Visalia Unified set to hold Linked Learning, vaping presentations

Visalia Unified School District will offer two community presentations in February to inform parents and community members about vape-use among teenagers. The district will also offer two parent nights for parents of students that are interested in Visalia Unified’s Linked Learning Academies.

Vaping

The vaping presentations, followed by questions and answers, will be held on Thursday, Feb. 13, at Goshen Elementary School, and on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at Green Acres Middle School. Both presentations will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Community agencies will be on hand to provide materials and helpful resources.

“The industry is constantly creating new ways to hide evidence of the dangers of vaping, and as a nation we are seeing tragic loss of life due to vaping,” noted Frank Escobar, director of student services for Visalia Unified School District. “It’s critically important that parents become more aware, know what to look for, and be prepared to address it with their child.”

The health impacts of vaping are very real, Escobar added, with nearly 50 known deaths and over 6,000 known sudden pulmonary cases nationwide. According to a study commissioned by Congress, teens and young adults are much more likely to become addicted to the nicotine from vaping and vaping devices release toxic substances. Vape devices can look like cigarettes, cigars, pipes, USB sticks or small cell phones.

“We have now seen kids vaping through the drawstrings of their hoodies,” he added. “The industry is very creative but the harmful impacts on our kids are very real.”

Linked Learning Academies

The Linked Learning Academy parent nights, which outline the academy options offered by Visalia Unified School District high schools, will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22, and Thursday, Jan. 23, at the El Diamante High School Theater.

The academies combine rigorous academics with career-themed course work and work-based learning in an academy structure.

Available options are Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (ACE); Business and Finance; Computer Science; First Responders; Health Science; Law and Justice; Media Arts; and Sports Therapy, Rehabilitation, Orthopedics and Neuromuscular Gains.

The academies provide relevant educational experiences for students, while ensuring that they become college and career ready, and offer real-world experiences through internships.

In post-internship summaries, students stressed gains in their ability to communicate, the awareness of potential jobs, the need to work as a team, and real-world experiences in their own chosen academy.

For more information regarding the Linked Learning Academies, contact the VUSD College and Career Readiness Department at 730-7510 or visit the website, www.vusd.org/domain/51.

For more information regarding the vaping presentations, contact Frank Escobar, 559-730-7570 or email [email protected].

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