Atlanta Daily World

Congressman David Scott Recognizes Student Artists

By Special to the Daily World
Recently, Congressman David Scott (GA-13) announced more than $25,000 in scholarships for the top winners of his 10th annual Congressional High School Art Competition.

Scott honored these outstanding young people and their families during a special ceremony Saturday, March 17,  at the Arts Clayton Gallery in Jonesboro.

This year's top winners include: 1st Place – "One Half Can Equal Whole" by Emmanuel Rivas, Campbell High School; 2nd Place – "Captain of My Soul" by Montavious Whiters, Mundy's Mill High School; 3rd Place – "Speak Loud" by Morgan Dallas, Strong Rock Christian Academy; 4th Place – "Self Portrait" by Akayla Hill, Pebblebrook High School, and 5th Place – "Divine Intervention" by Torian Harris, Clayton County Fine Arts Magnet High School.

In 10 years of hosting the competition, Scott has awarded more than $320,000 in scholarships to local students.

This year the  top five winners will receive the following awards: First place:$10,000 Art Institute of Atlanta scholarship; $3,000 from Savannah College of Art and Design; one-year Young Patron Membership to the High Museum of Art ($200 value); artwork will hang in the U.S. Capitol for one year; and roundtrip airfare by Southwest Airlines to attend ribbon-cutting ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Second Place: $5,000 Art Institute of Atlanta scholarship and artwork will hang in Congressman David Scott's Washington office for one year.

Third Place: $2,500 Art Institute of Atlanta scholarship and artwork will hang in Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.

Fourth Place: $1,000 Arts Clayton scholarship and artwork will hang in Scott's Jonesboro office for one year.

Fifth place: A week of free art classes at the Art Institute of Atlanta and artwork will hang in Congressman Scott's Smyrna ffice for one year.

Students interested in participating in next year's competition should contact Audra Bleecker at 770-210-5073.

New Summer Camp On Culinary Arts Starts In June At Emory

By Special to the Daily World
Children in metro Atlanta soon will have a unique and exciting new option for summer camp with the launch of Chef Tech Academy (www.cheftechacademy.com).  The camp, focusing on the culinary arts, will run in association with the Emory University Summer Camp Programs and is offered through the Office of Emory Conferences.   Beginning June 4, Chef Tech Academy will offer four weekly sessions for children in the following age groups:  5-10, 11-14, and 15-17.  Campers may attend one, two, three or all four sessions.

Located on the beautiful campus of Emory University, Chef Tech Academy will provide a fun and stimulating environment for summer learning.  All children will be working with a ServSafe [National Restaurant Association] certified chef for a thorough and professional introduction to the culinary arts. Each day campers will prepare dishes ranging from salad preparation to entrees and desserts. They will learn important information about food safety, kitchen skills and food science.

Campers will take trips to local culinary arts schools, working farms such as Serenbe, and food distribution sites like the DeKalb and Georgia Farmers Markets. They will experience sustainable farming, community gardens and organic farming trends.  The program will also feature a curriculum that incorporates math, science, and technology, identifying the importance of these core learning skills and their direct relationship to food and nutrition as well as practical applications in the kitchen.

All Chef Tech campers will be involved in a daily physical activity to promote a healthy understanding of physical and nutritional health. The program will have access to the Emory University Student Activity and Academic Center (www.saac.emory.edu)   Students will also enjoy the resources of the George W. Woodruff Physical Education Center and acres of green space for outdoor activities.

Enrollment is limited to 100 students per week and the price per camper starts at $325 per week until March 31. There is a $100 discount for students who enroll for all four weeks Chef Tech Academy is dedicated to providing the chef training program to students who might be in need of scholarship funds. This will be done by providing matching scholarship grants through outreach efforts to connect with nonprofit agencies and churches that focus on the wellness of children and that implement an on-going program for youth.  For the 2012 camp year, 10 scholarships will made available to children from the nonprofit organization CHRIS Kids, while another 10 will go to students at the Ben Franklin Academy in Atlanta.

"For a multitude of reasons, this is the most exciting venture I've ever been involved with in my career," said Sidney Corum, founder and CEO of Chef Tech Academy.  "My goal is to spark the children's understanding of how much of a role the critical elements:  math, science, technology and communication skills play in their development as chefs and leaders in our communities."

