These discussion groups will enable parents of young children within the Georgetown community to connect in an informal way, promoting the exchange of ideas, experience, and knowledge about early childhood development and parenting.

Hoya Kids Learning Center is a child development and preschool facility caring for children of students, faculty and staff of Georgetown University, as well as Georgetown University Hospital staff. Dedicated to providing the highest quality child care in a safe, nurturing and loving environment, Hoya Kids fulfills a key component of Georgetown's educational mission to weave family needs into the fabric of the University community. Established in 1997, the Center provides crucial support for University personnel and students who seek to balance work and family responsibilities.

If you would like to receive notices of future brown bag sessions or have suggestions for topics, please email Jane Banister at JB39@georgetown.edu

?The State of Philanthropy in Higher Education?
Stacy Palmer, Editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy
Stacy Palmer is editor of The Chronicle of Philanthropy, which she helped to found in 1988. Palmer has played a key role in the development of the newspaper, which today has 45,000 paid subscribers.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy is the newspaper of the nonprofit world. It is the No. 1 news source, in print and online, for charity leaders, fund raisers, grant makers, and other people involved in the philanthropic enterprise.

In partnership with Lee y serás, a national early literacy initiative led by Scholastic, the National Council of LA RAZA, and Verizon, CentroNía is presenting a one-day training conference on developing and increasing literacy, with a special emphasis on family involvement and bilingual education.

CentroNía delivers its numerous educational programs and accomplishes its mission of "educating children and youth and strengthening families in a bilingual, multicultural community" through four educational departments:

• Learning Center
• Family/ Community Development
• Professional Development Academy
• DC Bilingual Public Charter School

Discussion focused on the following questions:

1. How will changes at Howard University Hospital affect Ward One residents?
2. What changes in the city's health care delivery system are really needed?

Panelists Include:

Jim Graham, Ward One Councilmember, DC City Council

Robert Malson DC Hospital Association

Sharon Baskerville, Executive Director DC Primary Care Association

Robert Bobb, City Administrator Washington, DC

Dr. Merino, Howard University Hospital

For more information contact: Kathy Boettrich, Chairperson, Ward One Dems 202-309-0989

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.