Posts published in “Education”

Black Students Shine At Greene Scholar Programs Science Fair In California

By goodblacknews on January 28, 2014

The Dr. Frank S. Greene Scholars Program dedicates its focus on preparing and challenging students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, also know as the STEM fields. Now in its 12th year, the Greene Scholar Programs (GSP) Science Fair, held this past weekend in San Jose, Calif., has been one of the most-dynamic events focusing on the excellence of African-American students in the Bay Area.
The San Jose Mercury News reported on the event, and spoke with several of the young participants, ranging from grades from third to 12th. One sixth-grader’s science presentation was rather impressive given his young age, and the 11-year-old raised a fine question with his experiment regarding the Tesla Motors electric car. “As a car guy, I wondered if this small change would alter the aerodynamics of the car,” said Ayinde Olukotun, who attends Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School in Palo Alto.
Olukotun’s experiment studied the effect of the electric car manufacturers’ decision to raise the body of the Model S version of the vehicle after some reported battery fires. Olukotun compared the energy efficiency of model cars of different shapes and sizes, although he notes Tesla did the right thing in addressing the issue while possibly raising another. He says he “might e-mail” Tesla concerning his finds.
Program Director Gloria Whitaker-Daniels, who began at Dr. Frank S. Greene Scholars Program as a parent volunteer in 2001, has been heading the GSP for the last five years. With the South Bay area’s lower number of African-American residents, Ms. Whitaker-Daniels boasts that 100 percent of its students enter college and that 90 percent of them graduate.
More than 40 percent of GSP participants major in STEM fields, which reportedly is five times the national average for Black students. Learn more about the excellent work of the Dr. Frank S. Greene Scholars Program here.
article by D.L. Chandler via newsone.com

ASU Expels Fraternity Over MLK Day ‘Black’ Party

By goodblacknews on January 25, 2014

bekmgygiiaaqjj9.jpg.crop.rtstoryvarmedium — (Photo posted on Twitter)

It’s officially over for Arizona State University and Tau Kappa Epsilon. The university formally cut all ties with the frat days after it hosted an MLK Day party that played up on racial stereotypes and sparked outrage among civil rights leaders, the Arizona Republic reports.

ASU released a statement on Thursday night saying that the frat has been notified that its recognition as a chapter at the school has been permanently revoked, according to the site. This means that the 65-year-old chapter will no longer be affiliated with the university, will no longer be listed on the university website and cannot recruit members or hold meetings on university property, the Republic notes. According to the newspaper, officials from the university are still examining the situation and deliberating how to handle the individual cases of student discipline.

Over the long holiday weekend, members of the organization thought that it would be fun to put on an MLK Day party, where the theme was to “dress black.” Photos from the event made their way onto various social media, showing attendees dressed in basketball jerseys, throwing up gang signs and holding “watermelon” cups.

Michelle Obama Gets Assist from Miami Heat Stars in "Let's Move" Promo, Dunks on LeBron James (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on January 21, 2014

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEJJFIM1m44&w=560&h=315]

Michelle Obama

The stars of the Miami Heat and head coach Erik Spoelstra joined Michelle Obama at the White House to help promote her “Let’s Move” campaign.

LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Ray Allen were on hand to film a short video, encouraging viewers to eat healthy. The group eats apples and drinks water throughout the promo, which is capped off with the first lady dunking a mini basketball into a hoop held by James.

article by Carrie Healey via thegrio.com

Herbie Hancock Named Harvard’s 2014 Norton Professor of Poetry

By goodblacknews on January 15, 2014

World-renowned jazz musician and composer Herbie Hancock has been named Harvard University’s 2014 Norton Professor of Poetry. Hancock will give six lectures this spring on topics that include “The Wisdom of Miles Davis,” “Breaking the Rules,” “Cultural Diplomacy and the Voice Of Freedom,” and “Innovation and New Technologies.”
“It is a great privilege to welcome Herbie Hancock as the Norton Professor,” said Homi Bhabha, Rothenberg Professor of the Humanities and Director of the Mahindra Humanities Center, which is hosting the lectures. “His unsurpassed contribution to the history of music has revolutionized our understanding of the ways in which the arts transform our civic consciousness and our spiritual aspirations. It would be no exaggeration to say that he has defined cultural innovation in each decade of the last half-century.”
Born on April 12, 1940, in Chicago, Hancock grew up in a family that wasn’t particularly musical, according to Biography.com. At the age of seven he began studying European classical music, which continues to influence both his playing and composing. At the same time, he was influenced by jazz pianists like George Shearing, Oscar Peterson, and Erroll Garner. As a young teenager, he was playing Mozart with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. As a member of the Miles Davis Quintet (which he joined in 1963), Hancock performed on dozens of albums and established a reputation as an outstanding composer who explored genres outside traditional jazz, ranging from fusion to R&B to hip-hop.
Hancock has also provided scores for a number of TV and film projects, including Bill Cosby’s Fat Albert cartoon series and an accompanying album, as well as for the movies Death Wish (1974), A Soldier’s Story (1984), and Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986). He won an Academy Award for the score to ‘Round Midnight (1986); his other honors include 14 Grammy Awards, including Album Of The Year for River: The Joni Letters.

