assessment of residency standing, validation of visa status and professional credentials, career planning, training, technical assistance, test preparation, licensing and education. For the past thirteen years, COPHYLA has helped many displaced health professionals, working in menial or non-health related jobs, to gain re-entry into local colleges for retraining into new medical career paths. Our philosophy, moreover, is to encourage our many alumni to return to serve under-represented and underserved communities where medical access continues to be limited.

COPHYLA is increasingly recognized throughout the state as a major community supplier of Latino healthcare professionals. Hundreds have been certified and have joined the healthcare workforce as medical assistants, medical technicians, dentists and dental hygienists, nurses, physicians and more.

Our success in retraining these many professionals would not be possible without the combined support of multiple community colleges, private vocational schools and universities. Most recently, COPHYLA has joined forces with the University of California Irvine Medical Center to collaboratively address the need for medical interpreters and cultural sensitivity in the relationship between the patient and the medical provider. We are confident that by decreasing language barriers and increasing culturally relevant services we can significantly improve the quality of healthcare services in the communities we serve.

Proyecto Futuro Promotes Bilingual Science Education

Bilingual education takes center stage in Proyecto Futuro, an outreach program that has been implemented over the past eight years by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (NMMNHS), Albuquerque, in partnership with the Albuquerque Public Schools. NMMNHS recently received a $250,000 grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services to continue the Museum's successful Proyecto Futuro bilingual science and math program for families and teachers. The project aims to involve parents from underserved communities in their children's education, increase teacher skills and confidence in implementing inquiry-based science, and foster positive attitudes toward science learning.

Project components include teacher professional development; dissemination of K-8 hands-on curriculum materials; and a series of parent/child workshops and Family Museum Nights. The Museum is working with five elementary schools and four middle schools with high Hispanic populations, and materials and workshops are provided in both Spanish and English.

The New Mexico Museum of Natural
History and Science is a member of
SRF's Celebra la Ciencia coalition.

Teachers from participating schools have the opportunity to conduct hands-on science and math activities and relate them to grade-level curriculum at day-long workshops. Each teacher receives a bilingual manual and materials. At the professional development sessions, teachers are able to try things out and discuss best practices for implementing the bilingual activities into their curriculum. Teachers share ideas within grade levels and useful tips for implementation.

Families involved in Proyecto Futuro have various opportunities to visit and explore the museum. For participating families, 3-hour bilingual workshops held at NMMNHS throughout the school year allow parents to explore hands-on science, receive a take-home kit of activities, and meet other parents while their children take part in planned activities in small groups. Additional Family Museum Nights offer parents and children a chance to tour the museum together, exploring exhibits and trying hands-on activities. It is anticipated that over 500 participants will be involved in the project (children, parents, and teachers) over the course of this school year.

The Proyecto Futuro bilingual curriculum, used by teachers and families, has been widely disseminated and is currently in use in other states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Proyecto Futuro has been previously funded by the National Science Foundation and the General Mills Foundation. For more information on Proyecto Futuro, including how to order bilingual classroom materials, contact Maddie Zeigler, Project Director, mzeigler@nmmnh.state.nm.us; www.NMnaturalhistory.org.

Justicia Ambiental: Latinos Fighting for a Healthier World
By John Suval and Daniel Murillo, Self Reliance Foundation

Jesse Marquez and his fellow residents in Wilmington, California had grown weary of their neighbor - the Port of Los Angeles. The waterside bustled with industry and commerce, but the cargo ships and endless lines of idling diesel trucks had made asthma, cancer and other diseases a dreary fact of life in the predominantly Latino area. When the City of L.A. gave the green light to a new 174-acre shipping terminal, the people of Wilmington welcomed the news as if it were an armed intruder.

Working with lawyers from the Natural Resources Defense Council, Marquez and fellow members of the Wilmington Coalition for a Safe Environment sued to force the Port to mitigate the ill effects of pollution. They recently scored a resounding victory when the Port agreed to establish a $50 million fund to curb emissions from existing facilities and to improve nearby communities.

The close collaboration between Latino community activists and leading environmental organizations is a paradigm that holds great promise for the well-being of our communities. For this reason, the Self Reliance Foundation/Acceso Hispano, in conjunction with Natural Resource Defense Council, Smart Growth America, Environmental Defense, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Rock the Vote, is launching a national campaign to mobilize Latinos in the fight for a healthier world.

