The White House

President and First Lady, Vice President and Dr. Biden, Cabinet Secretaries, Senior Administration Officials to Honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

WASHINGTON, DC – In celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and in honor of Dr. King’s life and legacy, the President and the First Lady, the Vice President and Dr. Biden, Cabinet Secretaries, and senior Administration officials will participate in memorial events and community service projects in the Washington, D.C. area, Atlanta, Georgia and elsewhere.

Led by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the King Center, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is an opportunity for all Americans to come together to help meet the needs of their communities and make an ongoing commitment to service throughout the year. This year’s Day of Service will include thousands of projects in all corners of the country.

“Martin Luther King, Jr. lived his life for others, dedicating his work to ensuring equal opportunity, freedom, and justice for all,” said President Obama. “I encourage every American to observe this holiday in honor of Dr. King’s selfless legacy by volunteering in their own communities and by dedicating time each day to bettering the lives of those around us.”

For more on the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service, please visit the Corporation for National and Community Service at www.mlkday.gov .

Please see below for a list of Cabinet Secretaries and Administration officials who will be participating in memorial and community service events in the Washington, D.C., area, Atlanta, Georgia and elsewhere. Any inquiries on the below events should be directed to the corresponding agency or office.

• The President and First Lady will participate in a service project in Washington, D.C. Further details are forthcoming.
• The Vice President and Dr. Biden will participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in Wilmington, DE. Further details are forthcoming.
• On January 13, Secretary Robert Gates attended the Department of Defense’s National Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observance Program in the Pentagon Auditorium in Arlington, Virginia.
• On January 15, Attorney General Eric Holder will deliver remarks at the Shiloh Baptist Church annual Martin Luther King Jr. prayer breakfast in Washington, D.C. On January 16, he will deliver remarks at the Ebenezer Baptist Church worship service in Atlanta, Georgia.
• On January 13, Secretary Ken Salazar, District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton visited the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial to view progress underway at the worksite. The memorial, which is currently under construction, is expected to be completed in 2011. Secretary Salazar was joined by Harry E. Johnson Sr., President of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation on the walking tour.
• On January 13, Secretary Tom Vilsack will attend a celebration in the Jefferson Auditorium located at the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. from 10 to 11 a.m. The ceremony will feature Reverend Leroy Gilbert of Mt. Gilead Baptist Church, located in Washington D.C., as the keynote speaker.
• On January 18, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will speak at the opening convocation of the Howard School of Divinity. Her remarks will focus on the Affordable Care Act as a victory for civil rights.
• On January 17, Secretary Arne Duncan will keynote at a breakfast with Reverend Al Sharpton and the National Action Network in the morning and will participate in a service project with City Year at Kramer Middle School, 1700 Q Street, SE, DC in the afternoon.
• On January 17, Secretary Ray LaHood and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes will join Department of Transportation employees and other volunteers for Martin Luther King Day of Service events at Ballou Senior High School. As part of President and First Lady’s continued call to engage in community service, Secretary LaHood, Director Barnes and students from Ballou Senior High School and George Washington University will paint murals, cover up graffiti, clean up around the school and assist in other projects that will enhance the learning environment for students.
• On January 18, Secretary Steven Chu will host a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration in the auditorium at the Department of Energy. Dr. Clayborne Carson, a professor at Stanford University who has devoted his life to the study of Dr. King and his teachings, will be the keynote speaker. Students from McKinley Technology High school will be in attendance.
• On January 17, Secretary Eric Shinseki will serve meals at So Others Might Eat (S.O.M.E.) in Washington, D.C.
• On January 17, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson will attend a breakfast with Reverend Al Sharpton, followed by a Kid Power Inc. Citizen Farm Community Service Event at Tubman Elementary School in Washington, D.C.
• On January 18, Ambassador Ron Kirk will deliver remarks at a Martin Luther King Jr. reception at the World Bank.
• On January 17, Office of Management and Budget Director Jack Lew will participate in a City Year New York service event at Intermediate School 292 and join over 1,700 volunteers taking part in City Year New York/AmeriCorps activities in Brooklyn and across New York City.
• On January 9, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin delivered the keynote address at the 29th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration at the Johns-Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.
• On January 17, Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams and Deputy Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet will prepare and serve dinners at Miriam’s Kitchen in Washington, D.C.
• On January 14, at 10am, the Peace Corps will host the Duke Ellington High School Show Choir to honor the memory and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• On January 14, GSA Administrator Martha Johnson will participate in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Building Rededication in Atlanta, Georgia. GSA Rep. John Lewis will keynote the event.
• On January 12, the CIA held a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration where Director Leon Panetta made an address. The event also featured poet and activist Nikki Giovanni and a performance by the US Air Force Band Brass Quintet.
• On January 17, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah will prepare, serve, and share in a community meal with over 60 guests who are experiencing homelessness and hunger with the Youth Service Opportunities Project at the Church of Epiphany, 1317 G St NW, Washington, DC.
• On January 17, Corporation for National and Community Service CEO Patrick Corvington will speak at the 18th Annual Hands On Atlanta Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Service Summit, an event which will include a service project to package up to 10,000 food boxes for hungry Georgians as well as learning sessions on important community issues.
• On January 14, CEO Corvington headlined a national conference call and roundtable with African American media hosted by White House Media Affairs. The Corporation for National and Community Service will also promote many MLK Day initiatives including Drum Majors for Service, the “MLK Day 25 Challenge: What are You Doing for Others in 2011” initiative, and MLK Day Ambassadors.
• On January 17, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) will perform a home maintenance project for a “Gold Star” family – those who have lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan. Director Gil Kerlikowkse and other ONDCP staff will do a variety of projects, including painting, light plumbing work and light carpentry, at the homes of several Maryland Gold Star families. ONDCP is also conducting a staff diaper drive and will deliver all contributions to a diaper bank to be distributed to needy families.
• On January 17, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes will join hundreds of George Washington University Students to participate in school beautification projects at five D.C. public schools. Barnes will deliver remarks on Dr. King’s legacy and the importance of service as a solution to our nation’s toughest challenges.

