You're Invited to YOUniversity by City at Peace!!

Will you make it? Will you pass the test? Will you bring your best?

"I want to go to college but I don't know where to begin."

"I want nothing to do with college; I'm going to be a superstar!"

"I want to explore college, but no one is willing to talk to me about how to get there."

"My family insists I go to college, but I'm not sure if it's what I want to do."

"I'm asking for help, but no one seems to care what I do after high school."

"I don't even know if college is right for me."

  

YOUniversity is a ground breaking musical about the journey and struggles of getting to college from the perspective and stories of 35+ teens from the DC Metro area. The Summer Street Theater teen cast from City at Peace have written a powerful tale based on their real lives.

This year's City at Peace Street Theater production, YOUniversity, is designed to bring the conflicts and creative solutions of young people to a wider metropolitan and student audience, using performing arts as a vehicle for personal and social change and to talk deeper about the real issues teens have involving the topic of college. The project takes our original cast written musical out of the theater and into the streets and DCPS schools. Cast members train with technical professionals to become familiar with the audio, stage management and logistical aspects of producing a show.

The YOUniversity public performance is FREE and will be held on Wednesday, August 3^rd at 6pm at the Minor Elementary School Parking Lot

601 15^th Street NE, Washington, DC 20002

Together with partners who are also dedicated to youth development and leadership, City at Peace DC tours its original musical, reaching audiences with entertaining tales of cross cultural relationships, conflict resolution and challenges met and overcome. The free street show is produced and performed by young people, who demonstrate excellence in leadership, performance, management skills and technical proficiency while showcasing youth empowerment at its finest.

This production is in proud partnership with Youth Education Alliance, DC Public Schools, The Office of the State Superintendent of Education and The College Success Foundation

And supported by The DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, DC Public Schools and local donors and funders.

  

*Rain site will be held at the
Atlas Performing Arts Center
1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002

Future Civic Leaders program - LaDonna Carney

 

 Future Civics Leaders was a program that I signed up for but I did not have a strong interest towards the program. Through the three long adventured packed days at George Washington University and other areas in the nation’s capital, my interest evolved. I began to gain a better understanding of politics on a local and national level.

In a group of five future leaders counseled by a strong adult, we wrote speeches and presented them. We made posters for our selected candidate. We came up with slogans and chants. The election simulation was a fun and eye opening process. We were taught how to do many things by specialists. We met many professional speech writers, lobbyists, advertisers, and others who helped us throughout the election process.

 While we had worked hard over the three days, we also had a lot of down and chill time. We visited many places and I was even able to listen to a formal debate about the national debt. It was very interesting. We visited many historical landmarks and just had a good bonding time. We even made a parody video about democracy to Cee-Lo Green’s “Forget You” song. The counselors were supportive and fun.

After going through this program, I realized that I don’t want to run for office or be an elected official in the future. But it made me want to know a whole lot more about what goes on in our politics today. I had fun and would recommend this program to anybody; even if you don’t plan on being President one day, the experience itself is great!

2012 White House Internship Program is currently accepting applications!

 

 The application period for the Spring 2012 White House Internship Program is now open! Applicants have until September 11, 2011 to apply for a Spring 2012 White House Internship.

All White House Internship Program participants must be:

• United States citizens;
• At least 18 years of age on or before the first day of the internship;
• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a college, community college or university OR graduated in the past two years from undergraduate or graduate program at a college, community college or university; OR
• A veteran of the United States Armed Forces who possesses a high school diploma or its equivalent and has served on active duty at any time over the past two years.

 All White House Interns are expected to intern full-time for the entire term of the program:

• The Spring Internship runs from January 17 – May 4, 2012;
• The White House Internship program is an unpaid program;
• The White House Internship program is a full-time program;
• Interns will be expected to work from approximately 9am – 6pm, Monday-Friday;
• Hours may vary by office.

 A completed application packet includes:

• Two (2) Essays: Each answer should be 300-500 words in length;
• Current Resume: Your resume should not exceed one page;
• Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
• When an applicant enters a recommender’s email address into the application, the recommender will be sent an email with instructions on how to submit a recommendation for the applicant.
•  When a letter of recommendation has been successfully submitted, both the applicant and the recommender will receive an email confirmation with the name of the recommender who has submitted a letter on the applicant’s behalf.

 All application materials must be submitted online.

All Spring 2012 White House Internship application materials
MUST be submitted ON or BEFORE 11:59pm EDT on September 11, 2011.

