2010 Urban Education Symposium

Save the Date!

The 2010 Urban Education Symposium will be held Saturday, February 6, at the Jacksonville Main Library.

Committee Co-Chairs:

Dr. Barbara Darby Florida State College at Jacksonville

Cleve Warren Essential Capital Finance, Inc.

• Special Session (invitation only): 8–9 a.m.
• Registration and Continental Breakfast: 8:30–9 a.m.
• Program (lunch provided): 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

Register online now, or contact Dane Ruser at 904.766.6553 by Monday, Feb. 1, 2010. For more Information, call 904.766.6553.

2009 Urban Education Symposium

Thank you for your strong and positive response to the “call to action” extended to the Jacksonville Community on Jan. 24, 2009 at the Jacksonville Public Library. The Urban Education Symposium Reclaiming Young Black Males for Jacksonville’s Future was a tremendous success because you were there!

Your commitment of time provided a wealth of ideas that will no doubt provide the foundation for a community action plan — an action plan focused on what we must do differently as a community to foster high levels of academic, social, cultural and moral achievement and success for young black males.

2009 Recommendations

Short Term

1. Engagement of faith-based community with programs for parents and youth
2. Asset mapping of available community resources and disseminating information to targeted families
3. Provide forums for our youth to talk with each other and to the community
4. Assess the resources available to schools and identify any existing gaps among the schools

Mid Term

1. Facilitate programs to support and educate parents
2. Provide more professional development for teachers regarding culturally relevant curriculum, diversity, experiential learning, activity-based instruction, etc.
3. Expand after-school, weekend and summer programs for youth with discipline specific focus such as math, science, engineering, etc.
4. Develop “Early Warning Systems” at the most effective grade levels for successful intervention
5. Recruit a cadre of adult mentors and volunteers to be a part of a “ministry of presence” in the schools

Long Term

1. Implent single gender classes/schools
2. Recruit more African-American male teachers

Ongoing

1. Advocacy for adequate funding of schools and policy changes

Contact us for additional information.