Guatemala Top Award
  Dr. Richard Hansen, ISU anthropology faculty member and also the president of the Foundation for Anthropological Studies and Environmental Sciences (FARES), was awarded Guatemala's highest honor for his work to save the cultural patrimony of the Republic of Guatemala, one of the richest and earliest civilizations in the world. Dr. Hansen has dedicated his life to the exploration, conservation and permanent protection of the Mirador Basin, believed to be the Cradle of Maya Civilization by most experts. The Mirador Basin is believed to be the oldest and most monumental examples of the earliest Maya cities from 300 to 800 B.C.
African American History Month
  February is the annual observance of African American History Month, a time to recognize the achievements, contributions, and culture of African Americans. What happens when people are without institutions to articulate its concerns, preserve its heritage, or make manifest its desires? This year African American Heritage Month's theme addresses this issue. The theme explores the impact that Black fraternal, social, and civic organizations have had on the evolution of African American life and history. But what does this year have to do with that? Click here for answers.
  How can we incorporate African American experience in our curriculum all year long? Education World offers fun and interesting lessons suitable for first grade through grade twelve. If you are interested in integrating the African American into your curriculum, click here. For additional resources, click here.

Better Todays, Better Tomorrows
  The Institute of Rural Health of ISU will offer “Better Todays, Better Tomorrows” (formerly known as Red Flags Idaho”) training for caregivers and gatekeepers on the topic of mental health for school-age children. The training will be held in Ketchum on February 2, 2006 from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm at the Best Western Kentwood Lodge located at 480 South Main Street. Free ISU Continuing Education credit is offered to social workers, nurses, and licensed counselors. Parents, teachers, community group and religious leaders are also encouraged to attend. Training will feature expanded information on child trauma and its consequences for children at home, school, and in the community. The program will address many of the warning signs psychiatrists and psychologists have identified for depression, anxiety, trauma and other disorders and suicide risk factors. Pre-registration is required for the session. For more information or to pre-register please contact Donna Parker at Institute of Rural Health at 208-373-1769, or email todays@isu.edu

Keep Your Heart Healthy
   There is a lot of flying advice flying around about what makes for a healthy heart. But why heart disease takes more women's lives than men's every year? Study indicated that a majority of women don't know the risks or how to stay heart healthy. Do you find it hard to believe? Come and join Anderson Resource Center on a talk by Jodi Brown, a Heart Health Educator of Portneuf Medical Center, on Keeping Your Heart Healthy. The event is scheduled on Friday February 3, 2006 at noon. The talk will take place at Little Wood River Room of PSUB. Everyone is invited to wear RED, anything RED including a red dress, a red dress pin, red lipstick, red handbag, red tie, etc, to help raise awareness for National Wear Red Day, a day dedicated for keeping our heart healthy. For more information, please contact Anderson Resource Center at 282-2805.

Workshops
  The ISU Center for New Directions offers a variety of workshops this Spring Semester.
•  “He said, She said” workshop – This interactive four part workshop is scheduled each Wednesday from 4:00 – 6:00 pm in Room 381 in the RFC Building. This workshop is open to men and women who want to explore the societal and personal meaning and expectations of being male and female. Each group will have a focus topic such as work and household duties, parenting and child care, sexuality (dating and marriage), emotions, and communication.
•  “Me, Myself, and Erin” workshop is a six-week noontime program. Each week participants will watch a portion of the movie “Erin Brockovich” and then discuss the numerous issues the movie brings up. The movie provides insights into parenting, employment, self-respect, perseverance, relationships, and responding to unexpected life callings. This workshop will be on Fridays from 12:10 – 12:50 pm in Room 161 of the RFC Building beginning February 3, 2006.
•  Ongoing Support Group – The Center for New Directions offers an ongoing support group through the entire semester. Both men and women are invited to participate. New members can join the group throughout the semester. The goal of the group is to bring people together in a safe, supportive setting where they can relate to others and provide and receive encouragement, insight, and support. The groups will meet in Room 381 of RFC Building from 7:00 – 8:30 pm.

