Xxodus schedule: Xxodus Cafe at The Providence Black Repertory Company, 276 Westminster St., has scheduled the following:

Today: Maroon Society, free, 18 and older, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow: Citizens Bank Latin Jazz & Salsa, Carlos De Leon, DJ Cesar, $7/$5, 18 and older, 8 p.m., salsa lessons, 9 p.m. show

Thursday: Afrosonic, DJ Blackdove, DJ Mikedelick, free, 18 and older, 9 p.m.

Friday: Eclection: Grand Tracks, DJ Brown Hornet & J Scratch,$10, 18 and older, 9 p.m.

Saturday: Eclection: Feel Free Fridays, DJ Brown Hornet & J Scratch, $7, 18 and older, 9 p.m.

Sunday: MLK Civil Rights Round Table, free, all ages, 4 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 15: Polyphonic open mic, $5, all ages, 8 p.m.

For information, visit www.blackrep.org.

Our Town essay contest: Trinity Repertory company in partnership with the City of Providence and the Providence public schools is sponsoring the Our Town, Your Town essay contest. Created to celebrate the theater’s upcoming production of Our Town — Thornton Wilder’s classic play about community — the contest asks middle and high school students to share their visions of their communities and neighbors. The essay contest is open to Providence students in grades 6 to 12. The deadline is Friday. Essays can be sent with the author’s name, grade and school to Contest c/o Trinity Rep, 201 Washington St., Providence, RI 02903, or by e-mail to eatkinson@trinityrep.com.

Essays should be approximately 500 words and can address any of these questions: What do you like best about your town? What is the biggest challenge facing your town? What makes your neighborhood different from others? Who is the hero of your town? What does your town need the most now? Is your neighborhood a good place to grow up?

One winning essay will be chosen for each grade. Winners will receive a family four-pack of tickets to Our Town at Trinity Rep, dinner with Mayor David N. Cicilline and Trinity Rep’s artistic director Curt Columbus, the opportunity to have their essay on display at City Hall and on the city’s Web site, and a $250 Collegeboundfund account.

Trinity Rep’s production of Our Town will run Jan. 26 to March 4. For information, call (401) 351-4242 or visit www.trinityrep.com.

Meeting on adoption: Adoption Options is holding a meeting for those exploring the possibility of adoption on Thursday, Jan. 18, from 6 to 7 p.m. in the United Way building, 229 Waterman St., second floor.

Licensed adoption workers with experience working with adoptive families, birth mothers and children will be available to provide information and answer questions about the adoption process, home studies and other concerns.

Adoption Options is a nonsectarian, nonprofit program of Jewish Family Service working with prospective adoptive parents, birth parents and people who have been adopted.

For information, call Peg Boyle at (401) 331-5437 or visit www.adoptionoptions.org.

Donation to Boys & Girls Clubs: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence will receive a $175,000 check from Sen. Jack Reed and Rep. James R. Langevin on Monday at 11 a.m. at 134 Thurbers Ave.

The money comes from a recent $85-million appropriation from Congress to Boys & Girls Clubs of America as part of a five-year effort to serve another million young people throughout the nation.

Reading Across Rhode Island: The Rhode Island Center for the Book at the Providence Public Library recently announced the 2007 Reading Across Rhode Island title — The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty, an East Providence native.

Residents are invited to join in the statewide reading of the book, which was reviewed in The Providence Journal last February and described as “a wonderful, full-bodied first novel that is both melancholy and masterly.”

This is the fifth year for Reading Across Rhode Island, the state’s one-book project, which runs from January to May. Teachers, librarians and book group leaders are invited to attend the kickoff literacy conference at Bryant University on Saturday, Jan. 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to learn about the activities and events planned for this year, including a videoconference and a statewide bike-a-thon.

McLarty will speak at the Jan. 20 conference and at a breakfast for May 5 at Rhodes on-the-Pawtuxet. The conference registration fee and May breakfast tickets are both $25.

There will be several workshops on books and publishing including those led by Roberta Mudge Humble, author of The Right To Crow, looking at Rhode Island’s bests, firsts and uniques; poet Audrey Friedman will discuss the ins and outs of publishing; and Warwick Public Library’s book group leaders Cynthia Trainer and Susan Dunn will share their list of fiction across the state, a list of books set in Rhode Island.

The project is sponsored by Fidelity Investments; Penguin Books; Reading with Robin, a radio talk show about books; Barnes & Noble; Newport Federal; Rhode Island Network for Educational Technology; and Bryant University.

Reading lists, book discussion guides, the author’s Web site, an audio interview and other material is at www.readingacrossri.org or call Louise Moulton at (401) 455-8134.

A Scottish celebration: Burns Night will be held Thursday, Jan. 25, at 6 p.m. at International House, 8 Stimson Ave.

The menu will include haggis, neeps n’ tatties, Scotch broth, smoked salmon and shortbread. There will be live Scottish pipe music, Scottish songs and poetry by Robert Burns.

The event is sponsored by Brown University graduate students John Cumbers and James Campbell, both natives of the United Kingdom.

Reservations are required by Jan. 23. The cost is $10 for students, $15 for International House members and $20 for nonmembers.

For information and reservations, call International House executive director Marilyn von Kriegenbergh at (401) 421-7181.

Financial literacy fair: Community partners of Building Strong Families will hold a free family financial literacy fair on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at the John Hope Settlement House, 7 Thomas Whitten Way.

Sponsored by the John Hope Settlement House, West Elmwood Housing and Development Corporation, Greater Elmwood Neighborhood Services, Rhode Island PBS and Making Connections Providence, the fair will offer financial education and resources.

The fair will include information about financial aid for post-secondary education (loans, scholarships, grants and matched savings 529 accounts), free income tax preparation at local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites, earned income and child-care tax credits, financial education workshops and individual counseling, credit counseling, affordable homeownership, establishing low- or no-cost bank accounts, free credit reports and debt counseling, access to public benefits and services for formerly incarcerated individuals and their families

A poster contest will be held for Providence children attending school in the West End, Elmwood and South Providence. Based on the theme of “How to Save a Million Dollars,” participants will have their posters displayed and judged during the fair.

Individual winners will receive a U.S. Savings Bond. Volunteers sought: The Rhode Island Historical Society is recruiting energetic, inquisitive lovers of history to be volunteer museum guides and educators at its John Brown House Museum in Providence. The society is also recruiting guides for its SummerWalks historical walking tour program, which presents tours of Benefit Street and College Hill.

Training for prospective guides and educators will be held at the museum, 52 Power St., from Jan. 17 to Feb. 21.

Classes will be held Wednesday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to noon and on Sunday, Jan. 28, and Sunday, Feb.11, from 2 to 4 p.m. Parking is available onsite.

Registration is required. For information, e-mail dsantos@rihs.org or call (4010 274-7507 ext. 60.