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Most young girls living in the Five Points neighborhood, an African-American and Mexican-American community in downtown Denver, have grown up with the idea that a job means working at McDonald's, serving as a waitress or janitor, selling in a retail store, or accepting other low-paid work. That notion is something Margaret Eisenhart, professor of educational anthropology and research methodology at the University of Colorado at Boulder, is trying to change.

As society becomes more dependent on high-tech savvy people, two fundamental skills still stand out as pertinent in the complex modern world - writing and critical thinking. This fall, drawing on input from faculty across campus and independent writing experts from outside the university, a new writing and rhetoric program that focuses on sharpening these essential skills has been put in place for about 750 undergraduate students at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

A scale model of the solar system, which will be formally dedicated on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Oct. 17, has roots at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

The Family Housing Children's Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder was recently awarded a CCAMPIS grant in the amount of $250,000 by the U.S. Department of Education. The grant, named Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools, will be budgeted at $62,500 annually for four years to help the center launch SUCCEED, a program aimed at supporting higher education for low-income parents by providing affordable and high-quality early childhood programs for their children.

Running lizards, rats and people will highlight the CU Wizards show "The Biology of Muscles and Movement," Saturday, Oct. 27, at 9:30 a.m. in the Cristol Chemistry and Biochemistry Building, room 140. University of Colorado at Boulder biology Professor and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Todd Gleeson and biology Senior Instructor Mark Osadjan will show the audience how muscles power motion and how muscle metabolism functions during exercise through a treadmill demonstration using people and animals.

Will Hobbs, an award-winning children's book author from Colorado, is the featured speaker at the 32nd annual Virginia Westerberg Children's Literature Conference on Saturday, Oct. 27. The event at the University of Colorado at Boulder is expected to attract more than 200 people, including parents, teachers, artists, writers and storytellers. Registration forms must be postmarked by Oct. 20. On-site registration is available Oct. 27, but does not include the luncheon.

Editors: To arrange for photos, please contact Ricki Martinez in the Family Housing office at (303) 492-6384. The Department of Family Housing at CU-Boulder will unveil a mural in remembrance of victims of the Sept. 11 tragedy in New York City on Sunday, Oct. 14, at 6 p.m. at the Athens North Community Room on the CU campus. The Athens North Community Room is at 1855 Athens St.

TEAM UP FOR 'ABCs OF ENGINEERING' The University of Colorado at Boulder and NEWS4 are teaming up for a second consecutive year of science-centered educational programming this fall, bringing engineering concepts to third- through fifth-graders in a weeklong program titled "The ABCs of Engineering." From Oct. 22 through Oct. 26, NEWS4's Larry Green will explore the basics of aerospace, mechanical, civil, chemical and electrical engineering with the help of CU engineering faculty member Janet deGrazia.

CU PROFESSOR JANET DeGRAZIA Chemical engineering Professor Janet deGrazia spends summers at CU-Boulder wowing schoolkids and teachers by launching pencil rockets, dissecting rock-climbing cams and showing why bridges collapse to demonstrate Newton's Laws of Motion and other scientific principles.

The Board of Regents of the University of Colorado Thursday approved the Williams Village Master Site Development Plan, providing guidelines for developers to construct apartment-style student housing for 1,900 upper division and graduate students. Initial occupancy is expected on Aug. 1, 2003.