var quotes = new Array; quotes.push("Hold an annual neighborhood book swap. Ask neighbors to donate books they've already read, and invite everyone to come and find new books."); quotes.push("Plan a karaoke party for youth and adults. If you don't have a karaoke machine, just sing along with with favorite songs on a stereo."); quotes.push("Share customs and rituals from your own background. Invite kids to help you with a craft project or a meal that highlights one of your cultural traditions."); quotes.push("Hold a neighborhood celebration on the first or last day of the school year. Invite kids, parents, teachers, and neighbors to join in."); quotes.push("Start a short neighborhood newsletter to share stories and triumphs of neighbors of all ages."); quotes.push("Invite a child or teenager to join you in doing a certain activity each season, such as picking strawberries, planting a garden, finding the biggest pumpkin, or singing holiday carols."); quotes.push("Swap music recommendations with a teen. Listen together if you can, and tell each other why you like the music you recommended."); quotes.push("Encourage children to write letters to the editor of your local newspaper about issues that are important to them."); quotes.push("Ask a teen for help with a project you're working on. What may be a burden to you could end up being an opportunity for a teen to gain school credit, boost self-esteem, or even escape from afterschool boredom."); quotes.push("Make a book with a younger child. Cut out magazine illustrations for pictures. Write a fictional story and include the child and yourself as the main characters."); quotes.push("Plan events for employees or coworkers that encourage family involvement, such as booking a mini-golf course for an afternoon. Suggest that nonparents bring other young family members or friends."); quotes.push("Volunteer to read aloud at a school library or community center to help nurture kids' love of books."); quotes.push("Offer to mentor a teen from your community who is interested in exploring a career similar to your own. Help that person better understand your field and make educational plans."); quotes.push("Hand down a hobby by teaching a young person a skill, such as quilting, carpentry, or gardening."); quotes.push("Contact a nearby high school and volunteer to chaperone a dance or partner with classes on a service activity."); quotes.push("Stretch a child's thinking abilities by taking her or him to a new place, such as a bird sanctuary, a candy manufacturer, or a concert designed for young children. Let the child experience the sounds, sights, tastes, textures, and smells of the place."); quotes.push("Ask neighbors to include their areas of expertise (computers, math, English, the arts, and so on) in a Homework Helpers list that you distribute to area students. Then encourage students to call neighbors when they need specific help."); quotes.push("Enroll in a community education class with your child and learn a new skill together."); quotes.push("Offer to help a parent by taking a toddler to explore a new place, such as a park or a store."); quotes.push("Local libraries often put on readings, lectures, and even concerts. Attend one with your child."); document.write("
" + quotes[(Math.floor(Math.random() * quotes.length))]);