Corum has more than three decades of experience in the food and service industry.  Visit www.ChefTechAcademy.com for additional information about the daily schedule, principal chefs, registration details and sample recipes.

Spelman Hosts 8th Leadership & Women Of Color Conference

By Special to the Daily World
Spelman College will sponsor the Eighth Annual Leadership and Women of Color Conference May 16-17. The conference will assemble notable  leaders to discuss and define what it means for women to "lead with purpose." Leadership requires tremendous responsibility, accountability and at times, immense sacrifice – especially for women. Those who lead with purpose integrate their personal and professional priorities to provide a strong base for their leadership.

The conference will provide practical solutions on how to lead with purpose in a manner that is effective, sustainable and rewarding. Conference attendees and key experts will explore how to build a strong foundation of leadership, the value of innovation, renewal and change in leadership; and the importance of mentoring future leaders.

Convened by Jane E. Smith, Ed.D., executive director of the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement at Spelman College, the conference features experts who will offer proven methods to effectively align values and goals in one's professional and personal life, including:  Henna Inam, CEO, Transformational Leadership Inc;  Deborah Owens, CEO, Owens Media Group LLC;   Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan, C'2000, Ga. State House, District 39;  and Legacy of Leadership Award Honorees .

There also will be conversations with Spelman College President Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D.; Katherine Giscombe, vice president, Diverse Women & Inclusion Research, Catalyst;   conference coach Kym A. Harris, Ed.D., CEO and president, Your SweetSpot  Coaching and Consulting Company; and  conference Fitness Expert Andrea Riggs, national fitness expert and TV personality/trainer.

The conference will be Wednesday, May 16, 3-8 p.m. at the Georgia  International Convention Center, and Thursday, May 17, 7:45 a.m.-5 p.m. at Spelman College.  For more details and to register, visit www.spelmanwomenofcolorconf.com .

Atty. General Talks ‘Prison Pipeline’ Prevention At 100 Black Men Summit

By Kenya King (www.atlantadailyworld.com)
Getting suspended for a minor misbehavior in high school means you might end up in jail as an adult. U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder disclosed this startling statistic at the 100 Black Men of Atlanta's Leadership Summit held in Lithonia on Saturday, Feb. 25.

"We've observed that suspension is too often the first step on the path toward incarceration," said Holder. "And we've learned that suspensions and expulsions during critical years can impact a student's chances of later success."

Holder said research conduted by the Department of Justice concluded  that punishments youth experience while in school correlate this trend. Overwhelmingly impacted by these indicators are African American, Hispanic and other minority youth, according to Holder.

Less than 50 percent of Black males graduate from high school while more than 60 percent of White male students successfully graduate, he noted. Overall the state of Georgia's graduation rates lag behind national standards by 30 percent, based on a 2012 Schott Foundation study.

Holder spoke optimistically that change in public polices could help to lessen the chance for these outcomes. He admonished the continuation of students being "deprived of educational opportunities as a form of punishment" and advocated keeping youth in school as a "necessity."

"I know that keeping students engaged and on the right path is about more than just graduation rates, said Holder. "It's also about helping our children build an attitude that is geared for success.  But it's also about disrupting what's become known as the "school-to-prison pipeline," which – in too many places throughout this nation – transforms our schools from doorways to opportunity into gateways to the correctional system."

Holder applauded the 100 Black Men of Atlanta, who are distinguished for their long history of mentoring youth, as well as for their work with B.E.S.T Academy for Boys in Atlanta and Project Success program. The organization's Robotics team, whose students have won numerous awards across the state, has become one of their most coveted initiatives.

"Without question the U.S. has a shortage of the talent that will be required to build a new America – disciplines in engineering and science are always at the forefront of creating and building of those things that become the core of what our societies are about," said John Grant, CEO of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta.

"When you think about when President John F. Kennedy talked about going to the moon, there was nothing. Nothing existed. So our nation and institutions of higher education began to train our new group of individuals who would create and develop innovative technology. Those things are also found in some of the tools we enjoy today, whether it's cell phones, PDAs, etc.; they were always involved in training young people at that time. We have to do that again and that's what we are doing," said Grant.

Grant said that the 100 Black Men of Atlanta started their Robotics program six years ago because they understood that many students drop out of school because they are not challenged. He said the organization aims to encourage youth to get excited about engineering, science and math. "I see their excitement every day," said Grant.