Rapper Juicy J Awards $50K Scholarship To Biology Student Zaire Holmes (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on January 13, 2014

Juicy J
Last summer rapper Juicy J announced that he was giving away $50,000 in scholarship money. The initial Tweet stated, “I’m giving out a 50K scholarship to the best chick that can twerk” and it illicit a firestorm of response–and applications. After going through submissions Juicy has selected a winner, but insists that no twerking was required to win. “50K is a lot of money and I don’t want to waste it on some chick twerkin’ her ass,” he says. “Next time I send a Tweet out about a scholarship take it serious and read the words!”
The winner is 19-year-old Zaire Holmes, a mother and student at the State College of Florida who did read the rules and submitted a video explaining why she deserved the money. “I’m a biology major so the scholarship would be able to cover all of my lab expenses,” she said hopefully. “A lot of people thought you had to twerk, but you actually had to read the rules!”
Watch Juicy J present Holmes with the check:
http://youtu.be/9fc-vqqjZzs
article by Jerry L. Barrow via theurbandaily.com

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson to Lead Viewers on "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey"

By goodblacknews on January 13, 2014

NEW YORK — Bringing a long list of prepared questions to an interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson is a fool’s errand. That’s not to say a conversation with the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History isn’t illuminating — quite the opposite. It’s just that the gregarious astrophysicist can’t help but find science lurking in every corner, turning even the most banal transaction into a teaching moment. An offer of bottled water, for instance, unexpectedly turns into a lengthy digression about the difficulty of freezing distilled water and the origins of Gatorade.

Tyson’s zeal for knowledge is intoxicating and irresistible, even if it means less time for the ostensible topic of the conversation — his starring role in the documentary series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, premiering on Fox and National Geographic in March. “I see myself as a servant of the public appetite for the universe,” says Tyson, seated in his office overlooking the giant white sphere of the Hayden Planetarium.
Scattered among hundreds of astronomy books are, among other things, a vanity plate reading “COZMIC,” a life-sized bust of Sir Isaac Newton, a half-dozen or so globes, a quill pen collection, a can of Dole pineapples in “cosmic fun shapes” and a pink boa.
Tyson’s combination of humor, intelligence and accessibility have made him one of the most recognizable scientists in the country and put him atop many fantasy dinner-party guest lists. The author or editor of 10 books, he maintains an active social media presence (1.5 million Twitter followers) and produces a radio show and podcast, “StarTalk Radio.” He’s also become a late-night TV regular, through frequent visits to The Daily Show, The Colbert Report and Real Time With Bill Maher.
Now he’s moving into prime time with Cosmos, a follow-up to Carl Sagan’s groundbreaking 1980 PBS series, Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. In what may seem like an odd pairing, Seth MacFarlane serves as executive producer on the series. Tyson first met the Family Guy creator at a gathering of the Science and Entertainment Exchange in Los Angeles several years ago and later pitched him about getting involved in a Cosmos reboot.

