The American Red Cross Santa Clara Valley Chapter is providing disaster preparedness classes for Willow Glen youth and adults.

Through its Community Disaster Education program, it is teaching residents how to prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters that could occur.

Hour-long presentations for youth and adults are free of charge, but donations are encouraged to cover costs, such as brochure distribution.

Residents are asked to contact the American Red Cross four to six weeks in advance to schedule a presentation date. This allows time for Red Cross professionals to customize a presentation to meet the needs and interests of the audience.

Adult presentations focus on how the Red Cross and community can work together to prepare for a disaster. Topics include earthquake, fire and flood preparedness. Youth presentations teach children about fire and earthquake safety.

For more information, call the Community Disaster Education Services Presentation/Information request line at 408.577.2023 or visit http://www.santaclaravalley.redcross.org/.

Organization celebrates 35th year in the arts

Young Audiences of San Jose & Silicon Valley, a national arts-education program, is celebrating its 35th anniversary of educating children in the South Bay.

The organization's mission is to make arts an essential part of every child's education to help develop students' potential as creative and productive human beings.

Young Audiences of San Jose & Silicon Valley promotes collaboration and community involvement through its online educational resource, www.arts4learning.org. Through this website, teachers can access lesson plans, make connections and share ideas with other educators.

For more information about Young Audiences of San Jose & Silicon Valley, visit www.yasjsv.org or www.arts4learning.org.