Nominations for kids ages six to 18 will be accepted Feb. 1 – March 15 at kohlskids.com, and nominators must be 21 years or older. Through the program, Kohl’s will award more than $410,000 in scholarships and prizes, ranging from $50 Kohl’s gift cards to ten $10,000 scholarships, recognizing youths who make a difference by volunteering in their communities.

Jackson Public Schools has announced a make-up schedule for the four instructional days that were lost during the recent citywide water crisis. 

Summer Camp registration for children ages 5 – 12 will begin March 22 for children already enrolled in the city’s Parks & Leisure After School Care Program. April 5 is the registration date for children new to the program. Both registrations will take place at the Parks & Leisure Building, 400 Alice Street.

The Mississippi Museum of Art, in honor of the exhibition Jim Henson's Fantastic World, will feature a live puppet show with the cast of the ten-time Emmy® Award-winning PBS KIDS® series Between the Lions.  Designed to build reading skills, Between the Lions has been filmed in Jackson, Mississippi, since 2004. The performances at the Mississippi Museum of Art will feature the entire Lion family, Theo, Cleo, Lionel, and Leona, along with special appearances by The Vowelles and The Dixie Chimps. These characters will bring the television series to life, inviting children to participate as they sing about the sounds of letters, play with words, and read stories.

Freddie Scott II – a retired Indianapolis Colt and  the NFL spokesman for Tony Dungy’s organization All Pro Dad  – is the keynote speaker for the Jackson Public Schools 7^th Annual Dads of Destiny Conference. This year’s conference is scheduled for 5:45 p.m., Thursday, January 28, at Murrah High School, 1400 Murrah Drive. There is no cost to attend this event for JPS fathers and father figures.

Join South Coast Paddling Company for a Full Moon Paddle on January 30. Spend the first full moon of the year paddling on Old Fort Bayou.  Bring friends.  Cost is $30 if we provide the boat and $15 if you bring your own gear.  Make reservations! Call Melissa Johnson at 228-872-2030.

The Maternal Transport Program at Baptist Medical Center in Jackson, Miss. provides quality inpatient care to high-risk mothers and their newborns. Mothers throughout Mississippi and surrounding areas having perinatal complications or are at risk for early delivery can be transferred to Baptist for a higher level of care.

JPS Schools will be closed on Friday, Jan. 14 due to water problems and Monday, Jan. 18 for Martin Luther King Day.

The Eudora Welty Library on State Street has re-opened. This is an excellent activity for parents to do with their children who are out of school due to the water situtation.

The closing of school on Thursday means that the following events and programs are also cancelled:

JPS afterschool programs

JPS athletic events, games and practices Adult education classes at the Career Development Center (CDC) JPS Adult Education Program GED/Literacy/ESL classes

All schools and offices of Jackson Public Schools will be closed Wednesday, January 13, 2010, because of the water conditions in the City of Jackson.

The Education Center School will be closed Tuesday, January 12.

This includes all afterschool programs, athletic events, games and practices, and adult education classes. JPS will be monitoring the progress regarding water conditions and keep parents informed of the re-opening of schools and offices.

Due to the water conditions in the City of Jackson and the number of schools impacted, Jackson Public Schools will be shortening the school day on today, January 11, 2010, to a 60% day. Schools will release students according to the following schedule:

Elementary -- Noon

Middle -- 12:30 p.m.

High -- 1 p.m.

Cancellations also were announced  for January 11 for the following:

All JPS afterschool programs have been cancelled;

All JPS athletic events, games and practices have been cancelled;

The adult education classes at the Career Development Center (CDC) have been cancelled; and

The JPS Adult Education Program's GED/Literacy/ESL classes have been cancelled.

JPS officials will be monitoring the progress regarding water conditions in the City and will make an announcement about the status of school for Tuesday, January 12, 2010, no later than 5 a.m., on Tuesday, January 12.