In St. Louis, Group Tries To Help Poor Students

A Retro Interview with Mr. Ernest Moore: An Engaged Parent

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Mrs. Kim Carrington, President of United Health Heroes is our newest blogger

Forest Of The Rain Productions the parent company of Parents and SLPS, DCPS, BCPS PGCPS, and The Journey Begins Internet radio for the engage parent and dedicated educator is proud to announce the addition of its newest guest blogger, Mrs. Kim Carrington, President of United Health Heroes.

Mrs. Carrington will share her personal health experiences along with tips and recipes for healthy eating and alternative ways to prepare some of our favorite foods. Mrs. Carrington’s healthy tips and recipes will appear weekly in our new segment “Healthy Living.” You can find her postings on our following sites:

• http://www.parentalengagementwithpgcps.blogspot.com/


• http://www.parentalengagementandslps.blogspot.com/


• http://www.parentalengagementwithbcps.blogspot.com/


• http://parentsanddcps2.grouply.com/


• http://www.forestoftherain.net/





Mrs. Carrington’s blog postings will appear weekly.

STUDENTS GEAR UP FOR ACADEMIC GAME SHOW COMPETITIONS

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - Prince George’s County high school students in grades 10 through 12 should MARK THEIR CALENDARS for what promises to be an experience of a lifetime – a chance to earn cash while demonstrating their knowledge before family, friends and the community in key academic areas.

A Scholastic Olympics takes place all day April 9 at Watkins Regional Park. Separate contests will be held in Spelling, Oratorical/Speech, Math and American History. Awards for each event include: 1st Place $300, plus a Gold medal; 2nd Place $200, plus a Silver medal; and, 3rd place $100, plus a bronze medal.

Event organizers, Emanuel Williams and Tamara Henry, are working in collaboration with Parks & Recreation M-NCPPC, and in cooperation with Aunt Berta’s Kids-in-need Educational Foundation, Inc., a 501 © 3 nonprofit organization.

A fun-filled event is assured as local colleges and universities are invited to watch students shine and discuss information about their institutions and local businesses will come with information about job prospects and internships. Families are urged to bring picnic items to spend the entire day and take advantage of the miniature golf course, Nature Center, Old Maryland Farm, and many other activities planned for the day.

Details about registration deadlines, times and locations for contest preparation workshops, businesses and schools offering networking opportunities are coming soon.

The Scholastic Olympics is the brainchild of Williams, a real estate agent who successfully spearheaded a community spelling bee in the Lanham, Maryland area for Coldwell Banker Residential four years ago. With his energy, business acumen, collaboration‐building skills and passion for learning, Williams plans to use this event to showcase students, their families and schools throughout Prince George’s County in positive ways. An ordained minister, Williams serves at First Baptist Church of Highland Park in Landover, Maryland.

Henry worked with Williams on the earlier spelling bee. A wordsmith by trade, Henry has enjoyed 20 plus years as a journalist and now is a college professor.

