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High School Diploma Basics
A high school diploma is the starting point for a college education and a successful career. These articles about high school diplomas contain information about the benefits of a high school diploma and your options for earning it. There is information on both online diploma programs and traditional classroom diplomas. Students will also find coursework hints and study tips.
An Online High School vs. a Traditional High School Diploma: Some Pros and Cons
Many individuals have made an excellent step towards securing a successful future-going back to school. However, the question remains - what type of school should I attend, online or traditional? This article discusses the pros and cons of getting your high school diploma from an online high school over a traditional high school. Please read on to find out more.
Consider Your Options: Ways to Earn Your High School Diploma
There are a number of options availble to one hoping to earn a high school diploma. This article discusses many of them, including traditional classwork, distance learning, concurrent high school and college enrollment and high school equivalency programs.
Earn Your Diploma: Tips for Succeeding in High School
While earning your high school diploma is an impressive feat in itself, doing it while earning good grades is even better. This article features tips for doing well in high school.
High School Coursework: An Overview of Coursework Needed for a High School Diploma
Obtaining a high school diploma may not be as easy as it seems. Students have to complete a variety of courses before receiving their diplomas. Read this article to learn more about the type of classes that high school students need to complete

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PAST PROJECTS
Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevalence Study
WINGS’ STI study, possibly the first of its kind in Guatemala, was developed in response to the scarcity of information surrounding the prevalence of STIs and HIV/AIDS in Guatemala. Through WINGS-sponsored Pap smear clinics, it became clear that roughly 1-2% of women needed further testing and 5-10% received necessary medication, possibly indicating a widespread incidence of STIs. Yet, a WINGS-commissioned survey in 2003 of all sources (Ministry of Health, university theses, interviews with other organizations working in health, etc.) revealed that very limited data existed regarding STI prevalence in the general population. WINGS designed and implemented a prevalence study in conjunction with the Rafael Landivar University to collect data regarding STIs in the general female population, inform women about STIs, and provide STI testing and treatment services through a small pilot project.
Why was the study necessary?
Both the lack of information surrounding what percentage of the population might be infected and the lack of STI education and services in low income, rural and/or indigenous areas were cause for concern:
· STIs are ignored as a health care issue in Guatemala – despite the fact that of the 4,000 Pap smears WINGS sponsored in 2003, approximately 5-10% of women needed some type of follow-up treatment, possibly indicating a widespread prevalence of the human Papilloma virus, an STI which often leads to cervical cancer.
· Prevalence rates of STIs in Guatemala are not tracked, nor is there any coordinated effort to educate the public about risks and prevention of STIs, except for HIV/AIDS.
· The Ministry of Health reports most STIs in one category, masking the prevalence of differentiated STIs.
· Rural men and women often do not seek care until a condition causes significant discomfort/pain and inability to work. If s/he suspects an STI is the cause, the person will go to a private laboratory for testing, which because of financial restraints, distance, and other obstacles, often means that the person is not diagnosed and treated, the condition goes unreported, and the partner remains in the dark.
The Solution
WINGS’ STI Testing and Treatment Initiative involved the voluntary testing of 1,160 women attending WINGS-sponsored Pap smear clinics in rural, largely indigenous, communities in the Department of Chimaltenango, Guatemala. The women were tested for five common STIs: Syphilis, HIV, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and Trichomonas. They were also screened for two bothersome conditions: Candida and Gardnerella.
Each participant received pre- and post-test counseling in her native language (Mayan Kakchiquel or Spanish) to enable her to make an informed choice on whether to participate in the study, and to ensure that all who were diagnosed positive for any of these seven conditions understood the necessity of complying with follow-up advice and treatment. Data is being compiled and analyzed, and the results will be disseminated throughout the Guatemalan health-care and development community in the first half of 2006.
This project benefited the project participants and their families directly through the provision of testing and treatment of common STIs, as well as information on protection against future infection. In addition, it will also benefit countless more Guatemalans indirectly through the dissemination of valid information on which to base further interventions.

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, she has asked a friend to teach her how to make traditional clothing, and in addition, she TESTIMONIAL

Helem (15) lives in a simple house with her mother, father and three brothers. Her father is an alcoholic and as a member of Youth WINGS, she talks to her peers about her father’s alcoholism and how alcohol, while having a sexual relationship, puts one at a higher risk of becoming pregnant or infected with an STI.

Helem is very intelligent and determined, but her family’s financial situation keeps her from continuing her studies, which is something that upsets and bothers her. Howeveralso helps her mother sell dobladas (tortilla sandwiches) to keep the family going. Despite these circumstances, Helem is a happy teenager and greatly wishes to continue helping her peers through Youth WINGS.

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“It would be easy to simply write about the dire poverty, some of the worst I have seen in that area, because it is so apparent. It is everywhere you look. As you turn off the Pan-American Highway, you enter an almost forgotten land. The trip down the dirt road that leads to these communities is painstakingly slow, even in our four-wheel drive. It takes more than an hour by car to reach the middle communities. Most inhabitants and some of our staff must walk this route, as only three buses per day make the journey. During our visit, a man who looks 70, but is probably 50, starts out walking towards Nahuala, at least a 4-hour walk away.
Most of these communities have some electricity, but many homes do not. While some latrines are apparent, many homes go without. Some of these communities simply have no running water and the population must gather water where they can find it. There is little to no health care and the population has been known to carry emergency patients on their backs, walking the 4 or more hours over the mountains to Xela to get help.
Schools are basic at best and are mostly geared towards primary school students. Few students go on to the higher grades. There is little to no telephone service. There is little in the way of work in this area, so there is little income. Many eke out a meager living selling the few vegetables they can grow, although the dirt is not conducive to planting. The corn stalks here are half as high as they are just an hour away on the Pan-American Highway. Vivamos Mejor estimates that over 80% of the local men have serious alcohol problems, which lead to other problems including unwanted pregnancies, domestic violence, and more poverty.
It is easy to focus on this poverty, or the inhabitants as victims. But, I don’t want this to be about poverty, but rather about hope and courage, both of which I witnessed during my trip.