Argues that adolescent females need role models who successfully meet the challenges of taking care of themselves. Discusses 12 books for adolescent readers, written by Lynn Hall, Vera and Bill Cleaver, and Cynthia Voigt, which portray young women as independent, self-reliant people with inner strength and the ability to make decisions and solve…

Teaching children "knowing that" something is right or wrong is probably worthless. Meaningful values education--knowing how--is best done by example, by parents and educators conducting themselves morally. (SK)

Discusses the lives of six women from different temporal periods who have made significant contributions to the biological sciences. (ZWH)

Data from 181 proteges were used to compare perceptions of mentoring in cross- and same-gender relationships. Mentor role perceptions were not influenced by mentor or protege gender. Cross-gender proteges were less likely to engage in social activities with mentors, and female proteges with female mentors were more likely to identify mentors as…

This editorial proposes that famous people in physics be immortalized as heroes through trading cards that present their pictures, personal backgrounds, and contributions to physics. Includes 18 cards for the first collection. (MDH)

Parents, schools, and the community no longer share equally in the teaching of youth. Extension after-school programs aid in school enrichment; nontraditional 4-H projects get youth involved in their communities; and traditional 4-H programs and project camps provide adult role models and subject knowledge for youth. (SK)

A two-phase study was conducted to assess influences on environmental sensitivity (ES) in Wisconsin high school students. Three categories of influences emerged from phase I: environmental, role model, and personality. The influence most frequently cited by students as most important was time spent outdoors. Develops a profile of environmentally…

Surveyed adolescents and their parents regarding the effects of 10 youth developmental assets on adolescent tobacco use. Results highlighted a strong relationship between having any of nine assets and not smoking. Important assets included having adult, parental, and peer role models; family communication; good use of time; religion; effective…

Using quality children's literature with portrayals of characters that have communication impairments can be an effective teaching tool. Storybook characters with communication disorders can provide positive role models and promote understanding of diverse populations. Eighteen children's books were selected based on the following criteria:…

During the 1990s, the educational systems of the Baltic countries, newly independent of the Soviet Union, underwent rapid and far-reaching change. National educational traditions were re-established and the countries achieved an internationally recognized quality of education. In the second half of the past decade, however, it came to be…

Two studies examined the extent to which matching on gender determines the impact of career role models on the self. Because women face negative stereotypes regarding their competence in the workplace, they may derive particular benefit from the example of an outstanding woman who illustrates the possibility of overcoming gender barriers to…

This research investigation, was utilizes data from a larger qualitative study (Ockerman, 2006). This study explored the influence of a Midwestern school counseling and wellness center on the lives of the urban high school students. The purposeful sample was comprised of 16 urban high school seniors (i.e., 12 females and 4 males). The qualitative…

According to an ecological perspective in psychology and in line with social cognitive theory, smoking behaviour is determined by different social contexts (for example, peers, family and school) providing adolescents with important role models. This paper investigates the effects of personal characteristics as well as family, peer and school…

This article profiles teacher Leroy Silva (Laguna), 27, a.k.a. "Buster". Silva describes himself as an active guy who stays busy working out, playing basketball, softball, and more recently golf, soccer, and lacrosse. He teaches personal wellness and sports (not physical education), a job he began in 2006. Before that he was a trainer at…

This article discusses ways on how to address the problem of sexual harassment in schools. Sexual harassment--simply defined as any unwanted and unwelcome sexual behavior--is a sensitive topic. Merely providing students, parents, and staff members with information about the school's sexual harassment policy is insufficient; schools must take…