Emanuel Williams
301-509-4481
ewilliams@cbmove.com

Tamara Henry
301-801-2618
thenry@jmail.umd.edu

Parent Talk Discusses Universal Pre-K and the Parent Trigger

Parent Talk will explore two hot topics on the minds of parents and educators in America, the first Universal Pre-K and the Parent Trigger. Host Mike Robinson will talk with parent advocate Nakia T. Ngwala about her passion to establish Universal Pre-K in her local school districts and Ms. Gwen Samuel Founder and President of the State of Black CT Alliance and her views on the controversial new Parent Trigger law.

Our first guest is Nakia T. Ngwala a community and youth advocate and organizer will discuss her efforts to have Universal Pre-K/Preschool available to all parents regardless of their income.

Nakia Troi Ngwala's advocacy began more than a decade ago while she held various corporate positions throughout the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area.

In 2004, out of inspiration from the birth of her first son, Mrs. Ngwala became a full-time parent, full-time community advocate and organizer, and youth advocate and has been actively engaged in promoting unity, social justice and equality in her community of Springdale and in Prince George’s County, Maryland ever since.

In September 2008, when Mrs. Ngwala learned that her 4 year-old son was not eligible to participate in the public preschool program in Prince George’s County because of the county’s income requirements, she immediately became a Universal Pre-K/Preschool for All advocate. Since then, as a constituent in Prince George’s County, she has written letters, and has called and continues to call on elected officials to inform and encourage involvement from the county on the importance of early childhood education for all young children in Prince George’s County. In November 2008, she was a contributor in the Universal Pre-K Fact Finding Meeting with the Prince George’s County Public School’s Board of Education to examine national, state, and local data regarding Universal Pre-K and to determine if there was a need to establish a Prince George’s County Universal Pre-K Task Force.

Our second guest is Ms. Gwen Samuel Founder and President of the State of Black CT Alliance will share her views on the controversial new Parent Trigger law.

Ms. Samuel is a Parent, Founder and President of the State of Black CT Alliance, an organization which advocates for equity and access to high quality socioeconomic and educational opportunities for communities of color and vulnerable populations. Ms. Samuel is also the founder of the Meriden Kids Walk Safe Coalition (MKWS) – a Safe Routes to School Initiative.

A graduate of Springfield College, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services, Ms. Samuel works tirelessly to promote effective and sustainable practices that foster the academic and social development of our children while seeking to strengthen our families and communities. She firmly strives to ensure that “each and every child has access to the right of a high quality education and equitable access to opportunity, and that we must work effectively until neither race nor socio-economic status is a predictor of student success.”

In recognition of her work, in March of 2010, in a national Parenting Magazine contest, Ms. Samuel was one of 51 moms across the country that were selected to represent their state at the inaugural Mom Congress on Education and Learning Conference at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

In September of 2010, Ms. Samuel was selected to sit on an educational panel at the NBC Universal Education Nation Summit in New York.

She firmly believes that when parents, children and community know more and better they do more and they do better.

Show Date: January 9, 2011
Show Time: 8:00pm-9:00pm
Call In Number: 1 (914) 803-4591
Website: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/educationaljournal

Forest Of The Rain Productions is Proud to Announce "Your Money,Your Future" with Financial Tips and Strategies From Ms. Carmen Johnson

Forest Of The Rain Productions the parent company of Parents and SLPS, DCPS, BCPS PGCPS, and The Journey Begins Internet radio for the engage parent and dedicated educator is proud to announce the addition of its newest guest blogger, Ms. Carmen Johnson a Financial Educator. Ms. Johnson is the founder and CEO of the Katie Able Foundation.

Ms. Carmen Johnson will share her views and strategies for developing financial freedom to start living a life free of debt while building your future of wealth. Ms. Johnson’s financial tips and strategies will appear weekly in our new segment “Your Money, Your Future.” You can find her postings on our following sites:
• www.parentalengagementwithpgcps.blogspot.com
• www.parentalengagementandslps.blogspot.com
• www.parentalengagementwithbcps.blogspot.com
• http://parentsanddcps2.grouply.com/
• www.forestoftherain.net

Ms. Johnson blog postings will appear weekly and will eventually be broadcast on our Internet radio stations The Journey Begins Internet radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator and our all gospel Internet radio station Inspiration Internet radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator. Additionally you will be able to download Ms. Johnson’s segment at our podcast center “Parent Talk: A Resource for the Engaged Parent and Dedicated Educator” at http://parenttalk2015.podbean.com/


BIO

Over a decade ago Carmen R. Johnson, Founder & CEO of the Katie Able Foundation, wrote these famous words: "Do something to justify your existence. Together we can create the future.”

