Kids’ University Gives Campers a Taste of College
Annual Program Encourages Children from Shelters to Stay Healthy, Dream Big
Jul. 14, 2011
"I'm living my purpose," guest speaker Raul Magdaleno told the campers during the graduation ceremony.
With chants of “I don’t quit, I don’t quit,” the voices of more than 150 children brought this summer’s Kids’ University to a close.
The annual four-day camp is designed to give children from local homeless shelters the chance to experience a college environment. In addition to math and science, classes emphasized healthy lifestyles. Campers prepared organic and natural foods, made art and learned discipline in karate and balance in yoga. The camp also stressed the importance of drug-free living.
“We are continuing to meet the needs of this group of children that face a challenging environment, we are continuing to meet the needs of the community – that’s why we do this,” said Dr. George Fair, dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies. Fair oversaw the upstart of the camp 16 years ago and continues to be UT Dallas’ primary Kids’ University liaison.
The camp ends each year with a graduation ceremony. This year’s speaker, Raul Magdaleno, assistant director of community outreach at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts, delivered a message about enduring. Magdaleno’s story of growing up in poverty surrounded by abuse and violence triggered the chanting of “I don’t quit.”
“You may not be able to change where you’ve been, but you can change where you’re going,” Magdaleno said.
Kids’ University runs on the volunteer efforts of Rainbow Days, a nonprofit group whose mission is to provide children living in high-risk situations with the skills and support they need to overcome adversity and stay drug free.
“Our relationship with UT Dallas and Dr. Fair over the past 16 years continues to get better and better,” said Kelly Wierzbinski, Director of Family Connection at Rainbow Days. “When we first started with only 40 to 50 children I never imagined it would expand into two weeks of camps to support the ever-growing population of homeless in Dallas. Dr. Fair makes everything so easy at UT Dallas and does everything he can to make it successful. I consider Dr. Fair not only a wonderful educator with a big heart making a difference in this world but also someone I look up to. In a lot of ways he is a hero to me and to the children we serve. Dr. Fair’s heart-felt invitation to every camper to come back to UT Dallas as a student carries momentum and inspiration for a brighter future.”
About 1,600 children have participated since the camps began in 1995.
Over the years, Kids’ University has changed as circumstances have warranted. In summer 2006, a second session was added for the youngest victims of Hurricane Katrina. More recently, Kids’ University expanded to two sessions to meet the needs of children affected by the national economic downturn.
For more information, go to the Rainbow Days website.
'Hookup Scene' Lecture to Kick Off Gender Series
Sept. 9, 2009
An examination of "Gender and the College Hookup Scene" will get this year's Gender Studies Lecture Series off to a start.
The Carolyn Lipshy Galerstein Women's Center presents the lectures, which are organized by Dr. Karen Prager in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies.
Co-sponsored by the Gender Studies program, the series invites speakers from around the country to address gender issues.
"Our focus for the series this year is on gender and sexuality," said Lauren DeCillis, Director of the Women's Center. "The lectures are free to students, faculty, staff and community members."
The School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences is also a sponsor.
First up in the series is Dr. Paula England from Stanford University, who will provide a detailed description and analysis of today's college "hookup" culture.
"It seems that the sexual revolution didn't produce much of a gender revolution in the bedroom," said England. "Among the parents of today's college students, it became common to have sex with their boyfriends or girlfriends."
According to England, today's hookup culture has taken this one step further - some sexual contact often precedes any interest in a relationship. "Some parts of this scene remain surprisingly governed by old-fashioned gender ideas," said England, "like the double standard, in which sexually active women are 'sluts' while active guys are 'players.'"
Dr. England, a professor of sociology and an affiliate of the Clayman Institute for Gender Research, is a former editor of the American Sociological Review. Her research focuses on gender inequality in labor markets and the effect of gender and class systems on family life. She is the author of Comparable Worth (1992) and has co-authored Households, Employment and Gender (1986) with George Farkas.
