In the News…

Florida State University Summer Music Camps

April 1, 2012

We know that selecting a summer camp is a big decision. Finding just the right combination of location, activities and price and be daunting. Our staff is here to help make your camp experience as easy as possible – from the time you select one of our 14 camps to the very last day of the camp session. We also understand that for some of you this will be the first time that you, your son or your daughter will be away from home for an extended period of time, so we hope that you will explore all of our web pages to find information about Counselors, Housing Options, Recreation, Safety, Health Care & more. Certainly feel free to call us if you have any additional questions.

Registering For Camp / Wait Lists

CAMP REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Once you have selected a camp to attend, you can either register online or by mail. Visit our Registration page for further information.

The following instruments are closed and we have a begun wait list. Please call us at 850-644-9934 if you would like to be placed on the wait list:

Jazz Ensemble Camp: Middle School – Alto-Saxophone
Jazz Ensemble Camp: Middle School – Trumpet
Jazz Ensemble Camp: Middle School – Tenor-Saxophone
Jazz Ensemble Camp: Senior High – Alto-Saxophone
Jazz Ensemble Camp: Senior High – Trumpet
Jazz Ensemble Camp: Senior High – Guitar
String Orchestra Camp – Cello
Senior High Band Camp – Alto-Saxophone
Senior High Band Camp – Trombone

Washington Media Scholars Foundation Scholarships

March 29, 2012

Media Scholars Program

The Media Scholars Program provides undergraduates with valuable learning, career and scholarship opportunities.

The program begins with the Media Plan Case Competition, requiring students to create strategic media plans for a hypothetical public policy issue in a special election.

Finalists earn an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC for Media Scholars Week, where they are introduced to dozens of nationally recognized media industry leaders. On the final full day, each finalist team presents their strategic plans to a panel of judges.

At week’s end, professionals gather to recognize the finalists and celebrate the winners at a Networking Reception held at the Newseum.

Media Fellows Program

College can be expensive. We want talented individuals to focus on their career – not their debt.

With the Media Fellows Program, the Washington Media Scholars Foundation recognizes enthusiastic and qualified students by awarding a total of $25,000 in scholarships each academic year.

These grants support the academic development of undergraduates dedicated to pursuing a career related to the public policy advertising industry.

Wake Forest Minority MBA Scholarships

March 5, 2012

Full-time MBA Scholarships

Scholarship Deadline: All Full-time MBA candidates who submit a complete application before the scholarship deadline will automatically be considered for scholarship awards. No separate application is required for scholarship consideration. The Dingledine Scholar for Positive Social Impact award requires a separate essay which is stated in the Application Instructions.

Bern Beatty Scholars Program

Consideration for this full-tuition scholarship program is given to applicants with promise for contributing to society, including MBA classmates, through ethical application of capitalistic ideas. Candidates are evaluated on life experiences and achievement. Recipients will be given priority for summer internships with EchoStar Communications (Dish Network) when internships are available. All applicants are encouraged to apply by the scholarship deadline for consideration. No separate application is required.

Dean’s Scholars Program

These full-tuition plus stipend scholarships plus international summer study trip are awarded to candidates who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in academic and professional endeavors; have GMAT scores of 650 or higher and at least three years of significant work experience. All applicants are encouraged to apply by the scholarship deadline for consideration. No separate application is required.

Dingledine Scholar for Positive Social Impact

This award was made possible by a donation from Tom Dingledine (MBA ’78). The purpose of this full-tuition, two year scholarship award is to recognize an incoming Full-time MBA student with a minimum of two years of post-graduate work experience in a not-for-profit organization or agency. Consideration will also be given to those who have demonstrated a commitment to the community through volunteer work or social outreach. We believe the recipient of the Dingledine Scholar for Positive Social Impact award will be able to significantly enrich the program through their participation. Candidates are encouraged to complete the FAFSA, as first priority for awarding the scholarship is given to those who demonstrate financial need. All applicants are encouraged to apply by the scholarship deadline for consideration. A separate essay, included via the online application, is required.

Forte Foundation Scholars Program

Wake Forest University is a member of the Forte Foundation (www.fortefoundation.org), a consortium of major companies, top business schools and influential nonprofit organizations created to promote and inspire women leaders. Applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to women and girls via mentorship or community involvement are strong candidates for these awards. All applicants are encouraged to apply by the scholarship deadline for consideration. No separate application is required.

