NEWS

Friday, 04 January 2019 16:25

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

With the New Year comes the infamous New Year's resolution a commitment that you make to yourself that you will do or not do a particular thing in the new year, usually with the thought that what you commit to will make you a happier or better person than you were the year before. While resolution are known for failure studies show they don't have to be if you make them manageable and realistic. Instead of planning to travel to the moon maybe look into making it to a science camp or staying awake in your science class. Whatever your goals make them small enough so that you can stick with them but large enough that they are still worthwhile to you. Next year you will get to brag to your friends that you successfully kept your resolution. (Learning to not brag and being a good winner can be next year's resolution) Good Luck!
Wednesday, 26 December 2018 22:34

FIREWORKS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

'Tis the season to see, buy and sell fireworks but do you know the law? Find out what the laws are in your area by checking out the My Streets section of LawforKids! There you can easily see what is and isn't allowed in your neighborhood. From all of us at LawforKids have a safe, fun and....  HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Wednesday, 19 December 2018 14:47

A PUBLIC HEALTH EPIDEMIC

A new public health epidemic is sweeping the nation one puff at a time according to the U.S. Surgeon General. Vaping and e-cigarettes are on the rise since they entered the market in 2007, especially with youth. But who is the Surgeon General and why should we listen to him? The Surgeon General is our "Nations Doctor and provides Americans with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury". According to the Surgeon General,"Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine – the addictive drug in regular cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products". Nicotine is harmful. The Know the Risks website explains that nicotine "can cause nicotine addiction, mood disorders, and permanent lowering of impulse control. Nicotine also changes the way synapses are formed, which can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning". One of the most common e-cigarettes for youth is a brand called JUUL which contains a salt based nicotine in its flavored pods. However, according to the Surgeon General's advisory, "approximately two thirds of JUUL users aged 15-24 do not know that JUUL always contains nicotine".If the health risks of nicotine aren't enough of a deterrent then remember JUUL and all other forms of nicotine are also illegal. For more information about the laws visit our Law section.
Thursday, 13 December 2018 09:27

NO MORE HOMEWORK

For years there has been a growing concern that students, especially at the elementary and middle school level are being given too much homework. According to the Wall Street Journal in the most recent study available (2016) high school students spend an average of 7.5 hours a week on homework while grades K-8 averaged 4.7 hours. Some school districts, like Ridgefield Public Schools in Ridgefield, Connecticut and Wayne Township Public Schools in Wayne, New Jersey, are saying that it is just too much time and are restricting the amount of homework teachers can assign or banning it all together. However, the response from parents has been conflicted. Some parents feel that the ban and restrictions are necessary; schools have invaded their home with relentless amounts of work that cut into family time and extracurricular activities. Other parents don't like the ban because they feel that homework allows them to take part in their child's education and helps students learn the material. Arizona it seems has yet to take a stand one way or the other but as the idea continues to spread to other states (New York, Louisiana, Florida, Texas), what may have once been a students dream may one day become a reality.
Wednesday, 05 December 2018 14:01

SNOW FUN ON THE ROADSIDE

It's snow season and that brings all the fun that comes along with it; sledding, skiing, snowboarding and of course the infamous snowball fights! But if you are going to enjoy the snow be sure that you travel a little further than your emergency pull off or roadside. Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) reminds us that while this may seem like an easy quick solution to get some snowy fun in it could also cause some serious problems "Highway shoulders are for emergencies only. Stopping there puts you and your loved ones at risk of a crash. It blocks first responders and snowplows en route to emergencies or to help stranded motorists. It also contributes to backups and delays." Don't worry there are tons of other free places to play that don't jeopardize your roadside safety such as local parks and free sledding attractions like Oak Hill Snow Play Area. Have fun playing in the snow and stay off the roadsides.
Wednesday, 21 November 2018 11:25

