| 2008 Middle States Regional Forum |
Despite the opening day’s torrential, freezing rain, a warm, connecting spirit of partnership prevailed at the 2008 Middle States Regional Forum, held Feb. 13-15 at the Sheraton
Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J.
At the awards luncheon on Feb. 14, Bob Costas 2008 Award Recipients Richard Lorenzo and Elisabeth Breau of St. Benedict’s Preparatory School detailed how their Newark Studies program uses current events and Newark history to connect 10th grade students with the disciplines of English and social studies. The final product of the course is a magazine written and published by the students entitled Newark InDepth. To demonstrate the value of connecting these disciplines, Lorenzo shared the story of a student who believed Rosa Parks was married to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Naturally, this student’s enlightenment came through an assignment to write and report on the two civil rights legends for the magazine.
The Annual Business Breakfast Meeting Feb. 15 set the stage for the 2007-2008 Greenhouse Grant presentations to Donald Davis, director of the Rising Stars program in Trenton, N.J., and Milagros Barrera and Daniel Rosa of the Albert Einstein International School of San Pedro Sula in Honduras.
Davis’ Rising Stars program serves Trenton’s low-income community, which also suffers from high dropout rates and low adult educational attainment. Acting as an advocate to connect middle and high school students with educational institutions, organizations and communities, Rising Stars seeks to promote an environment conducive to successful postsecondary education. The program, headquartered and operated from the James Kerney Campus of Mercer County Community College, includes test preparation, college tours and financial aid workshops. Rising Stars also makes sure students enjoy enrichment activities and
special events.
Barrera and Rosa will use their Greenhouse Grant to construct a science lab at Einstein International School, a private, bilingual college-preparatory school. By fully immersing the students in the study of science, they hope to soon add Advanced Placement™ Biology to their curriculum. The Counselor’s College Fair and Reception and a performance by the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts String Orchestra provided much-needed time to mingle and relax Thursday evening. |
Arlene Ackerman, Christian A. Johnson
Professor of Outstanding Educational Practice at Teachers College, Columbia University, offers keynote address.
Attendees at the Middle States
Regional Forum
Members of the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts String Orchestra perform at the Counselor’s College Fair.
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| New Jersey Teachers Win Bob Costas Grant |
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Bob Costas award winners Richard Lorenzo and Beth Breau of St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, N.J., with regional VP Bob Alig and VP Jim Montoya |
Beth Breau and Richard Lorenzo, teachers at St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, N.J., are the Middle States Region’s 2008 recipients of one of six College Board Bob Costas Grants for the Teaching of Writing. The grants recognize extraordinary teachers who use innovative methods to inspire their students to write.
Breau and Lorenzo teach a 10th-grade course called Newark Studies, in which students investigate topics important to their city, including AIDS, race relations, downtown development and Newark’s 1967 civil disorders. During each semester, students conduct interviews and perform extensive research on these issues for Newark InDepth, a student-written magazine. Newark InDepth requires students to work in a newsroom-style atmosphere which not only requires them to call sources and meet deadlines, but also makes them analyze and discuss actual issues that affect their lives and city. St. Benedict’s Prep is an all-boys school in the
city’s Central Ward with the mission of helping its predominantly minority students
prepare for college.
The College Board created the grants in 2006 to support teachers and to thank Bob Costas, the Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and author, for his generous public service work on behalf of the National Commission on Writing. Breau and Lorenzo will share the $3,000 grant. They were honored at the Middle States Regional Forum on Feb. 14 at the Sheraton Atlantic City Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J. Visit www.collegeboard.com/costasgrants for more information
about the grants.
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The 2008 "AP® Report to the Nation" included participation and performance data for each state within the context of its population and racial/ethnic demographics.
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