Wachovia Scholars Program

This program, made possible by a gift from Wachovia Corp., provides scholarships and career assistance to MBA students for the purpose of creating a more diverse student body. The program offers scholarships to under-represented full-time students and includes a full-tuition waiver, stipend and international summer study trip. Students who have an interest in finance are particularly good candidates for this award program. All applicants are encouraged to apply by the scholarship deadline for consideration. No separate application is required.

Latin American Scholars Program

This program includes a full-tuition scholarship and sponsorship to the annual National Society for Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) Conference. International students from Latin America who have at least three years of full-time, post-graduate work experience are eligible. Preference will be given to those candidates with experience in a multi-national corporation and who have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills. All applicants are encouraged to apply by the scholarship deadline for consideration. No separate application is required.

Merit-Based Scholarships

The Office of Graduate Business Admissions awards a range of scholarships to select, qualified candidates. All applicants are encouraged to apply by the scholarship deadline for consideration. No separate application is required.

MA in Management: Scholarships

Details of the awarding process:

The Wake Forest University Schools of Business award scholarships to applicants each year, as funds are available.
Merit-based scholarships are offered on a competitive basis.
There is no separate application; all applications received by the scholarship deadline are automatically considered for scholarship awards. (Exception: To be considered for the Corporate Fellowship, candidates must submit an additional essay question which is noted in the online application.)
Candidates are encouraged to apply by the scholarship deadline for consideration for scholarship(s).
Candidates who apply after the scholarship deadline will be considered as funds are available.
Applicants who are awarded a scholarship will be notified at the time of the admissions decision.
Awards will be made only once.
Admittance does not guarantee a scholarship award.

Eligibility requirement reminder: There are very specific eligibility requirements for the MA in Management program. Please verify your program eligibility before applying. If you have questions about your candidacy, consider an admissions consultation with one of our admissions counselors.

Scholarship Deadline: All MA candidates who submit a complete application before the scholarship deadline will automatically be considered for scholarship awards.

Scholarship types:There are four types of scholarships offered by the Office of Graduate Business Admissions, including Corporate Fellowships, Deacon Scholar awards, Choctaw Scholar awards and merit-based scholarship awards. To be considered, please review all information on the awarding process.

Corporate Fellowships

The Schools of Business is strongly committed to building a diverse student body. To further this goal, we have developed Corporate Fellowships for our MA in Management program in an effort to reward high-achieving students from underrepresented groups. Fellows receive full tuition plus a $10,000 stipend to help cover living expenses. They will also receive personal mentoring from a high-level executive at a major corporation. Past and present Corporate Fellowship sponsors have included: American Express, ExxonMobil, Flow Companies, Frito-Lay, Hanesbrands, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, PepsiCo, Reynolds American, VF Corporation, Wells Fargo and Walmart.

Corporate Fellowships are limited to U.S. citizens. Decisions regarding the Corporate Fellowship award will be made by the Admissions Committee on a rolling basis. Corporate Fellowships are highly competitive.

Download the MA Corporate Fellowship brochure

Candidates interested in being considered for the Corporate Fellowship award for Summer 2012 enrollment are required to:

Complete the online admissions application for the MA in Management program and submit all supplemental application components by the scholarship deadline.
Submit the Corporate Fellowship essay (via the online application) by the scholarship deadline. The essay should be completed in 500 words or less. The Corporate Fellowship essay for 2012 is “Wake Forest and one of its Corporate Partners should invest in me because….”

Deacon Scholars Program

This full-tuition scholarship program is for candidates who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement and displayed campus leadership and involvement. Applicants must meet one set of the following crieteria to be considered and are encouraged to apply by the scholarship deadline. No separate application is required.

Overall GPA minimum of 3.25 AND GMAT minimum of 650 or GRE minimum of 316
Overall GPA minimum of 3.50 AND GMAT minimum of 630 or GRE minimum of 314

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma – Choctaw Scholars Program

The Wake Forest University Schools of Business and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Scholarship Advisement Program (CNO SAP) have partnered to provide scholarship opportunities specifically for members of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. If you are interested and/or eligible, contact Lance Bennett for more information.

Merit-Based Scholarships

Winston-Salem Evening MBA Scholarships

The Wake Forest University Schools of Business award scholarships to applicants each year, as funds are available.

Forte Foundation Scholars Program

Wake Forest University is a member of the Forte Foundation (www.fortefoundation.org), a consortium of major companies, top business schools and influential nonprofit organizations created to promote and inspire women leaders.Applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to women and girls via mentorship or community involvement are strong candidates for these awards. No separate application is required.

