YO: Durham graduated its first class of career-oriented teens last Sunday. Among the 23 graduates were Kevin Armstrong, 16, a rising junior at Jordan High School, and Alena Glenn, 17, a rising senior at Hillside.

The unique program, an initiative of Durham Congregations in Action, offers those chosen for the program a six-week summer Career Academy and an internship with a Durham business during the school year, all under the watchful eye of mentors. (The "YO" in YO: Durham stands for Year of Opportunity.)

Both of these grads have already laid out plans for their futures.

For Kevin, it will be college and pharmacy school at UNC-Chapel Hill. For Alena, it's finishing high school next year but also taking courses at Durham Tech so she will be a certified nurse assistant by the time she enrolls at East Carolina University for a degree in nursing.

She's going to summer school to take senior English so she'll "be ahead" come fall, she said this week.

Kevin's internship has been in the obstetrics and gynecology research office at Duke Medical Center, with some of his time spent in the pharmacy lab at the VA Hospital shadowing a pharmacist. He will continue to work this summer, though not as a part of the YO: Durham program.

Alena's work has been in the office at Blue Cross, where she discovered that nurses are employed in many ways and places beyond working in a hospital.

Both say YO: Durham has made a difference in their lives.

"I have learned a lot, met new people and experienced new things," Alena said. "At Blue Cross, I was exposed to a corporate work environment for the first time."

"It has enhanced my life," Kevin said.

"We were taught interview skills, what to wear, etiquette and how to make a resume."

A big surprise for Kevin at graduation was receiving the Jamie Lauffer Memorial Leadership Scholarship of $1,000, money he gets when he starts college. The scholarship was established by Maryann Crea in memory of her son.

Another award, the $1,000 Adriel Williams Memorial Scholarship, went to Kiya Green, who is graduating from Jordan High this year.

This scholarship was established in memory of Williams, a 40-year Durham resident who died in February and was the fiance of Dr. Susan Blackmon, the program's director.

Recruitment for YO: Durham's second class is ending this week. The class will include 30 students, evenly divided between boys and girls, most of them African-American, Blackmon said.

The Career Academy begins June 16.

"We are still fundraising and are looking for instructors for the academy and for volunteers," Blackmon said.

YO: Durham's budget is $225,000, most of it coming from congregations and individuals, and a small amount from grants.

Fashion show headlines June women's meeting

Area women are invited to a fashion show on June 21 at Croasdaile Village Commons dining room, 2600 Croasdaile Farm Pkwy. The show is the special feature during the regular 10 a.m. meeting of the Durham Christian Women's Connection.

Fashions by Cato's at 129 Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy. will be modeled. Rebecca Womble from Buies Creek will speak afterward. Her topic is "Beyond a Cinderella Story: When life isn't happily ever after, it can be joyfully ever after."

A luncheon buffet will follow the program. The cost is $10. Reservations are due by June 18 by calling (919) 477-3062 or e-mailing dcbpwc@yahoo.com.

Session offers training for disaster response

Durham Interfaith Disaster Response, an informal network of congregations, will offer training for volunteers interested in learning to operate a Red Cross shelter.

This class is designed to teach Red Cross policies and procedures for setting up, running and closing a shelter during a disaster. Both lecture and group exercises will prepare volunteers to manage shelter operations.

The class will be held June 14 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 1200 W. Cornwallis Drive, from 8 a.m. to noon. It is free and open to people of all faiths. Each participant will receive two certification cards.

This class is required for anyone interested in volunteering at a Red Cross shelter anywhere in the U.S.

Call the church office at (919) 489-3214 to reserve a space.

Renovated parish house to be dedicated

Bishop Michael Curry of the Episcopal Diocese of N.C. will dedicate the renovated and expanded parish house at St. Philip's Episcopal Church at 11 a.m. today when it will be named the Townsend Annex, in honor of the lead donors for the capital campaign, parishioners Doug and Elizabeth Townsend.

The original parish house, completed in 1949, was in need of updated and improved systems, and the church's growing programs needed additional space. St. Philip's is at 403 E. Main St.

Gay choir to perform new song composition

"Where is Love," a new song cycle by Kevin Tillman, Durham composer and member of Calvary United Methodist Church, will be premiered by the Triangle Gay Men's Chorus in Raleigh and Chapel Hill on June 21 and 22.

The cycle explores the intertwining of divine and human caring as expressed in Christian scripture and tradition and as experienced in intimate relationships.

Performances will be June 21 at 8 p.m. in the fellowship hall at 3313 Wade Ave., Raleigh; and June 22 at 3 p.m., United Church of Chapel Hill, 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill.

Tickets are $12 before June 21. Suggested donation for tickets at the door is $15. Tickets are available online at TGMChorus.org.

New hymnal on the horizon for Methodists

Every few years, mainline churches seek to respond to the changing face of music in worship by updating or revising their hymnals. Many contemporary churches, however, do not use hymnals at all, opting instead to project words on a large screen.

Last year, the United Methodist Church did a series of six online research surveys designed to provide information regarding opinions of the church's pastors, musicians, worship leaders and laity for the possible development of a new hymnal.

The General Conference that met recently decided to develop a new hymnal to be presented to the conference by 2012.

A few survey results:

Top three favorites in the current hymnal are "Amazing Grace," "Here I am, Lord," and "How Great Thou Art."

The No. 1 requested hymn to include in a new hymnal is "Eternal Father, Strong to Save."