Moving Music. Barthelmes Conservatory, currently located in the Avanti Building, 810 S. Cincinnati Ave., is looking for a new home. Tulsa's only music conservatory and other Avanti Building tenants have been asked by Kanbar Properties to vacate the premises so the building can be "mothballed" until sold.
The Avanti Building was an ideal location for the conservatory due to its natural resistance to sound migration.
"We have made several attempts to purchase the Avanti Building to no avail, based upon, among other things, the Kanbar insistence upon selling the entire portfolio and not one building at a time," said Joseph L. Hull, III, president of Barthelmes Conservatory.
Hull is working to find an interim location and a permanent home conducive to soundproofing and future growth. Accreditation with the Accrediting Commission for Community and Pre-collegiate Art Schools requires applicants to own the property in which they reside. Barthelmes Conservatory plans to apply for accreditation upon their move to a permanent location.
Prosperous Living. The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is partnering with the Men's Health Network (MHN) to celebrate National Men's Health Month in June. "Stay Tough! Stay Healthy!" helps call attention to the growing problem of obesity in men in Oklahoma.
About 74 percent of Oklahoma men are overweight or obese and men at all income and educational levels are at risk for obesity. To reduce their risk, men should take small steps each day to maintain a healthy weight by being physically active for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week and eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
Men often forget that preventive health care such as testicular self-exams, PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood tests, colorectal cancer screenings, cholesterol and blood sugar checks are also important in staying healthy. When a man is healthy, he reduces his likelihood of illness, injuries, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, and he has lower absenteeism at work and may have reduced health care costs.
A toolbox for community organizations interested in planning an event for National Men's Health Month is available at go.usa.gov/DTs. Visit the Men's Health Network at menshealthmonth.org for more information.
Future Prospects. Youth Philanthropy Initiative, a program to inspire and train the next generation of Tulsa's community leaders and philanthropists, is taking applications for its next group of student participants.
Twenty Tulsa teenagers will be chosen for the fifth class of participants, called "cohorts." Students will identify and research an important teen issue in Tulsa, then work with community leaders to take positive action. Previous YPI cohorts have partnered with Tulsa schools to address adolescent depression and teen dating violence. The three-year program provides students with skills in leadership, problem solving, self-awareness, project planning, conflict resolution and team dynamics.
Applications are now being accepted from incoming high school freshmen and sophomores. There is no cost for the program. An overnight team building retreat in August is mandatory; cohorts will meet monthly after that.
Applications are due no later than June 24. Final selection of students will be made by July 18. The application and further details are available at ypitulsa.org or by calling 918-748-5908.
Safe Sex. AIDS United AmeriCorps Team Tulsa is inciting a revolution -- The Condom Revolution. This event is a heath fair for teens focused on helping them make informed and healthy choices about sex. The program is June 18 from 7-11pm in the Youth Services Coffeehouse, 311 S. Madison Ave.
  The Condom Revolution. |
Activities will be both fun and informational, including both carnival games with a sexual health spin and educational games such as STD trivia.
Representatives of area organizations that focus on youth and/or sexual health will be present to hand out information about their services. Public health professionals will be there to answer any questions youth may have about HIV and other STDs. The AmeriCorps team hopes that the teens will leave with knowledge of the ways in which they can reduce the risk of pregnancy and STDs and the awareness that there are adults who care and will be there for them when they have questions about sex and relationships.
For more information about HIV/AIDS services in Tulsa, contact the Oklahoma HIV/STD Hotline 1-800-535-AIDS (2437).
Open Door Policy. World Heritage International is now looking for American families to host high school students from Eurasia. All these students have received scholarships through the US State Department sponsored Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) Program and will spend an academic year in the U.S.
This program seeks to foster democracy and values inherent in a free market economy. Support of these students and this program reinforces the United States' commitment to education and opportunity.
By living with local host families and attending local high schools, FLEX scholarship students acquire an understanding of American values and build on leadership skills. From the beginning of this program, FLEX scholarship students work together after returning home to share what they have learned while in America and are making a significant difference in their home countries. Call 800-888-9040 or visit world-heritage.org for more information.