Set to commence in January 2004, the Justicia Ambiental campaign will leverage the expertise of these environmental leaders to deliver vital information to underrepresented communities across the country via nationally syndicated radio programs and newspaper columns, and through the distribution of user-friendly literature to grassroots groups and health clinics. Through the development of Web-based activist tools and on-the-ground organizing, the campaign will bring together a large network of Hispanic-serving grassroots organizations to share information and advance the agenda of environmental health and justice. Rock the Vote will work directly with these groups to register and educate Latino voters in their own communities.

Grassroots groups like the Wilmington Coalition are crucial to the success of the campaign. The Justicia Ambiental coalition will include groups from California to New York and everywhere in between where Latinos live and contribute to their communities. The heroic struggles of these groups to clean the air, water and toxic dumps, and to reverse the legacy of environmental discrimination, will serve as grist for our radio programs and newspaper columns. The grassroots organizations will be the ones to whom we refer callers to SRF's national toll-free information-and-referral Helpline (1-800-473-3003). Interested groups also will dialogue directly with national environmental organizations and work with voter registration and education specialists to turn more Hispanics out to the polls.

The campaign will create a bilingual Web site to serve as an online hub for a national network of Latino environmental health advocates. The site will feature a variety of state-of-the-art activist tools, allowing participating groups to post action alerts and send e-letters to government agencies and Congress, among other things. The site also will include news stories, studies and links to vital environmental health resources, including the homepages of participating organizations.

Drawing on the courage of people like Jesse Marquez and the expertise of groups like NRDC, the Justicia Ambiental campaign heralds unprecedented levels of collaboration between established environmental organizations and Hispanics across the United States.

We invite everyone interested in creating a safe, sustainable world for their families and future generations to join our campaign. For more information please contact John Suval, Project Coordinator, at 202-661-8085, john@hrn.org; or Daniel Murillo, Grassroots Coordinator, at 202-661-8061, daniel@hrn.org.

Shhhhh! Sex Is a Dirty Word (that Your Kids Are Having Lots of)

By Beverly Lyles, Project Officer, Self Reliance Foundation

Remember when our children were very young and their questions were easy to address? "Mommy, what is the sun?" " Poppy, why does a dog have four legs?" "Where does the rain come from?" Although we may not have known all of the answers, as parents, we tried to make sense of the world for our children.

But soon the questions changed...

"Mother, what is sex?" Uh, oh.

When, questions about the sun and the moon become questions about sex and reproduction, we parents retreat to the hills. Embarrassed, we say, "I don't know," or "We'll talk about that subject later." We treat sex as if it's a dirty word - the less we talk about it, the better.

But, then, the questions stop coming all together. When babies become teenagers, their social focus shifts from their parents to their friends, MTV, and the mall. Home from school, our children blaze by us on their way to their rooms, or some activity that does not include us. We only seem to catch glimpses of them in the kitchen, on the way to the bathroom, or when they want a dollar. It's easy to become alienated from our children during this time. But, ironically, this is the very time when we must fight to stay connected to them. And this is the time when we must talk to them about sex.

"Shhhhh! Sex is a dirty word."

We would do almost anything to avoid talking to our kids about sex. It really makes us uneasy to think of our babies as sexual beings who may be engaging in foreplay and intercourse. I mean, aren't they just holding hands and chewing gum? Can't they just read a book that says, keep your legs closed and your underwear on?

Until one day we notice that our sixteen year old is acting strangely, and gaining a lot of weight. She is sick every morning and no longer wants to go to school. Our worse fears are confirmed with a visit to the doctor. She is pregnant. Her boyfriend no longer calls.
We wish that we had spoken with her about these things long ago. But we did not.

Here are the facts: Of teens living in the U.S. today, Latino teens report some of the highest rates of sexual activity and lowest rates of contraceptive use. In addition, young Latinas have the highest rates of unplanned pregnancy in the nation. It's clear, if children do not learn about sex from their parents, they may rely on less trustworthy sources such as their buddies for information. Or they may just "do it."

