Educating Children of Color Summit

The 11th annual Educating Children of Color Summit, themed “Our Future, Our Choice”, provides a unique opportunity for educators, juvenile justice, and child welfare professionals to enhance their ability to inspire the students they serve and to dismantle the cradle-to prison pipeline. It is also an opportunity for students to learn about themselves while they explore higher education. Finally, this summit offers parents a chance to learn to communicate with schools and their children in order to maximize their child’s success. Since 2008, the summit has awarded over $140,000 in scholarships and educational gifts, and given away over 140 laptops.

Featured speakers include:

• Two-time Judo Paralympic Medalist Dartanyon Crockett
• Associate professor, author, documentary filmmaker, and activist Karsonya Wise Whitehead
• 13-year-old youth empowerment advocate and activist for the elimination of the school-to-prison pipeline Jalen Kennedy
• Actress, entrepreneur, event planner, storyteller, teacher, and director Evelina Gaina

Juniors, Seniors and College Students apply for scholarships and attend the Summit for a chance to win $8,500 in scholarship money! Scholarships are as follows:

• Two males and two females will be selected who best represent the theme of the Summit “Our Future, Our Choice.” The top winner will receive $1,500, and the remaining three will win $1,000 each.
• The $1,000 Rebecca Myers Scholarship for Visual or Performing Arts will be awarded for excellence in the visual or performing arts.
• The $1,000 George Harris Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a candidate pursuing a career in construction.
• One student in attendance will win the $1,000 Strub-Heer “Fairness for All” scholarship.
• Two $500 Ann Delores Scott Memorial Scholarships will be awarded to single mothers.
• In addition, the summit will randomly award $500 educational gifts on the day of the event
• The Rachel Pedraza Dewey Grant for $1,000 is available to an educator who is seeking funding for professional development, or is seeking financial assistance to enhance the classroom experience of students. Rachel Dewey was a teacher, mentor, and visionary leader. Dewey had a passion and heart to teach and help. Her enthusiasm, in and out of the classroom, was an inspiration to hundreds of students, friends, and family here in the United States, in Africa, and in South Korea. This scholarship in her memory will be used to inspire teachers to reach their potential and to increase their love of teaching and learning.