If you have any questions, please visit the White House Internship Program's FAQ page.

Adventures of the Mind - Anscia Brown

 The opportunity to attend the Adventures of the Mind program was wonderful! I am blessed to be one of 164 students to attend this program. The program happens every two years and it will be more interesting as the program evolves. The people there were amazing and they came from all over the United States of America.

 

When I first arrived in Montana; I was shocked. Missoula, Montana is such a quiet place. The atmosphere is very different from Washington, DC. Everything in Montana is much more quiet & calm. However, that did not bother me. The scenery was breath-taking and I was at a loss for words. 

 During the day we would have sessions in a college auditorium. While I did not like sitting in the chairs for a long time, the sessions were very interesting and it prepared me for my large college classes. The speakers were very interesting and none of them were alike. Each of the speakers had their own distinct personality. A lot of the speakers were science majors, such as a Nobel Laureate who created the Big Bang Theory, or the four other Nobel Laureates who were in our presence. I did not get a chance to speak to all of them but I was honored and blessed to speak to one of them in person. I also had the chance to talk to one of the co-founders of Intelius and the wife of Louis L'Amour at dinner. The people were there for the youth and wanted to get to know you.

The experience was great! I made new friends from New York, Houston, New Jersey, California, Washington, DC and plenty of other cities in the United States. I highly recommend this to other high school students in 2013. The experience will not be boring because there was a party EVERY night and it will either be in Atlanta or L.A. I just wished the program was a week long because I would love to get to know all of the adults and students there. However, we have a Facebook group and I can keep up with them there. If I could do this program again, I definitely would!

The East of the River Career Exposure Camp - Applications due THIS Friday, July 15!

The East of the River Career Exposure Camp is currently looking for students who: 

• Will enter 7^th or 8^th grade in the Fall;
• Live in Wards 7 or 8;
• Want to learn about building architecture;
• Want to further enhance their math, science and reading skills; and
• Like to have fun!!!

 The camp will run from August 4^th-6^th at The Southeast Whitehouse and each camper will receive breakfast and lunch as well as a camp t-shirt.

If you are interested in attending this camp, please complete and submit the application by THIS Friday, July 15, 2011!

If you have any questions, please contact:

Ms. Henderson

The Southeast White House

(202) 575-3337

Become a member of the DC Tobacco Youth Coalition - Applications due July 25!

 

 The DC Tobacco Youth Coalition (DC-TYC) is a new youth leadership program that will engage youth in tobacco control and prevention by providing them with the opportunity to gain skills and the authority to make decisions that will help improve the policy environment, change social norms, and reduce smoking initiation and consumption in their communities.

The purpose of the DC-TYC is to:

• Educate youth about the health effects of tobacco products and the tobacco industry;
•  Develop and train youth advocates in tobacco prevention within the District of Columbia; and
•  Develop and lead projects that will educate and engage the District of Columbia on tobacco control and prevention.

By becoming a DC-TYC member, students will:

• Become youth leaders in tobacco control and prevention in their communities;
• Receive media, developing and advancing public policy, tobacco control and prevention, and peer education training;
•  Learn to develop and implement the DC-TYC logo, name, and brand;
•  Actively apply skills taught in their trainings through outreach events; and
•  Receive stipends for their participation and attendance in DC-TYC activities.

In order to be a DC-TYC member, you must:

• Be an 8^th-12^th grade student currently enrolled in a DC Public School or DC Public Charter School;
•  Commit for nine (9) months with the option for a summer internship.
•  Commit to a 1.5 day training retreat in August/September 2011.
•  Meet weekly for 2 hours (additional hours may be required for projects, which may include up to 25 hours some months).

 

 There are 12 positions available. The DC-TYC is seeking one (1) youth representative per District of Columbia Ward and two (2) At-Large members. The At-Large members will represent the entire city instead of their individual Wards and also serve as the chair for the District of Columbia Tobacco Free Coalition Youth Subcommittee for the District of Columbia Tobacco Free Coalition.

If you are interested in applying, please contact Mr. Cotton for an application. Applications must be received by Monday, July 25!