The second lecturer in the series is Dr. Ron Smyth from the University of Toronto, who will discuss the diversity of both straight and gay/lesbian speakers' phonetic output and how "verbal gaydar" skills are lacking among both male and female speakers.
Dr. Smyth is associate professor in the Department of Humanities (Linguistics) and the Department of Life Sciences (Psychology). He is also an adjunct professor in speech-language pathology. His research interests and expertise include psycholinguistics, sociophonetics and graduate supervision/funding.
Would-be Teachers Woo Employers at Annual Expo
March 30, 2009
Approximately 180 current and former Teacher Development Center students, UT Dallas students and interested persons from the surrounding community met March 11 in the Student Union hallway outside the Galaxy Rooms, and they were on a mission.
They were out to meet the recruiters from 41 Texas public and private schools and make a favorable first impression that would lead to a job.
Meanwhile, the recruiters were on the other side of the doors hurriedly making last-minute preparations to their booths. When the clock struck 1, the would-be teachers flooded the hall to speak with school representatives.
Everett Brunson, headmaster at Longview ISD’s Longview Global High School, made his first trip to the UT Dallas Teacher Expo because he needed to hire four science and three math teachers for his STEM academy. Longview ISD has previously participated in the job fair; the district also sought teachers for English and social studies.
“When you want quality math and science teachers, you come to UT Dallas,” said Brunson.
About 100 student teachers finish preparations each semester through the University’s Teacher Development Center, meaning that they’ve completed student teaching requirements and have earned their degrees. Most are undergraduates.
“As I walked around the room, I was so proud of our students,” said Scherry Johnson, director of the Teacher Development Center. “They were well prepared to ask and answer the right questions – and they looked and acted very professionally. I am confident that most, if not all of the 180-plus attendees, will find good teaching jobs. That is no small accomplishment for any college graduate in this economy.”
Sponsored by the UT Dallas Career Center, the Teacher Expo is held each March and attracts spring as well as fall graduates.
“The job outlook remains strong for teachers at the K-12 level,” said Karen Baynham, Career Center career programs coordinator. “Even when there have been reports of districts laying off people, some continue to hire.”
The University has held a career fair for teachers for more than 20 years. Priority is given to UT Dallas students, but other interested applicants are also welcome.
Reminiscences, Diversity Awards Honor MLK’s Legacy
Interdisciplinary Studies Dean George Fair Lauded for Dedication to University
Jan. 16, 2009
On what would have been his 80th birthday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was honored Thursday in speech and in spirit during the University’s seventh annual breakfast and diversity award ceremony held in his honor.
A keynote speech by Xernona Clayton, founder of the Trumpet Awards Foundation, an organization that annually recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of top African Americans, kicked off the morning.
In a moving and often humorous talk, Clayton offered reflections about the fallen civil rights leader — whom she knew — and encouraged the students in attendance to work hard and focus on their goals.
“Dr. Martin Luther King wanted us all to enjoy the fruits that were granted to us,” Clayton reflected. “I encourage you to go to school and to prepare for something, but don’t ever pass up an opportunity. Dr. King was a man with a mission who took the time to occupy his life, to save the world of its ills, and to make it a better place for all.”
New this year, the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement gave its first Faculty Diversity Award, which was accompanied by a $2,500 stipend.
Dr. George Fair, recipient of the award and dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, was praised for his leadership within the school and at the University, as well as for his values and dedication to community service throughout the North Texas region.
Fair has served as dean since 1994. In 1999, he initiated the University’s widely praised Academic Bridge Program (ABP). The ABP seeks to attract, support and retain students with high class rankings but who may not have completed the full university-track curriculum or met all the University’s rigorous entrance requirements.
The ABP advocates smaller classes for its members, with 20 or fewer students per instructor. It also provides tutoring and supplemental instruction, campus orientation activities, extracurricular activities and field trips. Students enrolled in the program receive academic and social support throughout their tenure at UT Dallas.
