What better way to celebrate our country's birthday than to join hundreds of thousands of Americans on the National Mall for the most famous fireworks extravaganza of them all? Break out your blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets and take part in a tradition that started more than 200 years ago when Thomas Jefferson hosted the first official Fourth of July celebration at the presidential mansion.

The pyrotechnics don't start until 9:10PM, but it's a good idea to stake out a spot early. If you choose, you can even make an entire day of it by checking out the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and cheering the floats and bands of the annual Independence Day Parade. At 8PM, the National Symphony Orchestra and other guest performers get the crowd in the mood with patriotic favorites such as John Philip Sousa's 'Stars and Stripes Forever' and the '1812 Overture' in front of the U.S. Capitol. The fireworks themselves, which are launched from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, explode over the Washington Monument an hour or so later. Optimal viewing sites include the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the FDR Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Ellipse and anywhere along the Mall between 14th Street and the Capitol.

The rain date is July 5

Alcoholic beverages, personal firework supplies, open flames or grills and living room furniture are prohibited. First aid stations and portable restrooms are located throughout the Mall, and picnic tables are available at Hains Point. .

The Smithsonian Metro station will be closed on July 4, so plan on using Metro Center, Gallery Place-Chinatown, Judiciary Square, Federal Triangle or L'Enfant Plaza stations.

Learn what works, what doesn't, and what the latest research shows as promising. Hear what criminal justice practitioners around the country are doing to make their systems more effective with evidence- based programs. Talk to policymakers about how your research can make their work more productive.

This year, you are invited to a new event ? an informal conversation with colleagues and speakers on the hotel's beautiful outdoor terrace overlooking the Nation's Capital on Monday evening, July 18th.

Also new this year, NIJ is offering a special promotion to attract first-time attendees and to encourage researchers to bring along their practitioner/policymaker partners. See the registration page for details on how to take advantage of half-price registration fees.

NIJ is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice and is dedicated to researching crime control and justice issues. NIJ provides objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice, particularly at the State and local levels.

Contact Jocelyn Williams at the Institute for Law and Justice, NIJ's Professional Conference Series contractor, at 703-684-5300 or jocelyn@ilj.org.

The District of Columbia is providing a one-stop place to locate summer programs available to all children and teens in DC. This site will help you locate summer camps & recreational activities, summer schools, free meal programs, summer reading programs, health services and more.

The District of Columbia government and its community partners are proud to present DC Summer Fun 2005. This program, formerly known as the Safe Passages Summer Program, provides children and youth living in the District with an opportunity to have a fun and safe summer.
We invite parents, children, and teens to learn more about a variety of programs available through the District government and its community partners during the summer months. There are many to choose from including: summer schools, summer reading programs, summer camps and field trips, sports, crafts and creative arts, and summer jobs. Free summer meals, health services, and mental health services are also available. These programs and services are free or low cost and provide children and teens with opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive during the summer months.
We encourage you to take full advantage of the many programs and services that are being offered.

Contact 202-463-6211

This training will facilitate a discussion on the intersections between Trafficking in Humans and Domestic Violence. There will be a short introduction to Trafficking and VAWA.

This training is hosted by the DC Area VAWA Network, a network of service providers who work with battered immigrants. Members represent all sectors of service providers, including lawyers, mainstream and community non-profits, networks, and government agencies including law enforcement.

All are welcome to attend.

The National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women was central to the crafting and passage of the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA 1994) and the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA 2000) Reauthorization bill. Since the passage of VAWA 2000, the Taskforce has worked on obtaining full appropriations for VAWA, developing the VAWA 2005 reauthorization bill, and many other important issues regarding domestic and sexual violence against women.

Contact Megan Pierce at megan.pierce@bpsos.org

The 2005 Summit is all about Youth In Action - Making a Difference. You'll take home step-by-step ACTION PLANS from every workshop to help you MAKE A DIFFERENCE in your community. You'll also hear exciting speakers, meet inspiring young people, and have plenty of opportunities to discuss what is important to you.

The National Youth Summit is an annual event that brings together youth and adults from across the country to celebrate the strengths and accomplishments of America's young people. This preeminent event in the field of youth development is built upon the belief that all youth can thrive with the support and guidance of caring adults and communities. This year, the Summit theme is Youth in Action - Making a Difference. Starting with the first Summit in 2002, the event has been hosted by the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), an agency within the Administration on Children, Youth and Families; Administration for Children and Families; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. FYSB partners with other federal agencies and welcomes the participation of national youth organizations at each Summit.

It's all about numbers. This summer, there are 2000 smart, eager and available young workers between the ages of 16 and 21 who can work 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, at minimum training wage. That is roughly 80,000 hours of manpower in a 6 week period, working to increase your bottom line.

Become apart of this winning equation and help our youth become prepared for the future. Sign your organization up for summer workers.

The Passport-to-Work program prepares District youth to successfully enter the 21st Century labor market by providing them with a continuum of innovative, year-round services. Passport-to-Work consists of four primary components; the Summer Program, which provides work experience opportunities through the subsidized Summer Youth Employment Program and its private and federal sector initiatives; the Year Round Program, which provides paid employability training, academic enrichment activities, and leadership development during the school year; the Out-of-School Program, which provides employability and occupational skills training, GED preparation and Basic Computer Skills training for young adults who have either graduated from high school, obtained a GED or is not attending any school and has not received a high school diploma or its equivalent; and the Youth Opportunity Program, which provides subsidized employment as well as vocational training to youth who are no longer enrolled in school.

Contact 2005 Passport-to-work
Summer Youth Employment Program
625 H Street NE, Washington DC 20002
202-698-3991

If you would like to share any announcements from your organization or campus with the CoRAL Network community, send a brief blurb to kcarter@coralnetwork.org by close of business each Thursday for inclusion in the following Monday's Newsbits.

Please note that submissions MUST be about local events, news, opportunities and activities that are related to community affairs in the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Northern Virginia.