Endowed Scholarships

The Office of Graduate Business Admissions considers all applicants for merit-based and need-based scholarship awards. No separate application is required. Here is a list of endowed scholarships for the Winston-Salem Evening MBA program:

Bobby Robinson Scholarship – human relations, accounting or communications interest
Gay Nell Hutchens Scholarship – female head of household
Glenn Tucker Scholarship – travel and tourism interest
James Carlisle Scholarship – need-based
James Johnston Scholarship – merit-based
Joel Weston Scholarship – employee from non-profit sector
Ken Thompson Scholarship – underrepresented minority
Lisbeth Evans Scholarship – female or underrepresented minority with an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University.
WFU Alumni Scholarship – underrepresented minority

Do You Know Your Gifts?

March 4, 2012

Do you know your gifts?

I had the opportunity to share the stage with Dalton Sherman, an extraordinary young man. Many know him from the YouTube video of his speech to over 20,000 Dallas Independent School District teachers and support staff, “Do You Believe in Me?” Dalton and I spoke at the Closing the Achievement Gap: Cutting the Pipeline to Prison Conference held recently in Columbia, South Carolina. Dalton spoke from the heart when he posed the question of parents and teachers, “Do you believe in me?” He also posed the question of students, “Do you believe in yourself?”

These two simple questions, “Do you believe in me?” and “Do you believe in yourself?” challenges parents, teachers, and students to engage in much needed self-reflection. When parents and teachers communicate their belief in their children and students they invariably are looking for students’ gifts and talents, potential and possibilities. A common theme in student achievement research is the importance of parent and teacher expectations and their belief in student potential and student achievement.

An important component of a college’s admission decision is what students will bring to a college’s school community—leadership, athletic abilities, creative gifts in the arts, or gifts and talents across a broad range of intellectual and creative areas. Long before sitting down to put together their college applications, students must ask themselves the following five questions:

What are my passions?
What are my gifts, talents, or interests?
What are the opportunities within my school and community to pursue my passions or develop my talents?
What are the before-school, after-school, or summer program opportunities to pursue my passions or develop my talents?
What level of commitment am I willing to make to pursuing my passions and developing my talents?

Encouraging children to develop their gifts and providing opportunities for them to be exposed to personal development and enrichment programs will greatly expand their postsecondary opportunities and enrich their lives.

STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

March 4, 2012

Although STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related careers are considered to represent the most important employment and highest paying job/career opportunities of the future, the recent report by the Fordham Institute, “The State of State Science Standards,” reports that most states are not preparing students for these type of jobs or careers.

24 states received a grade of ‘D’ or ‘F’: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Only six states received a grade of ‘A’ or ‘A-‘: California, District of Columbia, Indiana, Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Unfortunately, this lack of preparation in school districts is reflected in student ACT performance. Following is student performance data on the 2011 ACT in the areas of math and science as it relates to the percentage of students from each demographic group considered to be “college ready”:

71 percent of Asian students were considered college ready in math and 46 percent were considered college ready in science
54 percent of White students were considered college ready in math and 37 percent were considered college ready in science
30 percent of Hispanic students were considered college ready in math and 15 percent were considered college ready in science
14 percent of Black students were considered college ready in math and 6 percent were considered college ready in science

2 Million Minutes

The documentary, “2 Million Minutes” provides an important, if not ominous look into how STEM education in the U.S. is losing ground to such countries as China and India—countries where U.S. companies are actively recruiting to fill STEM-related jobs. The movie examines how students allocate their 2 million minutes of time over the course of four years of high school. While U.S. students allocate their time across a wide range of extracurricular activities, video game playing, and social interests, their Indian and Chinese counterparts are allocating their 2 million minutes to a much deeper range of scholarly and intellectual pursuits. In those countries, extracurricular activities and social time are not totally absent, they merely represent less of a priority.

Interestingly, the U.S. students profiled in the movie trailer are students in the top 5 percent of their class attending the nation’s best high schools. Panelists in the movie trailer provide some insightful comments into not only where our children place their priorities, but where parents place their priorities. High school basketball and football games have overflowing crowds, while chess competitions, science fairs, and academic celebrations are sparsely attended by parents, ineffectively promoted by schools, and little thought of by students.

The lesson for parents, students, and communities is clear, “Change your priorities and change student outcomes!”

