Conference turris::womannotes-v1

    
    I think your idea is wonderful.  What a sick society we live in.
    I can't believe what the Ray family has had to put up with.  At
    a time that they deserve love and understanding, they're getting
    hate and rejection. Sick sick SICK!!!
    
    I would start by contacting your local hospital and explain what
    you'd like to do.  They may even suggest someone to help you with
    the lectures as well as the information you need.
    
    You can make a difference.  Thank goodness there are still some
    of us sane people out there!!  I wish you luck and please let us
    know how it goes.
    
    Peace,
    
    Marie
    

    GO FOR IT!
    
    However, I'd call some of those local schools first to see if and
    when they'd "let" you in - Also to check if maybe the health department
    has something in the works that you could add to or build on.  If
    the school dept. *wants to do it themselves* without interference,
    you may heading up a blind alley.  On the other hand, they might
    WELCOME your involvement with open arms.  Good Luck, and let us
    know of your success.

    1.  there must be a national organization for the
    information/prevention of Aids.  Write them, and see if there are
    any pilot programs in the works, any movies, any handouts, any "class
    outlines" or suggestions for presentation of this matter to different
    age groups.
    
    2.  contact the school board in your town.  Maybe make a suggestion.
     If they seem closed-minded, you can try to contact a local library
    and offer to give an informative seminar for teens and their families. 
    Unfortunately, some school boards ignore discussing problems until
    it's too late (drug and alcohol abuse and suicide are two of the
    recent big-timers).
    
    3.  perhaps get in touch with a hospital/medical center that
    specializes in treating Aids, ask them about the human factors involved
    and get opinions, perhaps from both the staff and the patients that
    wish to participate.
    
    Your idea is admirable - and if there is no media developed to date
    for a seminar/course/whatever like this you can establish some...and
    others can use it...
    
    well wishes -
    
    -Jody
    

I think your motivation is great, but I think that having 
individuals come into schools to enlighten the students on their
various pet topics is seen by many school administrators, and by me
too, as uncomfortable.  

I'd sure hate to see some of the religious zealots around decide to 
go to their local schools and preach to the kids about AIDs from their 
perspective, etc. etc. -- you get the idea. 

I'd suggest two tacks to you:

1. Educators are the ones who are supposed to present information
   to students during the official school time.  Why not try to
   get the school to handle this officially and teach it?  If
   they are afraid of that, they'll be afraid of an untrained
   outsider coming in to talk about it anyway.

2. Contact the AIDS Action Committee.  They have all kinds of 
   programs and they're always looking for volunteers.  One of their
   programs is some kind of public speaking committee.  I think they
   train people for just these sorts of things.  Then you could 
   do it in more than just one town.  You'd be trained, you can do 
   it under the auspices of a known organization, and you might have 
   a co-speaker or someone to make it easier and less personal.


Nina   

    Re.3
    
    I don't think you are understanding me.  It's not like I wanted
    to go into schools and extoll the virtues of any old thing I feel
    like talking about.  As far as "enlightening" them, that is what
    I hope to do.  Don't forget, I just got out of that school, and
    I know what kind of speakers they do/don't "go for" as well as knowing
    what needs to be done.
    
    In my letter to the principal (whom I know very well) I explained
    that my speech/talk/seminar will not be from a personal standpoint,
    but purely fact.  I know what you mean about not wanting every Tom,
    Dick and Harry coming in and warping the kids' minds, but I want
    to merely present facts and clear up some misconceptions.  I have
    told him that I won't even get into the sexual side of AIDS, except
    to state that sex is the commonest form of transmittal and that
    condoms are a good measure.  I don't plan to go in there and telll
    them graphic details on exatly what they can do instead.
    
    I don't know what you think, but I'm convinced that it's a worthy
    enough cause to be worth a try.  If I hit a stone wall, I'll pursue
    another avenue on which I think  help could be used.  
    
    Stacie

    I fully agree with you, Stacie...it is a *very* worthwhile thing
    to do, and I think you're correct in believing that you're the right
    person to do it since you graduated recently enough that there will
    still be students there who knew you when you were a senior.
    
    Go for it, sister!
    						=maggie

    re: .5
    
    where did you get the idea I thought you would be enlightening them
    on "any old thing"?
    
    where in my message did I state I did not think you should try?
    
    I simply cited some resources...and I encouraged you to go ahead
    with it.  
    
    please re-read .3 and point me to my misleading statements.
    
    -Jody
    

    
    Excellent article in September's Atlantic Monthly ($2.00) covering
    the possibility of insect-transmission of various viruses which
    may or may not have a cause/effect relation to AIDS.  The CDC response
    - the community of Belle Glade, Florida and "swine flu" - all
    mentioned.  It will require concentrated readings..
    
    Good luck with your endeavors and concerns.

If you live in New England, I strongly suggest contacting the AIDS
Action Committee (661 Boylston ST, Boston, MA 02215, (617)437-6200).
They train people specifically for educational outreach.  There
are other similar groups in the country, particularly New York and
San Francisco.  You're going to find the more active ones primarily in
urban areas, but we had an AIDS Project in Portland, Maine (50 cases
in the state).  Most of them get their training and organization from
parent groups like the AAC.

You could contact the Center for Disease Control, in Atlanta, as well as
the Surgeon General's office for more national information. 

    Re.5
    Sorry, sorry, sorry.
    I meant 'Re.4'-- Nina
    
    Please forgive me.
    Thanks for your support.
    
    Stacie

    
    	Stacie,  While I think it's great that you are concerned
    	enough to want to do something to get the word out about
    	AIDS, as a parent I wouldn't be too keen on the idea of you
    	holding a session in my childs school. There are just too
    	many non-facts being giving out by everyone. If you are serious
    	about this, get yourself trained then approach it, it that
    	case I'd drop any objections in having my child take any such
    	lecture.

    
    Stacie:
    
    I've not yet read the 11 replies.  Only your base note.  Before
    I go any further, I want to give you a big DECnet hug!
    
    Thank you.
    "jackin' the house", Bob

    Stacie--
    
    Good for you to care and want to do something.  This is so much
    better than doing NOTHING!  I teach a class of kids (ages 6 to 17)
    and I share your concern.  They DO feel that they know it all, but
    I know some of these kids well enough to understand that they get
    a lot of misinformation, and still have questions--tho they may
    be too proud to ask.  
    
    I would agree, tho, with the other person who said to get yourself
    trained in what you want to speak on;  be sure your facts are right.
    I think you will have a lot of credibility as a recent graduate,
    and can use that to your advantage.  Training will give you another
    edge, too--you will act more from knowledge than emotion.  I tell
    you this because I am a very emotional person, and all I need to
    hear is a news clip about teen suicide and I'm off and running to
    "sound off " at my kids.  This may inform them, but they see the
    emotion first--which can put them off the actual information.
    
    Please keep us posted about this--again, good for you!
    
    Jane