TAP AND PAY THANKSGIVING DAY

This Friday is seen as the official start of the holiday shopping season, even with the start of Black Friday on Thanksgiving Day and the latest trend of Black Friday week; but as you start looking at holiday deals have you thought about how you are going to pay for them? I don't mean if you are going to pay cash or dipping into your savings account, I'm talking about the new trend of using a tap and pay device. This is where your card information, or your parent's credit card information, is saved on your phone or smart device and used instead of the actual card. It's easy, and convenient but is it safe? 
Friday, 16 November 2018 13:52

GENDER X

From the time a person is born to the time they die a person is classified by their gender. It is notated on your birth certificate and death certificate and hundreds of other legal documents including your passport and driver license. Until recently there were only two markers that a person could chose from on a legal document, "M" for male and "F" for female; however, a handful of other states have started providing a third option "X" for Gender X. According to an excerpt of Newsweek Gender X is "a gender that is not exclusively male or female, including, but not limited to, intersex, agender, amalgagender, androgynous, bigender, demigender, female-to-male, genderfluid, genderqueer, male-to-female, neutrois, nonbinary, pangender, third sex, transgender, transsexual, Two Spirit, and unspecified." Currently five places, California, Washington D.C, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon and as of November Colorado will allow an "X" designation on their driver license and five states, California, Washington, New Jersey, Oregon and just recently New York, allow for it on their birth certificates. Should Arizona be next? Let us know at What do you think?  
Wednesday, 07 November 2018 12:06

YOUR ELECTION RESULTS

November 6th was Election Day, and everyone was able to get out and vote including the youth thanks to Kids Voting. While we will still have to wait to get the official results of this election the Kids Voting Arizona ballots have been tallied and your results are in. Here are some of the Kids Voting Arizona results: David Garcia received 49.93% of the votes would be elected Governor over Doug Ducey (43.31%) and Angel Torres (6.75%). Krysten Sinema received 41.53% of the votes and would be elected AZ US Senator over Martha McSally (34.97%) and Angela Green (23.52%). Lastly, January Contreras would be the Arizona Attorney General with 56.72% of the votes over Mark Brnovich (43.28%).   Follow this link for the full Kids Voting Arizona results. For current status on the real Arizona election click here.
Friday, 26 October 2018 10:10

JUST A COWGIRL FROM ARIZONA

Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman on the United States Supreme Court, wrote a letter to the public not only to inform it of her diagnosis but also to remind us that, “It’s not enough to understand, you got to do something.” Those are the words she lives by and  told her own three sons countless times. For her, “There is no more important work than deepening young people’s engagement in our nation.” So, after retiring from the U.S. Supreme Court, she continued to effect change through the creation of iCivics; a website created to help youth better understand the core principals of civics and government through interactive games and curricula. As she leaves public life to battle the early stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s, she reminds us again how important it is to help, “young people understand their crucial role as informed, active citizens in our nation.” Sandra Day O'Conner was just a "young cowgirl from the deserts of Arizona" who believes you have to do something and she became the first woman U.S. Supreme Court Justice. If a young person from Arizona can do that, imagine what you can do? To read her full letter click here or visit ICivics here.     
Friday, 12 October 2018 14:12

ROLES IN GOVERNMENT

Have you ever heard of a position in government and wondered, what does that person really do? Well wonder no more, The Citizens Clean Elections Commission has you covered under their How Government Works section of their website. This site breaks things down between Federal, State, Countywide and City/Town Offices. If you click on a particular office, like Mine Inspector, it will provide you with a general description of the office. In case you are curious it says, "The Arizona Mine Inspector is in charge of inspecting the safety and conditions of mines in the state to ensure the safety of the mine workers and the general public." The website will also tell you the basics of the position and the detailed rules and responsibilities. They even have a neat tool called, Find My Officials, that allows you to see all your elected officials if you enter your address. (Don't worry they don't keep your information.) So, check it out and get informed. Then tell your parents. They may not know what a Mine Inspector does either.