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Kevon Harris

(202) 741-6488

LearnServe Zambia - Bryon Ford

 

 Today was great…..it was the most adventurous day of the trip as we visited one of the seven natural wonders of the world: Victoria Falls! This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. The water clashing amongst the rocks was so amazing. As Nadja screamed “Oh my God!” I ran across the bridge with Jeremy and we got completely soaked. After we got over the bridge, we ventured through the many points of Victoria Falls. I took several pictures of rainbows in the mist and saw bungee jumpers. As I was crossing back to the dry side, I actually opened my eyes. This bridge is so dangerous, but beautiful at the same time.

 After viewing the majesty of the falls, most of the LSZ group hiked down the side of Victoria Falls. Although the hike was hard (and even harder with wet clothes), we made it down and it was completely worth it. It was like a whirlpool of beauty…just the force of the water pushing into one cycling spot was utterly mind boggling. I can’t believe that something this beautiful could exist in nature. As we were coming up, we were greeted by tons of baboons. At the top, we went to the Victoria Falls market which was utterly ridiculous. The venders were very pushy with their prices.
Although Victoria Falls was amazing, the African safari was just as amazing.

On safari we saw an elephant, zebras, giraffes, impalas, wildebeests, and so much more.

Just when the Safari was getting a little bit dry, we stopped at this nice picnic area, saw two great big hippos, and took a great photo montage.
 

After all of that we ended our day at this place called the Art Cafe. This place had a lot of atmosphere and the nicest Canadian couple owned it. Although the food was awful (the meat was meatless), the characters there were very colorful because there was a reggae concert called “Yes Africa” taking place.

This was the most adventurous day of the trip, and we did so much. I am looking forward to the rest of the trip and hopefully Chikumbuso will be good. I am anxious because I don’t want to get too personal with the kids. The Malambu kids were really great and honestly life changing. They taught me so much about how serious education is and how you should not take it for granted. Although I know what I am saying sounds very cliché, having this experience has been life changing. I know if I was in that situation, I would not be able to focus on my education like these kids did. They are very respectful and that respect will get them far. One thing that many Americans lack is respect. These kids are so grateful and they are special because the gratefulness is genuine. 

 But now I am going on a tangent and need to get back on point. Today was the most adventurous day of the entire trip. It was great.

 PS: I just met this group 8 days ago and I already feel like I have known them for years. I love these guys. Jeremy is really awesome and humorous, Gaby is a great leader and really pretty, and everybody is just great. I am having a great trip.

***************************************

 *You can visit: http://learn-serve.org/trips/zambia/ to follow SEED students Brittney Bowles and Bryon Ford and SEED staff members Jonathan Alexis and Topher Kandik during their exciting LearnServe Zambia adventure!

LearnServe Zambia - Brittney Bowles

We finally made it to Zambia after spending over 24 hours in multiple airports and on multiple planes. On the first flight, I sat by Bryon and this Ethiopian man, Mele. It was nice talking to him at first but then he never stopped. And while we had a talkative person, Kylie and Sam had a rude lady. Kylie said that lady spilled her drink on her and told her “you’ll live,” then she used her napkin to wipe her mouth instead of giving it to Kylie. Kylie ended up having to ask me for a napkin.

Nadja and I had a horrible experience trying to use the restrooms in the airport at Addis Ababa. The bathroom was all the way on the other side of the building. In addition to that the line was extremely long because the bathroom only had three stalls.

Finally we both made it to a stall and noticed too late that NEITHER OF OUR STALLS HAD TOILET PAPER! We both asked someone to give us some toilet paper, and a lady gives us one travel size tissue. We both said thank you went to go wash our hands with the little bit of soap the bathroom had.

After all of that we settled into Juls Guesthouse around 5:00pm. The boys played with footballs and soccer balls outside while the girls talked inside. Our first dinner was good. The ladies who work at the guesthouse prepared it for us. We had rice, chicken, beef, and vegetables. We were told that we should be drinking 2 liters of water a day. We also wrote in our journals today and talked about our do’s and don’ts for riding on planes. Tomorrow we will be going to the market and some of us will be going grocery shopping.

 **********************************

 *You can visit: http://learn-serve.org/trips/zambia/ to follow SEED students Brittney Bowles and Bryon Ford and SEED staff members Jonathan Alexis and Topher Kandik during their exciting LearnServe Zambia adventure!

Summer Enrichment opportunities for Youth in Wards 5-8!

Sasha Bruce Youthwork's (SBY) Prevention Outreach Wellness Education and Risk Reduction (P.O.W.E.R.) Program is working in partnership with the DC Department of Parks and Recreation's (DC DPR) Operation Safe Summer Initiative to offer summer enrichment activities for youth in Wards 5-8 at select DPR centers.

