LEST WE FORGET It can be particularly tough for young people to deal with loved ones who are living with Alzheimer's disease. That's why the Alzheimer's Foundation of America has created a new Web site, www.afateens.org, that helps teens understand the illness and express their feelings with other youngsters dealing with similar challenges. AFA also has launched a $5,000 college scholarship award that asks juniors and seniors to write a 1,200-word essay on the impact Alzheimer's disease has had on their families and themselves—and what they've learned in the process. Applications are due Feb. 15, and details are available at the new Web site.

AS UP THEY GREW The AFT has offered any number of giveaways over the years, but you'd be hard-pressed to name one more popular than the "Grow Smart from the Start!" wall chart.

The fun, colorful chart is perfect for any early childhood classroom—or even a family room or bedroom. Printed in English on one side and Spanish on the reverse, the chart features letters of the alphabet and common words associated with each letter. There's even a handy ruled border that children can be measured against to see how much they've grown. The chart also offers several excellent resources for education providers to help guide alphabet fun and practice. To order, e-mail Teresa Valcarce at tvalcarc@aft.org and provide your name, address and local union. Supplies are limited.

WATCH YOUR MOUTH The American Dental Association offers an oral health curriculum for grades preK-8 that features flexible lesson plans and support materials to promote a lifetime of smiles. Visit the educators' section at www.ada.org to browse the association's catalog of activity sheets and suggestions, including materials in Spanish.

LABOR, CHAPTER AND VERSE Tom Juravich has spent decades writing, teaching and participating in the labor movement. Now the professor of labor studies at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst has a new gig: "Altar of the Bottom Line" is a CD that features songs about work and the labor movement, performed by Juravich and a talented team of musicians. The AFT and 16 other unions sponsored production of the CD, which features both traditional and original songs by, about and for working men and women. The 13-song CD costs $15, plus shipping. For details on ordering the CD, visit www.tomjuravich.com.

POVERTY ABCs The ABCs of Domestic Poverty is a free school curriculum for grades 3 and higher that helps teachers tackle the topic in history, math, economics, language and creative arts classrooms. Developed through the Southern Poverty Law Center's "Teaching Tolerance" program, the new lesson plans are available at www.tolerance.org. At a time when one in five students lives in poverty, the materials aim to treat the subject in both a meaningful and sensitive way that shuns stereotypes.

LET'S GET CIVIC-AL Mid-January marks the launch of the National Association of Broadcasters online tool kit to help promote participation in the National Student/Parent Mock Election. Since 1980, almost 50 million young people, along with their parents, have been touched by this exercise in democracy. Early planning is a key to getting the most out of this event, and educators can begin laying the groundwork for their school-based events by visiting www.nationalmockelection.org or calling 520/877-VOTE.

GOTTA HAVE HEART February is American Heart Month, and the American Heart Association offers a variety of information online for parents and kids to help promote heart health. Visit www.americanheart.org for tips on how to curb behaviors associated with heart disease, advice on nutrition (including strategies for dealing with picky eaters) and much more. Be sure to check out HeartPower! Online, the AHA's free, curriculum-based program, which is filled with downloadable information for teaching about the heart and how to keep it healthy for a lifetime.