By Taki S. Raton
Students in grades sixth through eight will have the head start opportunity to learn about college preparation, selection and entrance requirements at the Enter the College Zone conference Saturday, May 14 at the UW-Milwaukee Student Union beginning at 8 a.m.
Sponsored by the Black Child Development Institute (BCDI) Milwaukee affiliate, Enter the College Zone (ECZ) is committed to providing college information to middle school students and their families. A structured outcome of this gathering is to generate in African American and other middle school students the enthusiasm and vision to attend college and to inspire future planning in these early years.
Scheduled workshops will offer pertinent information on ACT and SAT preparation, navigating the financial aid package, the importance of academic performance levels and other topics relevant to college life and success. Parents will additionally be provided with information and guidelines designed to assist their children to achieve a promising post-secondary education readiness profile. A significant feature of the ECZ will be the Roundtable Luncheon scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
In small personalized roundtable gatherings, students and parents will have the unique opportunity to interact with professionals who will lend personal sharing of their college experience, their formative career aspirations and how they achieved their professional goals.
As in previous years, BCDI looks forward to the participation during this May 2011 lunch roundtable of role model professionals in the fields of Education, Health, Aviation, Business, Financing and Accounting, Information Technology, Hospitality, Culinary Science, Law Enforcement, Journalism and Communications, Engineering, Marketing, Clergy, Political Science, and Entertainment to mention a few. Students will be able to select the discussion reflective of their respective interest.
“Entering the College Zone is an opportunity for families to receive college preparation information that may not be available in their child’s schools,” says Tanganyika Weathers, Chairperson for ECZ.
She adds that students and their parents will “find out about what steps to take that will put them on a college- bound path and hear from high school and college students on what to expect when they reach those levels. The day promises to be highly interactive and families will walk away with information needed to create a successful path to college.”
Last year’s published BCDI 2010 Summary Report on Entering the College Zone cited that parents in attendance “very much enjoyed the workshops” and that they received information that was “new and helpful.”
African Americans wishing to volunteer as role models to share their professional background and experience are urged to contact Dr. Chrishirella Warthen at chrishirella@bcdi-milwaukee.org or by phone, (262) 243-4304. Students and parents may register for ECZ with Demond Stewart: demond@uwm.edu or by calling (414) 750-7365. Registration deadline is Wednesday, May 11.
The Black Child Development Institute-Milwaukee Affiliate is a member of the National Black Child Development Institute, Inc. Established in 1971, the purpose of NBCDI is to improve and protect the quality of life for African American children and their families by providing supportive services, workshops and resources.
Organizational program target areas include Early Care and Education, Health, Elementary and Secondary Education, Child Welfare, and Parenting.
