The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-08-21

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hotel maids, business voman
practical nurses patronise on y.
tetics class. while persons ~.
cry occupation and enviroumSf -
eager to study radio telesrasl,
This last occupation nov -,
very we'll. Here il letter, Il Is
care to see 1t, from Z yo1pe ~
who came to rs, ragged ana -
kempt having been Six no.sss
without . job. He was rather r..
olous and unable to concentt,ie :,
first, but We kept telling hin -
easily he could get along 4
would only try. and at last liz ~
seized his fancy. This letter ~.
that he is now making S3Se
month. but that's not the ~
cheerful thing in 1t. You 80. Il ~
says that he Is going on studyi,s
which means that he is reachins n
for the next rung OF the ladder
Miss Griffith paused, her Bin.
eyes, which exactly matched u
sapphire necklace she wore. "a.
ing dreamily out Of the window =
the class room. Il suppose soue
people would say We were visionary
or sentimental" she continued \
length, but it's really only q mai.
ter Of common sense. The cornsr
stone of this school is encouraee.
ment. It is making people belieys
In themselves, in their ability to Do
things, and in emphasizing .thdk
good points. Some boys come Il
US from other schools and from thsl
Juvenile court with villainous rec.
ords, and the first thing We do il to
tell them to tear the reports Nd,
Then we apply the subtle art Of
flAttery, and watch It work-mir.
acles.
Teachers Go to the Jebs.
1.-THE same thing applies to adulta
II q graduate of .one of our courses
fails to make good on q Job. N
send q teacher down to help him
out. Often there is nothing the
matter with the man except lack q
confidence. The work is new, tAs
surroundings are strange. and be
suddenly becomes panicky ald
makes mistakes. The presencs II
the teacher restores his courasa
and after that he usually gets along
all right.
I'VE are always sending teachers
out with shaky. young stenograph-,
ers, too, on the first day that thy
attempt to storm the busineh
world"
An informal employment Office
is run in connection with the 0p-
portunity School, with a very Close
foll0w-up system. In the front hall
on the first floor there is bulletin
board, upon which employers with
Jobs to offer tack notices, describ-
, ing the nature Of the work and ~
qualifications. II the Job appeals
! to any one of the pupils. he takes
the memorandum from the wall and
goes after the job. II he fails. hs q
honor bound to bring the notice
back.
The business men Of Denver an
| interested in the school, and usual
ly anxious to cooperate in every
| way. They are pledged, for IN
stance, to be tactful in refusing thu
services of prospective employs
to couch their dismissals in encour-
aging terms, and to compliment thu
! job-seeker on his good points while
explaining his ineligibility. When
a pupil returns without landing ,
Job, the school at once gets init
communication with the employee
to ascertain why. II the fault u on
which it can remedy. it does 30 I'M
mediately.
One OF the largest classes In III
school is the citizenship class
which is also one Of the most pic
turesque. Here Greek boys iron
candy kitchens and shoe shininl
stands mingle with Austrian miner
and Italian fruit vendors. Jevlsl
junk dealers sit beside neat-lookinl
Japanese, while Filipinos and Mex
leans attempt to converse in thel
newly acquired English with Croa
tians, Swedes, Poles and Hungal
ians. Many of the men are accom-
panied by their wives, the ltaiMl
and Polish women wearing orll
liantly colored shawls so popular y
the old countries. but the Chimes
and Japanese arrayed wholly u
American garb. Over 1000 per
sons have been prepared for natu'
alization in this class.
| The Denver Opportunity Scnoo
was opened by Carlos M. Cole, CT!
Superintendent of public schools, ,
September, 1916, and Emily Gii.
fifth was appointed principal IL
a part of the Denver public scnoo
system. During the first year inc!
expected a probable enrollmen! :
200 pupils, whereas $500 came. In
second year the number increase'
by another thousand, and II We
necessary to increase the teacnin'
force from 5 to AZ. Last year tnst
were $500 pupils studying unoe
$50 teachers, while this year an &C
greater attendance is expectea. IN
deed, il the same rate OF incIeA.
keeps up, Denver will soon na.e
open another Opportunity Scnool'