Youth News column for Friday, May 4, 2012

Members of the McKinley High School Fashion Club are hosting a Charity Fashion Show at 7 p.m. Friday at the school, 800 East McKinley St.

Proceeds will be divided among several charities and help to replace the school’s old and worn out Panther mascot suit.

Student-created designs will transport the audience through an “Evolution of Fashion” from the past to the present and into the future.

Fashions include original creations and “green” pieces that have been redesigned. Vintage boutique, Time Warp, also loaned students garments that will be featured in Friday night’s show, said Jasmine Williams, student president of the fashion club.

Tickets will be available at the door for a $5 donation.

McKinley auto techs win La.

A two-student team from McKinley High School won the 2012 Louisiana Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills challenge, a competition designed to find the most talented young auto technicians in the United States. John Hoover and Moheb Alashmaly, McKinley students, moved one step closer to being named the best student automotive technicians in the country by winning the Louisiana competition on April 26 in Alexandria.

They earned scholarships to Ford Motor Co.’s ASSET program and other scholarship opportunities and prizes.

Hoover and Alashmaly qualified for participation in the state hands-on portion of the contest by scoring highest among their classmates on an online exam. They then faced nine of the best two-person teams in the state in a race against the clock to identify and repair identically bugged parts, beginning with a vehicle that would not start.

The two students will join their high school instructor, Kevin McCants, in preparing for the 2012 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills national competition in Dearborn, Mich., June 10-12.

They will compete against 49 teams from throughout the country.

Middle school art exhibited

East Baton Rouge Parish Talented Visual Arts middle school students will have their work on exhibit through May 21 at the State Archives Building, 3851 Essen Lane.

The building will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 8:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Youth facilitators sought

The YWCA Youth and Teen Services Department is looking for part-time team members to facilitate its SIHLE (Sisters Informing Healing Living and Empowering) Program.

High school graduates or some college experience is preferred. Facilitators would be responsible for working with teen girls and discussing various topics including sex education. Training is provided and positions are available immediately. Deadline to apply is Monday. Call (225) 383-0681, ext. 215, for information.

Ballet tour

Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre’s Youth Ballet this summer will perform “Graduation Ball,”
a light-hearted, comic ballet that tells the story of Viennese women and military cadets at their graduation ball.

The performances will be held from June 4 through 15 in 20 venues including area libraries, youth camps, community centers, retirement centers and nursing homes.

The summer tour schedule is available at http://www.batonrougeballet.org.

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