All classes at the Center for New Directions are free and open to the public. For more information or to pre-register for any of these opportunities, please contact the Center at 282-2454.

National Girls and Women in Sports Day Celebration
  A celebration in recognition of National Girls and Women in Sports Day will be held at ISU on Saturday February 4, 2006. With this year theme “Count Me In” the celebration will include sport and activity clinic for girls grades K-6. There is a limit of 300 girls and the committee has a few more spots left. On-site registration will begin at 8:00 am in Reed Gymnasium and is $15. Registration is based on a first-come basis. Check-in is at 8:00 am and the event will run from 8:30 am to 11:30 am. Three different sports and activities are planned, one each hour. For more information, please contact Dr. Karen Appleby at 208-282-5613 or email her at applkare@isu.edu

Project Hope Seminars
  The Anderson Resource Center 's Project Hope Advocacy Program will present a series of seminars on a variety of subjects at noon. The remaining seminars include:

• February 7 --- “Be Your Own Valentine” seminar at PSUB Heritage Room. This seminar is designed to help participants love themselves as the first step to loving others.
• February 14 – “Safe and Fun Dating Tips” seminar at PSUB Heritage Room. This seminar is designed to teach people 101 different, fun, and safe ways to date.
• February 21 —“Lasting Relationships” seminar at PSUB Heritage Room. This seminar is designed to teach participants new ways to build and strengthen relationships.
• February 28 – “Lasting Relationships” seminar II will be held at the College of Technology RFC Building Conference Room 161.
  For more information on Project Hope activities, contact Kim Talbot at 208-282-4673.

AAUW Book Donatioins
  The Pocatello Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) will host its annual book sale on February 10 and 11 (Friday and Saturday) at Westwood Mall. The sale will run from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on both days. All proceeds from this sale will benefit scholarships for ISU women students. Donations of fiction and non-fictions books, including children's books can dropped off at the ISU Continuing Education Building main entrance and the Anderson Resource Center. Please note that the AAUW is unable to sell used textbooks, encyclopedia sets or magazines. For more information on this event please contact the sale co-chairs Tracey Payne at 282-3650, or Rebecca Morrow at 282-2805.

Department of Physics Road Show
  Since 1994, Dr. Steve Shropshire and the ISU Physics faculty members have performed more than 500 demonstration shows on science throughout southern Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, northern Nevada and eastern Oregon. The primary purpose of demonstrations is to enlighten male and female K-12 students and general publics about the wonders of science. It also provides K-12 teachers with supplemental resources and training for science education. While on tour, particularly at high schools, Dr. Shropshire who currently has reservations for his show already scheduled in 2008, publicizes ISU and the opportunities it holds for prospective male and female students. For more information on the tour, contact Dr. Shropshire at 208-282-2212.

Pocatello "Mardi Gras"
   The ISU Students' Community Service Center (SCSC) will hold a citywide New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration on February 25, 2006 in the Booth Barn to raise funds to send to Louisiana for hurricane relief. The SCSC plans to have a “ Pub Court ” and a food court with the participation of as many local businesses as possible. The SCSC would also like decorations to emulate Bourbon Street, complete with King's cake and all the trimmings. For this reason, the SCSC needs security, a driving service for those who would like to imbibe, and bands or musicians who would like to provide entertainment. To make this event a success, the SCSC need help of the entire community. Individuals, companies, church groups, local governments, and others are welcome to help organize and help seek donations for this event. For more information, or to volunteer, call the SCSC at 208-282-4201.

Note:
The images in this newsletter were retrieved from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History web site at http://www.asalh.org/, Holiday Spot web site at http://www.theholidayspot.com/, American Planning Association web site at http://www.planning.org, Direct Relief International web site at http://www.directrelief.orgl/, and ISU photo gallery.