Before beginning Day 1, please read this page to learn the answers to the following frequently asked questions about on-line learning:

• Why Do You Offer This Training On-Line?
• What Will I Learn from This Event?
• How Is This Web Site Organized?
• How Much Time Is Required Each Day?
• Can I Print These Materials?
• Where Can I Go for Help?

Why Do You Offer This Training On-Line?

Conducting training on-line has numerous benefits! On-line or distance learning allows professionals working in different locations within a district, throughout a state, or even across the country to come together around a topic of interest and form a community of practitioners.

Specifically, on-line learning offers these advantages:

• It saves time and money for participants who would otherwise have to travel to a training.

• It provides access to information for participants who live and work in places where resources may be unavailable or difficult to locate.

• It increases participants' familiarity and comfort with technology.

• It provides flexibility, allowing participants to access information at the time and pace most convenient for them.

• It gives participants an opportunity to engage thoughtfully in a topic of interest by allowing them time to reflect before responding.

• It provides materials that participants can print for future reference or share with colleagues and community members.

What Will I Learn from This Event?

Youth Gangs: Going Beyond the Myths to Address a Critical Problem is a five-part workshop designed to be completed over five days. This workshop takes a tiered approach to learning, presenting multiple levels of information, actual examples of the application of this information, and extensive additional resources. It is divided into the following sections:

How Is This Web Site Organized?

This site is composed of the following sections:

How Much Time Is Required Each Day?

Week 1: We expect that it will take you approximately one hour per day to review materials, complete activities, and contribute to the event discussion. We ask that you visit the Discussion Area at least once each day to share your ideas and experiences, as well as to review and respond to the messages posted by your fellow participants and National Center staff. If possible, it is beneficial to visit the Discussion Area more than once each day; participants in previous on-line workshops have found that more frequent visits allowed them to better monitor and contribute to the on-line discussion.

You will have a more accurate sense of how much time you will need to set aside for this event after you complete the first session. Please make sure to allow enough time each day to complete all event tasks; your full participation is the key to the success of this training.

Week 2: During the second week of this event, we encourage you to continue your exploration of event materials as well as your on-line discussion with fellow event participants. National Center staff will periodically monitor your discussion during this week, and any critical questions left unanswered by your peers will be forwarded to gang experts at two points: on Tuesday and Thursday. You will receive a response to those questions as soon as National Center staff hear back from the experts.

Can I Print These Materials?

All event materials can be printed for future reference. However, we strongly suggest that you review the materials on-line before you print them, so that you can see how the various sections fit together and participate more readily in the on-line discussion among event participants and National Center staff.

There are two ways to print event materials. The easiest way is to look for this box at the end of each day's materials and follow the instructions:

Click here to print today's materials in PDF format.

While the PDF files include all of the main text and supporting materials for each day of the event, the formatting will be a bit off. If you prefer to maintain the formatting that you see on-line, please try the second printing method (described below).

You can also print the event materials directly from your Internet browser. To print a specific page, go to that page, place your cursor on File (at the top of the page), go to Print, and then press OK. Everything on the screen in front of you will print. Please note that, if you select this option, you will need to choose the "Landscape" orientation under Page Setup in order to fit all the text on the page. To print only the text (minus the title and navigation bars at the top and side of the screen), place your cursor on the page you want to print, right-click your mouse, select Print, and choose OK.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to print the entire site with a single click of the mouse.

Where Can I Go for Help?

If you have technical questions or problems, you can submit an on-line request for assistance in the Event Support section. You may also find answers to your questions in the following tip sheets located in the Resources & Links section: Navigating This Site, Participating in On-Line Events, and Using the Discussion Area.