He's not heavy, he's my Brother

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'Stack Your Paper' scholarship focuses on dreams, not GPA or essay

WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore​

Mar 8, 2023
A group of Baltimore-area high school alumni is giving back through their new foundation. Jordan Carter said their organization, called SYP Foundation Inc., is determined to provide scholarships to less fortunate students. "SYP Foundation, it stands for 'Stack Your Paper.' We believe in using money as a tool to give back to the community, and be a resource to gain financial freedom," Carter said.

 

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‘Mini Nurse Academy’ gives young Philly students a glimpse into the nursing field

The General George Meade School in Philadelphia adopted a national program that gives students a glimpse at a future career in nursing.

whyy.org

March 8, 2023

 

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HBCU alumni help empower young entrepreneurs during the Shop Black Fest

NewsChannel 5​

Mar 19, 2023
HBCU alumni help empower young entrepreneurs during the Shop Black Fest HBCU Edition.

 

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Meet Alvin Irby, One of Pepsico's Black Changemakers Who's Using Barbershops To Encourage Black Boys To Read More​

13th March 2023

He's making reading fun for little Black boys!
Meet Alvin Irby, the award-winning educator, entrepreneur and author who's also the "Chief Reading Inspirer" at Barbershop Books. The Arkansas native is a former kindergarten teacher who aims to inspire Black boys to read for fun through his nonprofit.

Based in New York, NY, Irby founded Barbershop Books with a mission to "inspire Black boys and other vulnerable children to read for fun through child-centered, culturally responsive, and community-based programming and content," landing him on PepsiCo Foundation and Doritos SOLID BLACK's list of 16 community leaders for their 2023 Black Changemakers program, a program designed to highlight the positive impact people are making in their neighborhoods.

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"I envision a future in which every Black barbershop in America has a child-friendly reading space and barbers who promote and encourage reading for every child and family that enters their doors," he told us.

"Less than 2% of K-12 teachers are Black men and during the first few years of school when children learn to read, there are even fewer Black male teachers. Barbershop Books is addressing the lack of Black male reading role models in boys' schools and homes by supporting early literacy in Black barbershops."

He's currently partnering with Urban Libraries Council to support four library systems in creating child-friendly reading spaces in 40 barbershops across 4 US cities, including Cleveland Public Library, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Shreve Memorial Library, and Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

Today, he will be honored with the SXSW Community Service Award for his work expanding reading opportunities for underserved children. However, over the next 3 years, he plans to expand to more than 500 barbershop partners and provide early literacy training to over 1,500 barbers. "[We're] working to create a world where every Black boy stands bold in his brilliance and embraces reading and learning as a part of who he is. At its essence, Barbershop Books is a national movement to amplify, affirm, and celebrate stories and learning experiences that help Black boys and other vulnerable children thrive and realize their full potential," Irby said.

 

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Paine College gets major donation from estate of alum, touts fundraiser

WJBF​

Mar 15, 2023
Big news for Paine College. Alum of the school left a major donation before they died . Paine College received a $150,000 donation Wednesday from the Estate of Ellis and Ann Johnson that will go toward the school’s Growing Paine fundraising campaign

 

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A Letter From President Smith​

Langston University Clears Over $4.5 Million in Student Balances​

Langston University Office of Public Relations
March 22, 2023
Dear Langston University Community:
Throughout the pandemic, our institution has sought ways to lessen the burden and remove barriers to degree completion for our students. For example, Langston University previously applied HEERF institutional funding for the clearance of student balances for eligible individuals in August 2021. The communication was sent on August 6, 2021.
I am excited to announce that Langston University will again cancel student account balances for students enrolled throughout the Summer 2022, Fall 2022, and Spring 2023 semesters through the support of the HEERF Award. The amount of debt cleared through this initiative totals $4,587,485.82.
The HEERF award allows us to bring balances for students enrolled in a 'pandemic semester' to zero. This award will appear on student accounts as W204 - Higher Ed Emergency Relief Fund. This includes students not currently enrolled at the institution as well as those enrolled during Summer 2022 or Fall 2022 who will now be cleared of any hold preventing them from receiving an official transcript due to a balance. There is no expectation or requirement for enrollment in a future semester to receive the benefit of the cleared balance. The discharge of student debt and clearance of balances does not negate or replace owed balances already paid on student accounts. There will be no refunding or reversing of payments already made on balances owed to the University.
As a further means of removing obstacles for our students, the Office of the Registrar will consider late applications for graduation due to the timing of this award. If you are now eligible to apply for Spring 2023 or Summer 2023 Commencement as a result this HEERF award, your application for graduation must be completed with your advisor's signature and submitted to the Office of the Registrar by no later than 4:00 p.m. CDT on Friday, March 31, 2023.
Should former or returning students with a cleared balance decide to enroll, please contact the appropriate academic advisor using the information found at this link.
We are proud of the positive impact this initiative will have on our students, graduates, and their families for years to come. We appreciate your continued support of Langston University!
Sincerely,
Kent J. Smith, Jr., Ph.D.