SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL of CALAVERAS COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS and AWARDS

BABY THINK IT OVER SERVICE PROJECT
To Help Curb Teen Pregnancy in Calaveras County

They look, and cry, like real babies
By Bethany Monk, Calaveras Enterprise

Chyrl Hillis and Gloria Correy present "Babies" to Bret Harte High School's Child Development Class in Angels Camp

Two new "top-notch" mechanical babies, worth $599 each, were delivered to Bret Harte High School in Angels Camp Monday by Gloria Correy and Chyrl Hillis of Soroptimist International of Calaveras County. The babies will be integrated into the home economics curriculum in the child development class this semester, according to Suzi Schneider, who teaches the class.

Four years ago, Schneider received mechanical babies from Soroptimist and has been using them since; however, "the new ones are way more sophisticated", she said. "The older dolls ran on batteries and the new dolls are completely computerized and run on a program that doesn't repeat itself," Schneider said.

Students in the child development class can opt to take home one of the new mechanical babies - one is a boy, the other a girl - for three days at a time.

The idea behind the computerized dolls, purchased from Realityworks Inc., creator of the original, award-winning Baby Think It Over® infant simulator, is to help "prevent teenage pregnancy," according to Gloria Correy. Correy introduced the mechanical babies to the Soroptimist about seven years ago after she learned about the computerized dolls when visiting family in Nevada - she saw her grandson come home from middle school one day with a crying "baby." After introducing the program to Soroptimist, "The club voted for it," she said, and then began raising money to buy the dolls.

Soroptimist International is an "international volunteer organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities throughout the world," according to its Web site.

Correy has tried to implement the program, which comes with a complete curriculum, into other Calaveras schools, but many schools struggle in finding someone to head the program, she said. Ideally, she said, she would like to see the program in middle schools because it could help teach the younger students about the realities of raising a baby. Some kids are sexually active at younger ages nowadays, she added.

According to a 2003 Children Now report, the birth rate for Calaveras teens ages 15 to 19 is 18 births per 1,000 girls; the birth rate for California teens is 39 births per 1,000 teens in that age group, also according to the report. More than 420,000 babies were born to teenage mothers in the U.S. alone, according to Realityworks Inc.

The mechanical babies, life-like and animated, are programmed by Schneider to be low, medium or high maintenance, and will cry, get hungry, and need their diapers changed throughout the day and night. Students will care for the baby as if it were real by feeding, holding and changing its diapers. "The babies come with 15 different programs," she said, adding that her students' parenting actions are recorded and transmitted to her computer. For example, there is a magnetic sensor in the baby's lips, and the "milk bottle's" nipple, she said. Schneider will know whether or not students have fed or changed the baby's diapers at the appropriate times.

Britnie Acosta, a 10th grader in Schneider's child development class, dresses the mechanical "baby" girl.

"After the baby cries, students have two minutes to respond, and another two minutes to figure out the problem," she said. "There are even subtle differences in the baby's cries signaling a different need; the baby will scream if the head is not supported", she said.

Students who opt to take a baby during the school week must take the baby to class or bring it to Schneider during the day, she said.

Teachers are in compliance with the program, however, if the babies are disruptive or the teacher doesn't want them in class, students can simply take them to Schneider. The dolls can also remain quiet by being placed on "day care mode" during the day, Schneider said.

"The program has a two-fold mission at Bret Harte", according to Schneider. "First, she hopes that her students will realize that "most kids are not prepared to care for a baby 24 hours a day." Secondly, Schneider hopes the program will also help students determine whether childcare and child development are fields they may want to consider for the future.

"Some of them are excited. Some are apprehensive," Schneider said of her students. There are 14 students in her child development class this year; all are female. Normally there are males in her class, she added.

Students who choose not to take a doll home may complete another assignment of equal point value, she said.

Child development classes have come a long way, according to Schneider, who recalls the days when her students used flower sacks or eggs as their "babies." Correy remembers these days as well. "When my kids were in school they carried an egg around," she said.

The school board was receptive of Correy's presentation of the new babies on Monday. "They were tickled," she said. "They couldn't believe how real they looked," she said of how the babies' heads move.

Bret Harte freshman, Michelle Mikesell thinks it's "pretty nifty." "I think it's a way people can see what it's like to be a teen mom or dad," she said.

"It probably gives them a heads up to see if they really want a kid or not," said Bret Hart junior Jacob Bruntz after school on Wednesday.

Freshman Lindy Krpan thinks it's great, plus, "you get to play with a baby (doll) without looking like a dork."