Top 10 Scholarships For African-American Students With Deadlines In January 2014

By goodblacknews on January 6, 2014

The new year is here, and it’s time for students to get back to work. This year, more than $50 billion dollars will be given away in scholarships, and many of these programs have deadlines that are fast-approaching.
Scholarships are free monetary gifts that can be used to pay for college tuition, books, and boarding. Most scholarship programs require students to excel in academics, sports, or in an essay competition.
Here they are top 10 scholarships with upcoming deadlines in January 2014:
#1 – The Tom Joyner Foundation “Full Ride” Scholarship awards a full scholarship to one student to attend a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2013/12/tom-joyner-foundation-full-ride.html
#2 – The Burger King Scholars program is designed to help high-school seniors who are looking to start college next year. Annually, the program awards more than $1.4 million in scholarships to more than 1,000 students. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/03/burger-king-scholars-program.html
#3 – The Gates Millennium Scholars Program (also known as the Bill Gates Scholarship) awards scholarships each year to African American students who plan to enroll full-time in a two-year or four-year college or university program. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/08/the-gates-millennium-scholars-program.html
#4 – The Ron Brown Scholar Program provides scholarship awards to African-American high school seniors who are excelling in their academics, exhibiting exceptional leadership potential, and actively serving in community service activities. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/04/ron-brown-scholar-program.html
#5 – The Discover Card Tribute Award Scholarship Program is sponsored by Discover Financial Services. The program recognizes students in their junior year of high school who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in their communities. Learn more atwww.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/07/discover-card-tribute-award-scholarship.html
#6 – The National Black Law Student Association (NBLSA) provides four scholarships each year to African-American students currently in law school. Each applicant will be required to complete an essay on a topic that is related to the specific scholarship for which they are applying. Learn more atwww.scholarshipsonline.org/2013/02/nblsa-national-black-law-student-association-scholarships.html
#7 – Ronald McDonald House Charities Scholarships (RMHC) for African American Future Achievers are awarded to eligible high school students with high academic performance and community service as well as financial need. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/07/ronald-mcdonald-house-charities.html
#8 – The Talbots Scholarship Program awards one-time scholarships to women who want to go back to school to earn their undergraduate degree after graduating from high school or receiving their GED at least ten years ago. Applicants must demonstrate financial need. Learn more atwww.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/11/the-talbots-scholarship-program.html
#9 – The Ronald Reagan College Leaders Scholarship Program awards scholarships to college juniors and seniors who demonstrate leadership qualities in support of freedom, American values and constitutional principles. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/08/ronald-reagan-college-leaders.html
#10 – The NASA Aeronautics Scholarship Program is open to both undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a career in the field of aeronautics. It is a renewable scholarship for U.S. citizens and nationals. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/09/nasa-aeronautics-scholarship-program.html
To search hundreds of other 2014 scholarships, visit www.ScholarshipsOnline.org.
article via dallasweekly.com

At Detroit's Downtown Boxing Gym, Kids Find Athletic and Academic Success

By goodblacknews on January 5, 2014

Detroit Downtown Boxing

DETROIT, Mich. — On a cold December day in East Detroit, a dozen kids form a human assembly line stretching across the parking lot of the Downtown Boxing Gym. With strong arms, the kids grab and push boxes of food from the delivery truck. “The kids don’t go without a meal,” Coach Khali Sweeney told NBC News. “Forgotten Harvest, the local food bank, they’ll bring food here for ’em, so we have food for the kids to eat healthy.”
According to a 2010 report, more than half of the city’s households with children under 18 receive food assistance from the state. But that food is just one of the reasons the kids depend on this gym, which is the only building left standing on its city block.
To learn more about the Downtown Boxing Gym, please click here to visit their website.
It is surrounded by a handful of vacant lots and remnants of abandoned buildings, where the kids sometimes run laps at night. “It’s not, like, really safe for us to go out there and train,” 19-year-old boxer Anthony Flagg Jr. said. “But we do it anyway. They say boxing, you’re risking your life.”
For these kids, there are risks both in and out of the ring. Across train tracks, less than a mile away from the gym, there’s a scene of a different kind: a new Whole Foods grocery– a sign of new life for the struggling city. “I appreciate and applaud all the efforts goin’ into […] buildin’ the city,” Sweeney said. “But the residents themselves, they’re not gonna see that for a long time, and they’re still suffering. So places like this is a good place for kids to go. ”

Top 10 HBCUs by Starting Average Salary

By goodblacknews on January 3, 2014

Graduate Frederick Anderson stands in the pouring rain as President Barack Obama acknowledges him during his Morehouse College 129th Commencement ceremony address Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. After a difficult childhood Shelton graduating Phi Beta Kappa and is on his way to Harvard Law School. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

A college education is viewed one of the essential stepping stones to a fulfilling career – but its cost traditionally does not come cheap. In particular, the tuition of some of the nation’s many historically black colleges and universities range across the board but the rewards of a college degree often outweigh the costs. While tuition costs and school population sizes are strong determining factors when considering which school to attend, one website, HBCU Lifestyle, has listed which HBCU graduates would earn the most in salary after earning college degrees.

Here are the top 10 HBCU’s by starting average salary:

Rank	College Name	Average Salary	Tuition	Location
1	Prairie View A&M University	$49,300	$4,062	Prairie View, TX
2	Bowie State University	$46,400	$4,547	Bowie, MD
3	Hampton University	$46,300	$16,888	Hampton, VA
4	Tuskegee University	$44,700	$17,070	Tuskegee, AL
5	Morehouse College	$44,200	$21,616	Atlanta, GA
6	Xavier University of Louisiana	$42,300	$16,900	New Orleans, LA
7	University of Maryland Eastern Shore	$41,900	$4,362	Princess Anne, MD
8	Howard University	$41,700	$19,150	Washington, DC
9	Morgan State University	$41,500	$4,540	Baltimore, MD
10	Southern University and A&M College	$41,400	$5,074	Baton Rouge, LA