South metro school briefs: Security updates begin in May at West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan schools

Doug Woog was a South St. Paul hockey player from 1958 to 1962 who later went on to play for the University of Minnesota. But he was best known for his role as a hockey coach, first for high school and the Midwest Junior Hockey League and later for the University of Minnesota from 1985 to 1999. He was assistant coach of the 1984 U.S. Olympic ice hockey team.

Earlier this month, he was honored with the Cliff Thompson Award, given by the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association for outstanding, long-lasting contributions to the sport of hockey.

He is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame and was awarded the John MacInnes Award for his work in amateur hockey in the United States in 2008. He was a broadcaster for Gopher hockey games for FSN North through the 2009-2010 season.

Nicollet Junior High in Burnsville has been named an AVID National Demonstration School because of the school's success with the program. The designation was given after AVID officials conducted an on-site review at Nicollet. The school, along with 139 other schools nationally, now serves as a model for other schools looking to implement AVID.

At Nicollet, AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is both an elective course and an initiative supported by the whole building. The program was introduced to the school in 2010.

AVID is a program that helps students prepare for and succeed in college, especially those in the academic middle, from underrepresented groups, or first-generation college students. It also creates a college-bound culture and acts as a support system for students.

Valley Natural Foods, the Burnsville co-op, is sponsoring its fifth annual "Run for Hope" 5K race on May 2 to benefit the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan district's Foundation for Early Childhood Family Services.

Last year's event raised $15,000. Anyone can participate and there will be children's activities and stretching exercises led by a local yoga studio. There is also a team challenge.

Participants are encouraged to register by March 31 to get a T-shirt in their size. Go to www.runforhope5k.com to register or get more information.

Both Inver Hills Community College and Century College in White Bear Lake are recipients of a $110,000 grant from the Travelers Companies Inc. The grant, split equally between the two schools, will provide support for the colleges' Travelers EDGE Scholar Career Pipeline Program.

The EDGE (Empowering Dreams for Graduation and Employment) program partners with colleges and community-based programs to increase the number of students from underrepresented communities who complete bachelor's degrees and are prepared for a career at Travelers or within the financial services and insurance industries.

At a recent school board meeting, district staff and an architect presented updates on the voter-approved security upgrades at all district schools, which were included in the Nov. 2014 bond referendum. Improvements include video cameras, remodeled school entrances and more lockdown buttons.