Children's International Summer Villages (CISV) hosted an information meeting on Thursday, Dec. 18, at the CH-UH Main Library in Cleveland Heights, providing an opportunity to meet local kids who were delegates in recent CISV trips to and exchange programs with Sweden, Brazil, and Mexico. CISV programs are geared toward students ages 11-18 and are supported substantially by a strong network of volunteers around the world. Applications are being accepted now for upcoming summer camp programs in the Netherlands and Sweden (11-year olds) and an exchange program with Austria (14-15 year-olds). The deadline is Jan. 5, 2009.

Looking to be thrifty this holiday season? 

Check out the Heights Parent Center's Nifty Thrifty Holiday Gently Used Toy Sale. Browse their selection of gently used toys, games, books and other kid-friendly gift items.

On Nov. 21, the students of Open Doors Academy were stunned by the arrival of a surprise guest, movie star Will Smith.

The Heights’ Youth Club is a place where younger and older kids can expand their mind. The Heights’ Youth Club means a lot to a lot of children of all kinds. One of the directors that makes sure most kids are involved is Mrs. Williams. For me, basketball was my escape - that’s when I met another director, Jeff Haynes, who told me about the new basketball team they were beginning to start. I slowly made my name to the top of the ladder. Sometime in the future I would love to play for Roscoe Morgan’s team - Mr. Morgan is the club’s director. So really if not for the Heights’ Youth Club I probably would be incarcerated somewhere doing things that would never cross my mind.

What is the best kept secret in Cleveland Heights? Some say that the Heights Youth Club is indeed that secret.

The Heights Youth Club is located at 2065 Lee Road is across the street from Heights High School. The club was founded by people who believed that kids in the Heights community needed a safe and enjoyable place to go after school and during the summer. Extensive research and analysis revealed the need for community based programming for kids.

The trend is undeniable: parents are becoming more proactive and seeking ways to improve their parenting skills. This can be seen in the growing number of parenting websites, parenting books, magazines, radio and TV reality shows (such as Nanny 911 and Supernanny). The book, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, has currently sold over 13 million copies. Clearly parents are taking steps to be more conscious and consistent in how they raise their children.

On one of my recent drives, my ears perked at the topic on BBC’s “World Have Your Say” hosted by Ros Atkins. The globally conscious segment of the British Broadcasting Corporation gives guest speakers all across the world the opportunity to express viewpoints that range from politically correct to radical (by the standards of mainstream media). The subject of the show was child-rearing.

Ruffing seventh grader Caroline Anderson-Nhok advanced to the State Finals of the 2008 Power of the Pen Interscholastic Competition for Young Writers. In Ruffing’s first year in the popular program, two teams of six writers represented Ruffing and competed with students from area public and independent schools at the district event.

While most of the students at Heights High will be breathing a sigh of relief for summer vacation in June, Miles Walker, an 11th grader at the high school will be packing his bags for a seven-week stay with a host family in Japan. He will attend school to study Japanese language through the AFS Student Exchange Program. AFS (formerly the American Field Service) is a leader in intercultural learning and offers international exchange programs in more than forty countries around the world through independent, nonprofit AFS organizations, each with a network of volunteers, a professionally staffed office, and headed up by a volunteer board. AFS-USA works toward a more just and peaceful world by providing international and intercultural learning experiences to individuals, families, schools, and communities through a global volunteer partnership.