In addition to his duties as dean, Fair conducts research about homeless youth. In fact, in the Dallas area alone, he has helped raised more than $4 million over the last 10 years to assist with the education of children and youth from local homeless families.
Along those lines, Fair coordinates an annual Kids University program at UT Dallas in partnership with Rainbow Days Inc. Held each summer, the weeklong program provides children the opportunity to learn about the importance of a college education.
In accepting the award, Fair offered congratulations and praise to those in the audience and beyond.
“This is not just an award for me — it goes to the entire University — and I thank my staff and students for their dedication to the cause of diversity,” Fair said.
During the breakfast, the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement also gave two Corporate Diversity awards. Texas Instruments was recognized for the company’s creation of the Diversity Graduate Fellowship, and Ericsson was praised for its contributions to the Academic Bridge Program and the School of Management via the Ericsson Academic Scholarship.
The Office of Diversity and Community Engagement devotes itself to embracing, enhancing and celebrating diversity at all levels of the University and the community through the efforts of faculty, staff, students, the executive leadership and community partnerships.
The theme for this year’s celebration was “He Had a Dream.” The Office of Diversity and Community Engagement, the Multicultural Center and a host of student organizations sponsored Clayton’s talk.
King’s birthday was Jan. 15. The MLK holiday for staff and students will be observed Jan. 19, the same day as the federal holiday.
Program Helps Little Ones Get a Jump on Education
School of Interdisciplinary Studies Partners with National Preschool Organization
Sept. 5, 2008
The School of Interdisciplinary Studies is helping to rewrite the story on child literacy problems by working with a national organization to shore up skills among Dallas-area preschool kids.
The school has become an affiliate of the national nonprofit organization Jumpstart. Since its inception at Yale University in 1993, Jumpstart has been pairing at-risk preschool children with adult volunteers in intensive, year-long relationships to build the literacy, social and emotional skills children need to thrive.
UT Dallas and eight other prestigious universities across the country are partnering with Jumpstart for the first time this school year. The expansion will allow Jumpstart to serve nearly 15,000 preschool children around the country.
“It was extremely important to us to bring the Jumpstart program to the Dallas area,” said George Fair, dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies. “This is a new tool for UT Dallas to serve the community in a very measurable and impactful way.”
The program’s Read for the Record initiative also hosts book drives for partner daycare centers. According to Jumpstart, more than 80 percent of preschool and after-school programs serving children from low-income families have no age-appropriate books for their children.
The organization’s research also indicates that although only one book is available per 300 children in low-income areas, the statistic is much higher for more affluent neighborhoods: An average of 13 book titles is available to each child in middle-income neighborhoods. Jumpstart asserts that the number of books in a child’s home is the only measure that significantly impacts a child’s reading scores.
The program delivers a research-based, best practice curriculum to preschoolers in nearly 70 communities in 20 states across America. During the eight-month Jumpstart school year, program members serve 10-12 hours each week through a mix of assistance during regular daycare hours and structured supplemental classroom sessions.
“The time commitment on the part of the college students is an investment in each child’s future,” said Bellatin. “The ripple effect for each child and their family is huge.”
The preschool children aren’t the only ones who benefit from the program. Jumpstart imbues college students with the value of community service.
“Seeing the children’s excitement at being able to read when they start kindergarten was incredible,” said UT Dallas Jumpstart team leader Olivia Myles, who previously volunteered with the Jumpstart program at San Francisco State University.
“My desire to be involved in the Dallas community and to help children be prepared for kindergarten prompted me to sign up for the new program here,” said Myles. “Knowing the program works makes me feel very satisfied about giving my time to the organization.”
The other new universities to the program are Boston College, Rutgers University, Catholic University, Emory University, North Park University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Seattle University and Whittier College.
Jumpstart is a volunteer program; however, UT Dallas participants who complete the service term may be eligible for work/study assistance, course credit or an AmeriCorps education award of up to $1,000 to use towards tuition, loans or books.
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