In 1972, a social worker named Sanjit "Bunker " Roy founded Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan. Today the college trains women from villages for six months to build and maintain solar panels and other instruments. Barefoot College also offers education to the younger generation both during the day and at its solar bridge schools that meet by lamp light at night.

    The philosophy of the Barefoot College is largely inspired by the principles of Gandhi, starting with quality beyond social classes, sex or religion. As a matter of fact, women are favorably regarded as an underserved population that is necessary to bringing villages together. Another central principle of the college is self-reliance, teaching students to support and think for themselves.

    After the colleges female students have completed their half a year of training, they return to their villages villages, where they wait for solar panel parts to arrive from the college. Once they have all the pieces they need ,they construct the panels and begin collecting solar energy. For each village, the college also provides solar lamps. Villagers can, in addition, order parts for other solar-powered devices, such as water heaters and cooking stoves. Once assembled(组装）, they and the lamps are powered by the solar panels.

    The effect on the villages is huge. Before the solar panels and lamps arrived, villagers had only candles to light their homes. This prevented adults from doing serious work at night, and it made studying difficult for children as well. As for physicians, they have difficulty treating patients and performing operations at night because they had to rely on flashlights.

    Now there is power for not only the electrical appliances that the college provides but also devices like televisions, radios and computers. For the first time, the villagers can even connect to the world through the Internet.

    Have you been told you have penicillin allergy? Did your parents tell you that you had a reaction as an infant or child, so you should never take it again? Has it been so long since you had a reaction to penicillin that you don't remember what happened? If you fit any of these descriptions or are just not sure if you have penicillin allergy, there's good news for you: Chances are, you probably don't have it.

    Between 10 to 20 percent of Americans believe they have a penicillin allergy, but a recent study at Mayo Clinic found that only 10 percent of those people are truly penicillin allergic. In other words, 9 out of 10 people who think they have penicillin allergy are avoiding it for no reason. Even in people with documented allergy to penicillin, only about 20 percent are still allergic 10 years after their initial allergic reaction. It's not necessarily a permanent condition.

    Why is this important? Aren't there many other antibiotics you can use if you have penicillin allergy? Penicillin has been around since 1928. Penicillin and its related medicines include amoxicillin, methicillin and amoxicillin-clavulnate. These medicines are highly effective treatments for many bacterial infections, such as strep throat and ear infections. Of course, there are alternative antibiotics, but these are often much more expensive and carry a higher risk of side effects. Typically, these alternative antibiotics are broad-spectrum, meaning they fight many types of bacteria, both good and bad. That can lead to development of drug-resistant bacteria, or deadly “superbugs”. This increases the risk for all of us in the future of not having an effective antibiotic to treat our infection.

    How do you find out if you have penicillin allergy? Board-certified allergists can test you. First, the allergist will get a history from you about your possible allergy. Typical questions include: How long ago did you have the reaction? What type of reaction occurred, and how soon after you took the penicillin did the reaction appear? The testing is done on the forearm by pricking the skin with a needle. If the results are negative and there is no reaction, penicillin will be injected in the skin. These tests are not painful, and results are available in 15 minutes. A positive reaction may lead to some swelling and itching where the test was placed, which usually goes away within an hour.

    In very rare cases, an allergic reaction occurs. This can include hives, swelling, wheezing and/or difficulty breathing. The allergist is trained to treat this rare condition quickly if it happens. If all skin testing is negative, you may be given an oral dose of penicillin in the office. The oral drug challenge is used to verify that you don't have penicillin allergy. Usually, you'll be observed in the office for 30 minutes to make sure you have no problems.

    If you find out you don't have a penicillin allergy, notify your physicians that it's now safe for you to take penicillin. They can take “penicillin allergy” off your chart for good!

    Do you think horseback riding is easy? Well, you are wrong. Horseback riding is one of the most challenging sports in the world today.

    As you know, a horse has the instinct to run away when afraid. When he becomes puzzled, he becomes afraid. When your silent communication is confusing, he does not ask you to repeat what you have said. Instead, he runs forward, he jumps to the side, he kicks out, or he freezes in place. Most of the time, however, you won't know your communication is confusing until it is too late. When he runs forward, you will fall back. When he jumps to side, you will fall the other way. When he kicks out or freezes in place, you will fly over his head.

    If you want to be good at horseback riding, you must practice. Being ridden does not come naturally to horses. They have to be trained. For example, to ask them to go forward, you usually tap them with your heels. But, if you get on untrained horses, they won't know that a tap means go. Instead, they will most likely run around like a wild animal out of fear.