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SI CALAVERAS COUNTY HONORS WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITY WITH AWARDS OVER $11,000

Each Spring, Soroptimist International of Calaveras County (SICC) honors several outstanding women making a difference in the Calaveras community. Awards are funded with monies raised through SICC's annual Festival of Trees fund raising efforts held each November. This year $11,350.00 in scholarships, grants and gifts of recognition were awarded during SICC's Awards Ceremony held on April 17th at Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys.

Making A Difference for Women

Former County Supervisor, Lucy Thein, received the Making a Difference for Women award presented by SICC member, Karen Varni. Ms. Thein was recognized for her decades of service to Calaveras County, including her work with Turner Park in San Andreas and Habitat for Humanity. The award included a $250.00 check to further Habitat for Humanity's goals.

Lucy Thein ~ receives her award from Karen Varni

The Soroptimist award honors women who, through their professional or personal efforts, have worked to improve the lives of women and girls. Winners at the club-level award compete for additional recognition at other levels of the Soroptimist organization. The winner of the finalist award will receive a $5,000 donation to a charitable organization of her choice.

The deadline for submitting the nomination form is January 15 each year. Call (209)736-1947 or visit www.soroptimistspr.org , District III, Calaveras County to obtain a nomination form or for more information.

Women's Opportunity Award

René A. Smith received the Women's Opportunity Award, presented by SICC member, Kathi Flores. Ms. Smith plans to pursue a career in cosmetology with the goal of opening her own full-service salon. Her SICC award will provide funds for tuition, books and other expenses to help her reach career goals.

Rene Smith accepts her Women's Opportunity Award from Kathi Flores

The Women's Opportunity Award is Soroptimist's most prestigious service award, and was established by Soroptimist International of the Americas in 1972 to assist women entering or re-entering the workforce in obtaining the education and skills training they need to improve their employment status. Women's Opportunity Awards are designed to give women, who provide the primary source of financial support for their families, the opportunity to achieve their career goals-an opportunity they have not previously had, whether because of economic or social barriers, or personal circumstances. These awards are for women who are attending, or have been accepted to, a vocational/skills training program, or an undergraduate degree program.

The program begins at the community level. Winners become eligible to receive region-level awards. Every year, 29 geographic regions throughout North, Central and South America, and Asia each grant one $5,000 first-place award and two $3,000 awards. These 29 first-place winners become eligible to receive one of three $10,000 finalist awards.

Violet Richardson Award

SICC member, Lynn Darmsted, presented the Violet Richardson Award to Amelia Jensen, a student at Mountain Oaks School in San Andreas. Ms. Jensen, who is hoping to pursue a teaching career in Special Education, was honored for her service working with educationally challenged and autistic young students in Calaveras County.

The Violet Richardson Award recognizes and honors young women between the ages of 14 and 18 who make the world a better place through their volunteer efforts. Violet Richardson was Soroptimist International's first club president from Oakland, California.

Scholarship Awards

Scholarship Awards included Margie Rodriguez of Calaveras High School, Madeline Cronk and Cayenne Hunt of Bret Harte High School, along with Natasha Read-Johnson and Sara Eschen, of Mountain Oaks, a charter school in San Andreas. Each student was recognized for their academic and personal achievement with a substantial scholarship for their future academic studies in college or trade school. This year's students expressed desires to pursue careers in fashion design, marine biology, education and computer science. Each year, Soroptimist International Calaveras County (SICC), selects exceptional students from three Calaveras County high schools, to honor their achievements.

Congratulations to all who received awards. They truly make a difference in our community and we hope that some will consider joining Soroptimist.

2005 OUTREACH PROGRAMS

Take Women to Heart Project

Soroptimist International of Calaveras County contributed support to the Take Women to Heart campaign in the amount of $4,074. Partnering with Mark Twain St. Joseph’s Hospital, and the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women program, SI Calaveras County offered free testing to all Calaveras County women during the months of April and May 2005. The comprehensive cholesterol testing measures good and bad cholesterol and triglycerides, including a risk evaluation for heart disease and stroke. The campaign spread awareness to fight this number-one killer of women.

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, and claims the lives of almost 500,000 women each year. That’s nearly one death every minute. Awareness of personal risk and treatment options can empower a woman to live a long and healthy life. Every woman should know her risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke, and speak with her healthcare provider about the prevention of coronary heart disease, setting goals and the best way to achieve them. The first step in lowering risk requires measuring and assessing the risk. A lipid profile test is an important part of measuring cholesterol (LDL & HDL) and Triglycerides

Testing was offered at Mark Twain St. Joseph’s Hospital and their four Family Medical Centers throughout Calaveras County.

RevisedJune 15, 2008