Choosing the Right Summer Programs

March 4, 2012

The college-planning workshop, “Choosing the Right Summer Programs” hosted by the Turner Chapel AME Church Education Ministry is taken from the book, “A High School Plan for Students with College-Bound Dreams”:

“Your experiences, such as where you have traveled, the type of communities where you have lived, the organizations with which you have been involved with, and the programs or camps in which you have participated contribute to your intangibles (p. 101). The summer months between 8^th grade and your senior year of high school should not be squandered. Take advantage of the many opportunities to explore your talents, interests, and abilities. Some of the many opportunities that you may explore, experience, or become involved in are:

Traveling
Working in a meaningful job related to an area of interest or through an internship
Participating in a summer learning opportunity in an academic, artistic, or community service
Participating in pre-college summer camps/programs
Participating in a AAU, USATF, or club sport
Participating in summer practice for a high school sport such as football, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, etc.
Volunteering as a counselor, life guard, coach, or art instructor at a parks and recreation, Boys & Girls Club, or community program
Taking some of your non-academic classes or electives in summer school to open your schedule for more honors or advanced classes during the regular school year

There are many summer enrichment, internship, and college program opportunities. The first two stops are your high school counselor’s office and the web. Research programs related to your areas of interest and utilize the opportunity to increase your academic or athletic skills. Try to concentrate first and foremost on those areas that related directly to your college interests, whether in your major field or study or in sports that you intend to pursue on the college level (pp 163-164).”

The workshop also expanded parents’ and students’ understanding of the importance of taking advantage of summer program and enrichment opportunities to enhance students’ résumés and expand students’ gifts. To begin identifying summer program opportunities, do an Internet search of your area of interest, e.g., music summer programs, sports camps, pre-college programs.

Click onto the follow images for links to some of the many summer program opportunities shared in the workshop.

Increasing Black Male College Access and Success

March 4, 2012

The illustration above is from the National Black Male College Achievement Study by Penn University Professor Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D., “Black Male Student Success in Higher Education.” The study provides a different research perspective as to the plight of Black males in gaining access to, and succeeding in, higher education. As opposed to a deficit-based perspective seeking to identify all of the challenges to Black male educational attainment, Dr. Harper examines the support mechanisms and assets of Black males who have successfully navigated P-16 education into advanced degrees and a broad range of careers.

Dr. Robert M. Franklin, President of Morehouse College, is quoted as noting the importance of the 5Ms, “Messaging, Mentoring, Monitoring, Ministering, and Money,” as representing important areas of strategic thinking for policymakers:

What are the messages being sent to Black males as they navigate their P – 16 journey through higher education?
What type of mentoring are they in need of as they progress through early adolescence, puberty, and into manhood?
What monitoring mechanisms are needed to monitor their academic achievement, social development, intellectual and creative development?
What type of ministering to their sense of social, community, spiritual, and humanitarian consciousness is needed?
And finally, what type of financial support, i.e., money, will they need to gain access to, and support themselves, through college degree attainment?

Dr. Harper provides important insight into how reframing deficit-oriented questions such as:

Why do so few Black male students enroll in college?
What are Black male students’ grade point averages often the lowest among both sexes and all racial/ethnic groups on many campuses?

to:

How were aspirations for postsecondary education cultivated among Black male students who are currently enrolled in college?
What resources are most effective in helping Black male achievers earn GPAs above 3.0 in a variety or majors, including STEM fields?

I was particularly pleased to note that the Pre-College Socialization and Readiness questions reflected in Dr. Harper’s Anti-Deficit Achievement Framework are being addressed through our work at the foundation and through our partnership with the Turner Chapel AME Church Education Ministry. As a result of Dr. Harper’s research, we now have plans to incorporate additional questions pertaining to college achievement and post-college success into our College Panel Discussions. Parents and students should incorporate such questions into their college research and evaluation efforts:

What transition support does the college offer for incoming freshmen who may not have had adequate preparation in their secondary schools?
Are class sizes, student-faculty ratios, and campus culture best suited to student needs?
What opportunities are provided for students to foster relationships with instructors?
What opportunities are provided for students to engage in research and internships?
What support and encouragement is provided to stimulate and nurture students’ degrees beyond the baccalaureate?

While raising such questions is important for all students considering their many postsecondary opportunities, there is a critically important question that parents of Black males, and students themselves must consider, “How will the institution treat me while I am there and how will the institution prepare me for the type of racism I am likely to encounter as I pursue graduate or professional degrees and enter the post-college workplace?” Answering this question was important in guiding the college choice of our older son, who ultimately chose Amherst College, and in part, guided our younger son in narrowing the list of colleges to which he has applied:

Important findings for parents, educators, and policymakers to take into consideration are:

When asked, “Did you always know you were going to college?” the overwhelming majority of students responded, ‘Yes—it was never a question of if, but where.’ From boyhood through high school, parents and other family members reinforced to the achievers that college was the most viable pathway to social uplift and success. Interestingly, nearly half the participants came from homes where neither parent had attained a bachelor’s degree. Although they had little or no firsthand experience with higher education, these parents cultivated within their children a belief that college was the only allowable next step after high school.

