The buzz The buzz (July 20, 2005)

HIGHLIGHTING TEEN ISSUES . . . GoodParents, Inc. , a Santa Clara-based business that helps parents raise and understand their children, is holding three workshops in Palo Alto this summer on teen issues. All events are held from 7 to 9 p.m. "Show Me the Money" will focus on teenaged financial responsibility. It will be held tonight at the Mitchell Park Community Center. "Staying Close While Letting Go" on Aug. 3 aims to help parents send their teens off to college and will also take place at the community center. GoodParents is hosting the third workshop, called "Parents, Teens and Drinking," in conjunction with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. It will be held at the foundation Aug. 9. For more information and to register, visit www.goodparentsinc.com.

"HERB" THE SCARECROW . . .The Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden, a nonprofit community horticulture foundation dedicated to education, recently received a straw-like surprise. The third-grade class at Walter Hays Elementary School, along with teachers and parents, presented a hand-made scarecrow -- appropriately named "Herb" -- to the Waverly-Street organization in appreciation of that year's Roots and Shoots program. Since 1985, the program has brought third-graders and seniors together to plant, nurture and harvest a garden of vegetables and flowers during the school year. Herb now prominently guards the garden.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK . . . College Track, a nonprofit organization in East Palo Alto, was recently awarded $50,000 from the Starbucks Grants for Giving program for its work helping to build better futures for the area's youth and families. College Track, which was one of 14 nonprofits to receive a grant, provides academic guidance, financial support and a family-oriented environment to students who dedicate time and effort to their education. The organization, which serves about 300 students, hopes to expand its student clubs and multimedia center with the grant.

Send notices of news and events related to schools, child care or youth activities to Alexandria Rocha, Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, 94302, or arocha@paweekly.com. The monthly school section runs the third Wednesday of each month. The deadline is the second Thursday of the month at 5 p.m.

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