With these words in mind, Ms. Johnson decided to pursue her mission of empowerment through financial freedom by first creating her for-profit business Able Estate & Co., and now with the establishment of Katie Able Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to commemorate her grandmother, for whom the Foundation is named.

With her experience working in Corporate America and armed with her background in accounting, Ms. Johnson has a wealth of experience in credit counseling, debt elimination and debt relief, and thus has become an expert in debt negotiation and creating wealth. Through the Center for Financial Certifications, Ms. Johnson holds the distinction as a Certified Educator in Personal Finance, a Certified Consumer Debt Specialist and a Certified Residential Housing Counselor, as well as holding a Certificate of Achievement as a Business Finance Consultant With her experience and certifications, Ms. Johnson now teaches financial management and self-discipline through savings, budgeting and other vehicles for creating wealth.

Parent Talk Explores the Controversial Parent Trigger Law with Gwen Samuel, Founder and President of the State of Black CT Alliance.

Parent Talk discusses the controversial Parent Trigger law which was recently exercised by parents in Compton, California with the Founder and President of the State of Black CT Alliance, Ms. Gwen Samuel.


BIO

Ms. Samuel is a Parent, Founder and President of the State of Black CT Alliance, an organization which advocates for equity and access to high quality socioeconomic and educational opportunities for communities of color and vulnerable populations. Ms. Samuel is also the founder of the Meriden Kids Walk Safe Coalition (MKWS) – a Safe Routes to School Initiative.

A graduate of Springfield College, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services, Ms. Samuel works tirelessly to promote effective and sustainable practices that foster the academic and social development of our children while seeking to strengthen our families and communities. She firmly strives to ensure that “each and every child has access to the right of a high quality education and equitable access to opportunity, and that we must work effectively until neither race nor socio-economic status is a predictor of student success.”

In recognition of her work, in March of 2010, in a national Parenting Magazine contest, Ms. Samuel was one of 51 moms across the country that were selected to represent their state at the inaugural Mom Congress on Education and Learning Conference at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

In September of 2010, Ms. Samuel was selected to sit on an educational panel at the NBC Universal Education Nation Summit in New York.

She firmly believes that when parents, children and community know more and better they do more and they do better.

Show Date: January 9, 2011
Show Time: 8:30pm-9:00pm
Call In Number: 1 (914) 803-4591
Website: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/educationaljournal

The Parent Trigger Law: True Parent Power

Significant Accomplishments Of Eleven High School Students Who Attend PGCPS

Hello Engaged Parents and Dedicated Educators,

One of our network members wanted to share the following information. I hope a few officials from PGCPS will be on hand to support the students.

Exciting news about the significant accomplishments of ten high school students who attend Prince George’s County Public Schools. The Posse Foundation is a college access and youth leadership program that recruits, identifies and trains extraordinary leaders from urban schools and sends them in multicultural teams (posses) to some of the top colleges in the country. Each student that is awarded the Posse Scholarship wins a four year, full-tuition scholarship worth more than $140,000 from one of our partner colleges.

Since opening in 2004, Posse D.C. has awarded 312 scholarships representing more than $30 million from Bucknell University, Grinnell College, Lafayette College, Sewanee: The University of the South, the University of Wisconsin Madison, and Pepperdine University. This fall, we had over 1,600 high school seniors nominated for the prestigious Posse Scholarship. Sixty two students were awarded the Posse Scholarship this year. I am proud to share with you that Prince George’s County Public Schools were represented by the following Posse Scholar Recipients:
· Yorman A, Bladensburg High School Grinnell College
· Aaron B.., Oxon Hill High School, Sewanee: The University of the South
· Ashley B., Eleanor Roosevelt High School Lafayette College
· Daryl C., Central High School, Sewanee: The University of the South
· David D., Bowie High School, Sewanee: The University of the South
· Jonathan H., Henry A. Wise High School, University of Wisconsin-Madison
· Patrick H., Parkdale High School, Grinnell College
· Jerome M., McKinley Tech High School, Pepperdine University
· Obianuju O., Henry A. Wise High School, Sewanee: The University of the South
· James S., Bowie High School, Pepperdine University
· Johante W., Henry A. Wise High School, Pepperdine University

Please join us in congratulating these young leaders of tomorrow at our Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, January 5th at the Betts Theatre (800 21st Street, NW). Please RSVP to Posse D.C. at (202) 347-7071 or http://us.mc1101.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=mayn@possefoundation.org.

Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of these remarkable young people!