Briefly In Education

Underage drinking problem targeted

Laguna Beach has a higher rate of underage drinking than the county, according to a representative of the prevention division of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.

A program will be established in Laguna to combat the problem, funded by the Orange County Health Care Agency’s Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Team.

“Our goal is to prevent and reduce underage drinking in the city,” Terah Glass, a Community Alliance Network health educator, told the City Council on Oct. 6.

“In order to implement our underage drinking prevention project,” Glass said, “we will be educating parents and adults to increase their awareness of the prevalence of underage drinking and the adverse consequences.”

Glass said the project will include providing brochures and resources for parents at school and community events, and in-school newsletters; educational workshops and presentations for faculty and parents at Laguna Beach High School; surveying and sharing data beneficial to schools and parents; and hosting an underage drinking town hall meeting.

“Underage drinking is not just a youth problem; it is a community problem,” Glass said, “Youth are gaining access to alcohol through adults “” for that very reason, adults must be part of the solution.”

For more information, call Glass at (949) 595-2288, ext. 318.

Teen music lab program at club

The Collective Sound and the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach will launch “Creative Labs,” an after-school music program that will teach young musicians to write, record, shoot music videos and perform live.

Sessions will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Dec. 19 at the club, 1085 Laguna Canyon Road.

The TCS program is open to kids ages 12 to 18 who play an instrument, and will give young musicians the resources, mentorship and venue to play in a real live band. With a focus on guitar, bass, drums, voice and keyboards, participants will work on their songwriting, learn recording techniques and video editing, and will also have the opportunity to go on music industry field trips and perform a show at the end of the program.

“Creative Labs is really about giving the teens the tools and mentorship they need to guide them in a creative experience,” said Zac Smith, founder of the Collective Sound. “Very few kids have a full band setup with recording equipment at home, not to mention the difficulty of finding other like-minded musicians.

“We are bringing all of those pieces together in one place.”

Established in 1998, the Collective Sound Music Academy’s mission is to present youth from varying socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds with an authentic and collaborative musical experience in performing, recording and touring through the vehicle of rock and electronic music, affecting positive personal and social change through creative expression.

Cost is $25 for field trips, and participants will be required to join the Boys & Girls Club teen center.

For those in financial need, there are scholarships available.

For more information, visit www.thecollectivesound.com/creativelabs or call Smith at (530) 354-4045.

College admissions topic for PTA

The Laguna Beach PTA will host a “Coffee Break” forum from 8:15 to 10 a.m. Wednesday in the Pelican Room at the Surf and Sand Hotel, where parents of high school upperclassman will have an opportunity to seek advice from parents whose children have already gone off to college.

A panel of parents will share their experiences “” good and bad “” and will address the most stressful parts of the admissions process on both the kids and themselves, reveal what they found most effective or ineffective throughout the application process, as well as bestow the wisdom they wish someone had shared with them while they were going through the process.

Experiences vary, so an array of questions about elite schools to community colleges, high achievers to average students, and college sports and activities will be answered.

Following the panel, two college counselors will comment on the parents’ advice as well as offer their own recommendations to help parents reach that balance of being helpful without getting too caught up in the process.

For more information, call Judith Anderson at (949) 494-0447 or e-mail [email protected].

Kids’ costume parade planned

The Laguna Beach Parents Club will hold its annual Halloween Costume Parade at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at Main Beach. This is an opportunity for kids to show off their Halloween costumes by walking around the boardwalk to the playground. The club will provide balloons, treats and drinks for the kids after the parade.

Parents and kids should meet at the Main Beach playgroup area at 4 p.m.

For more information, visit www.lagunabeachparents.com.