Parents worry that if they talk about sex with their teens that it will somehow encourage them to have sex. This is simply not true. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, over twenty years of research confirms that parents are an important influence on whether their teenagers become pregnant or cause a pregnancy. Specifically, parent/child closeness is associated with reduced risk for teen pregnancy. Further proof of the effectiveness of teen/parent closeness is echoed by teenagers themselves. When asked, teens said that parents were the number one influence on their sexual decisions.

The message is clear. Sex is not a dirty word when discussed and demystified. Parents who have an honest and consistent dialogue with their teens about sex give their children the best chance to not have children themselves before they become adults. Be one of those parents. Talk. Don't let your teens learn about the consequences of sex after they become pregnant. Find out more information on this topic by making a free phone call to the National Hispanic Resource Helpline, 1-800-473-3003.

Announcements

Beginning December 1, 2003, the California Wellness Foundation is accepting letters of interest for grants addressing "diversity in the health professions." More information at www.tcwf.org.

Available from National Mental Health Association, ¿Qué es la depresión?, a bilingual resource for the Latino community about the signs of depression and getting help. Place your order at www.nmha.org/bookstore. For a free copy, call (800) 969-6642 x7534.

California Project LEAN's Strong Bones, Healthy Family campaign educates Latinas in how to prevent osteoporosis. To learn more about this and other Project LEAN health programs, visit www.californiaprojectlean.org.

Community Pregnancy Centers offers free confidential services in California... Pregnancy Testing. STD Clinic. Counseling. Prenatal care. Adoption referrals. And many more services. Call (408) 272-5577 or visit our Web site at http://www.mycpc.org.

The National Center for Farmworker Health seeks to enhance Migrant Health Centers' capacity to provide access to care and eliminate health disparities between farmworkers and the general population. More information at: www.ncfh.org.

Puente Project provides mentoring and assistance to Latino youth in California who wish to go to college and also reports on the educational equity field nationwide. Their Web site: www.puente.net.

NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) provides Web-based information on mental illness and offers Spanish-language support groups at some locations across the country. Go to www.nami.org and click on "en español."

To post an announcement in Acceso Hispano...
Acceso Hispano runs free bilingual announcements of national or regional interest (for not-for-profit concerns). Announcements may be up to 35 words (English) and however long the exact Spanish translation is. We also include logos and Web site links. We prefer bilingual submissions, but can translate if necessary. Deadline: 2 weeks before publication date. Submit announcements to Editor@hrn.org.

Are You Doing Good Work? Contributors' Guidelines

Acceso Hispano is looking for articles about exemplary programs in the field of Latino outreach. Your 450-900 word (1-2 page) article can discuss your organization or project's mission, size and scope, deliverables, target audiences, and lessons learned. Submit articles and photos Editor@hrn.org. We reserve the right to make editorial changes.

Upcoming Hispanic Radio Network Programming

HRN radio programming includes six, daily short-form programs and a live, weekly call-in talk-show on immigrant affairs, Bienvenidos a America.

Hi-Tech

Once again, we speak with Miriam Masulo, a specialist in Latino education. She discusses the sociopolitical problems arising from low educational achievement in the Hispanic community.

Fuente de Salud (Fountain of Health)

In a special edition of Fuente de Salud, we continue talking about the negative effect that drugs have on Hispanic youth. This campaign, a collaboration with the ONDCP, emphasizes the fact that parents need to be responsible for taking action to prevent their children from trying any kind of drug.

Camino al Éxito (Road to Success)

We discuss the fact that, primarily due to sedentary life-styles, one in every three Latino children is overweight, and we offer parents tips for how they can help their children to be more active.

Saber Es Poder (Knowledge is Power)

Meet Cachetoncito (Chubby Cheeks), Estudioso (the Bookworm), Travieso (Little Mischief), and Nicolle who just won't stay put! These characters address some of the myths surrounding physical activity and health; at the same time they encourage you to be more active!

Planeta Azul (Blue Planet)

As part of our series on weather, we bring you information on humidity, how a cyclone forms, and what are the consequences of droughts and fires. We also talk about the pollution caused by cars, and new uses of solar energy.

Tradiciones (Traditions)

Physical activity doesn't have to be tedious; it can be a part of family fun time. We talk about how to develop healthy, new traditions.