ANNUAL HBCU SHOWCASE GAINS NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Director Featured in Essence Magazine; 3rd Showcase of HBCU in Louisville
Education First Foundation, Inc. hosts the third annual Showcase of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in Louisville, KY on Friday, April 4th, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Kentucky International Convention Center.
Since reaching over 5,000 students and parents in the previous years, the programs recently gained national praise when founder and Executive Director, Andrea Houston was featured in the February issue of Essence magazine. The “She’s Got the Power” special ad section features African American women who are leading the way to positive change.
Alarmed by the small percentage of black high school students in Louisville who enter college, Houston founded The Showcase of HBCU to expose them to more opportunities.
The 2008 Showcase of HBCU consists of three student components: 1) The HBCU Champions Program, designed to prepare students for the college and career showcase and to introduce them to the Showcase University; 2) The College and Career Fair; and 3) The Step and Talent Exhibition, featuring the bands and Greek letter organizations of the Showcase University.
The Showcase University, Kentucky State University co-sponsors the entire event and is the featured school. The Showcase of HBCU also includes the Urban Jazz Exchange, a networking event that gives high school administrators and youth service providers the opportunity to meet with college administrators. The Urban Jazz Exchange will take place at 6:00 p.m. on April 3rd in downtown Louisville, at the Galt House hotel.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) are postsecondary academic institutions founded before 1964 whose educational mission has historically been the education of Black Americans. According to the U.S. Department of Education, HBCU matriculate masters degrees and first-professional degrees to about one in six African American students. In addition, 25% of all baccalaureate degrees earned by all African Americans nationwide are awarded by HBCU. HBCU make up 3% of the nation’s institutions of higher learning.
The Showcase of HBCU is an educational program designed to raise awareness of opportunities at HBCU. The Showcase of HBCU emphasizes education first by providing each student with an educational assignment. Each assignment requires the students to attend college preparation workshops on admissions, college life, financial aid, and more.
Additionally, students are required to attend career-planning sessions with professionals in various fields and careers, and to attend a minimum number of college and university booths. New this year, the Champions Program teaches students college fair etiquette and guides them in the best questions to ask representatives.
The Showcase’s mission is to assist in narrowing the educational and economic achievement gaps, through the empowerment of youth in America. All students are welcome.
See more on Andrea Houston in the February issue of Essence magazine.
To obtain more information about The Showcase of HBCU events in Kentucky, to request a Champions session for your school/organization, or to reserve tickets to the Urban Jazz Exchange, please visit www.showcasehbcu.com and e-mail your request to Victoria Hamilton at vhamilton@showcasehbcu.com or call 502-552-7647.
SOURCE: KDE press release
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