    Contrary to popular belief, horseback riding does take skill. If you believe horseback riding doesn't take skill, you most likely have only ridden at a farm that provides a well-trained horse. To me, that is not actual riding. And although it may seem easy to you, you were not the person to teach that horse that a saddle is not frightening. You were not the person to fall off that same horse at the beginning of his training. When horses are first taught to be ridden, all they do is run, kick out, and rear, which is the act of standing on their back legs only.

                                                                                          Educational Programs for Kids

    Are you interested in helping your child continue his or her education beyond the typical school day? If so, then educational programs for kids may be what you're looking for.

    Where to Find Educational Programs?

    Many kids who are struggling in school may benefit from an after-school tutoring session or homework club. Check with your child's school, your local library or the park district for a list of available programs. You can also check with the local Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, church or youth center. Depending on your child's interests and strengths, consider art, community service, drama, music, creative writing, sports, cooking or environmental programs.

    What Educational Programs Are Provided by Organizations?

    The organizations mentioned above provide educational programs for kids, such as a community your child can be a part of and programs that focus on education, health, leadership, recreation and fitness.

   Another possibility is the Boy Scouts of America or the Girl Scouts. These are two separate organizations that can potentially provide your child with a sense of accomplishment, self-confidence and belonging. Both organizations will provide your child with many learning experiences and activities both indoors and outdoors.

    What Kind of Program Is Best for My Child?

    The type of educational program that's best for your child is subjective and based on many factors, including your child's age. If your child is in primary school, educational programs can help him or her develop as a person and gain leadership skills, a sense of self-worth and the ability to cooperate with others. By the time your child is in high school, his or her involvement with educational programs and other extracurricular activates can be key elements when your child is applying to college.

    When you help your child to pick an educational program, carefully consider what your child needs and what every option offers.

    Like any new ninth­grader on the first day of school, Joemar Class had ninth­grader emotion (情绪). He's not used to school in Hartford. He's used to going to school in his hometown of Florida, used to seeing his friends, used to having class in Spanish.

    "Nervioso，"he said in Spanish.

    We first met Joemar in mid­October in the San Juan Airport. His father, Guillermo Class, had sold his car to buy plane tickets to get his kids and fly them up from Puerto Rico. The island was almost destroyed (毁坏) by the deadly storm — Hurricane Maria.

    Now, they are settling into their new home in Hartford's South End. A week later, and, using his wife's car, Class drove 16­year­old Joemar to his first day at Bulkeley High School. After a short ride, he got out in front of his new school. Inside, he met Gretchen Levitz — the school's program director.

    "I see you have a new uniform (校服)," Levitz said. "You look great. Are you ready for a good first day？"

    Then he met a couple of teachers.

    "Hello," they each said in Spanish. They asked where he's from, and told him they were happy to see him. Then, Levitz took him on a quick tour of the school before classes began — to her office, the school store, the library, and the dining hall.

    A total of 19 languages are spoken in Bulkeley High School. "We have so many new students coming here from other countries every single day," Levitz said. "So it's not like he's the only one who has that feeling."

    "You could tell he's a little worried," Guillermo said as we left. "But, at the same time, he's looking forward to it."

    Like any new ninth-grader on the first day of school, Joemar Class had ninth-grader- emotion (情绪). He's not used to school in Hartford. He's used to going to school in his home town of Florida, used to seeing his friends, used to having class in Spanish.

    "Nervioso," he said in Spanish.

    We first met Joemar in mid-October in the San Juan Airport. His father, Guillermo Class, had sold his car to buy plane tickets to get his kids and fly them up from Puerto Rico. The island was almost destroyed (毁坏) by the deadly storm—Hurricane Maria.

    Now, they are settling into their new home in Hartford's South End. A week later, and, using his wife's car, Class drove 16-year-old Joemar to his first day at Bulkeley High School. After a short ride, he got out in front of his new school. Inside, he met Gretchen Levitz—the school's program director.

    "I see you have new uniform (校服)," Levitz said. "You look great. Are you ready for a good first day?"

    Then he met couple of teachers.

     "Hello," they each said in Spanish. They asked where he's from, and told him they were happy to see him. Then Levitz took him on a quick tour of the school before classes began—to her office the school store, the library, and the dining hall.

    A total of 19 languages are spoken in Bulkeley High School. "We have so many new students coming here from other countries every single day," Levitz said. "So it's not like he's the only one who has that feeling."

    "You could tell he's little worried," Guillermo said as we left." But, at the same time, he's looking forward to it."