When asked what differentiated their own paths from those of their peers who were not enrolled in college, the participants almost unanimously cited parenting practices. Their friends’ parents, the achievers believed, did not consistently maintain high expectations and were not as involved in their sons’ schooling. By contrast, most of the achievers’ parents and family members more aggressively sought out educational resources to ensure their success—tutoring and academic support programs, college preparatory initiatives, and summer academies and camps, to name a few.

Some of the key recommendations from the study are:

Importance of consistently high parent expectations
Equipping Families with College Knowledge
Culturally sensitizing teachers, counselors, and postsecondary faculty to the practices and processes that are harmful to student achievement and aspirations
Importance of college preparatory experiences
Removal of financial barriers
Importance of summer bridge programs
Assuming institutional responsibility for Black males student engagement

Much of what is echoed through the reflections of the young men in the study as well as the key recommendations are reflected through our work with students and families:

Closing the college-knowledge gap
Assisting parents and students in identifying summer and pre-college programs
Developing writing and communication skills
Engaging in college research
Identifying sources of financial aid
Identifying the best college choice
Preparing quality application packages to be considered for admissions into highly-selective colleges and universities
Providing academic tutorial support
Developing a sense of social and community consciousness

Perhaps most importantly, reinforcing the message, “It is not if you are going to college, only where are you going to college!” We are eagerly anticipating Dr. Harper’s forthcoming book, “Exceeding Expectations: How Black male Students Succeed in College.”

Many of the factors articulated as having contributed to the success of the Black men interviewed in Dr. Harper’s research are reflected in research findings from Ivory Toldson, Ph.D., in, “Academic Success for School-age Black Males” and in The Journal of Negro Education issue, “Academic Success for School-age Black Males”:

Importance of parents and family as an important contributor to Black male achievement
Importance of educational institutions in involving parents in school readiness and collaborating with parents to ensure nurturing and supportive actualizing school-based experiences for Black youth
Benefits of an authoritative parenting style on Black male behavior and academic achievement
Impact of after-school programs, tutoring, social skills training/group counseling, recreational, and cultural activities on strengthening Black male academic achievement
Types of classroom environment and learning experiences cultivated by classroom teachers
Impact of race-related experiences on Black male achievement
Importance

Another important recommendation is:

“Religiously affiliated institutions should provide tutoring, mentoring, preparatory workshops for college entrance tests, scholarship for the talented but underprivileged, assistance with college applications, youth summer jobs/programs, assistance to poor families, and spirual services and assistance to Black male inmates and to former inmates who have transitioned back to the community.”

There is clearly a role that faith-based and community organizations must accept if we are to increase the numbers of academically successful Black males.

Click here to for the research study…

Click here to download Superintendent’s Conference Presentation…

Marva Collins Video…

Morehouse College Video…

Howard University Bus Trip

March 1, 2012

The Howard University Alumni Association is sponsoring its 21st annual Spring Break Bus Trip to the Howard University campus. The trip is open to high school juniors and seniors. Go to the following links if you are interested:
Howard University Alumni Association

Form 1: Howard University Release Form

Form 2: Medical Release Form

General Info & Itinerary

The cost of the trip is $220 and all payments are due in full by MARCH 16, 2012. For further information contact hubustrip@yahoo.com.

Morehouse College Summer Programs

February 29, 2012

Morehouse College offers a broad range of summer programs:

Coca-Cola Pre-College Leadership Program
“Creating the Beloved Community: An Orientation to Ethical Leadership”
Pre-Freshman Bridge Summer Science Program
Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program
NNSA-DoE Sponsored Pre-freshman
Summer Enrichment Program in Physics Majors and/or Engineering
2012 Thomas J. Blocker Pre-Freshman & 2012 J.K. Haynes Summer Science Program for High School Students
2012 Pre-Freshman Summer Program (PSP)
HHMI-Undergraduate Science Education Program
Clayton County Schools Summer Program
Youth Entrepreneurship Summer (YES) Camp
Project Identity Summer Program for Youth
D.R.E.A.M.S. Discovery Research Education for African-American men in STEM

Click here for more details…