The flyer below highlights the dates, locations and types of programs that are being offered. If you have any questions, please contact Shameka Johnson at (202) 675-9370.

Diversity Open House at Amherst College - Applications due THIS Friday, August 12th!!

Rising seniors are invited to apply to Amherst College’s Diversity Open House Weekends, which will take place September 24-26 and October 15-17, 2011. This is a great opportunity to learn about the Amherst community, visit the campus, talk with students and faculty, attend classes and spend time in a residence hall. Up to 200 high school seniors will be selected for the Diversity Open Houses and there is no reason why SEED students should miss out on this wonderful opportunity!

The deadline to apply for the Diversity Open House is Friday, August 12^th. To increase your chances of being selected, Amherst encourages students to apply by Monday, August 1^st. Amherst will accept applications until they have filled both the September and October programs.

The application is short and straightforward and a completed application should include:

•  A copy of your high school transcript or grade reports for your freshman, sophomore and junior years; 
• Any standardized test results; and
• A short essay response.

 Please contact Mr. Cotton for an application.

Students who are admitted to the Open Houses will receive a letter inviting them to attend the program. The selection committee will prioritize the invitation of students who demonstrate limited family financial resources and under-represented cultural groups, including African-American, Hispanic/Latino American, Native American and Asian-Americans are encouraged to apply.

There is strong possibility that the Amherst Admissions Office will fund 100% of airline, bus, or train transportation costs for students who visit during the Open House Weekends. Some students who apply to the Open Houses will also receive a fee waiver for the Amherst College $60 application fee, regardless of whether they are invited to attend one of the Open Houses.

The first open house will begin Saturday afternoon, September 24^th and will conclude after morning classes on Monday, September 26^th. The second open house in October will follow the same Saturday through Monday format. All applicants to the program will be notified of their status in early September and all invited students will receive permission forms and travel planning information shortly thereafter.

Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) program - Jaelin Hayden

 

 I recently attended a program called the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) program that was held at George Washington University in Washington, DC. This program included approximately 40 sophomores who were chosen by HOBY. I initially thought that this three day program was going to be experienced leaders talking about the fundamentals of what being a leader is all about...I was wrong.

This program has done much more; it changed my perspective on life! Not only did it teach me what it means to become a leader, it also taught me why it is important to become a leader and that every person has a purpose in life. HOBY has let me come out of my comfort zone through all of their intriguing and exceptionally adrenaline raising activities and chants. This experience has allowed me to analyze myself and led me to discover who I am and how I can make a positive impact on the people in this world.

 I learned through the different panelists who spoke with us and the community service projects that we participated in that the little things people do count in ways you would not expect. One of the community service activities we did was Race for the Cure. This is where thousands of men and women run for several miles to help raise money and support the efforts to find a cure for breast cancer. 

After the event was over, we helped take down all the tables, chairs and table cloths that were surrounding the National Mall. This job may sound simple but it was also very exhausting. There must have been hundreds of tables and chairs throughout the National Mall. But, HOBY made a lot of people’s jobs much easier.

Another community service activity we did was with Martha’s Table. There, HOBY volunteers recorded their voice while reading a children’s book so that sick kids in the hospital can feel more comfortable. We also did much, much more!

After the HOBY program is over, you are and always will be a part of HOBY and therefore, you get special privileges! HOBY helps students get community service hours by giving alumni a list of things that we can do throughout the year that equals up to 100 community service hours!

 

Being a HOBY alumnus also gives you a chance to meet other HOBY alumni throughout the world; it’s kind of like a sorority! As a result, I would most definitely recommend rising sophomores to attend this program because you will gain a lot out of this experience and it will be lots of fun!

Adventures of the Mind - Ty'Ronn Spriggs

 Adventures of the Mind 2011 has been a great experience for me. I was thrilled by all of the amazing artists, entrepreneurs, writers, scientists, Noble Peace Prize winners, cartoonist, athletes as well as those individuals who shared their stories about how some persevered and others “stumbled” into success.

I have never been more motivated to continue doing the things that I do in my community and what I will continue to do as an incoming freshman at Alabama State University. 

Before coming to a little place called Missoula, Montana, I had never felt more empowered to be successful. Being in Missoula and finding out about its rich history and hearing stories and studies about Lewis & Clark has inspired me to focus on my passion and vision as a student mentor and leader.

 The Adventures of the Mind program allowed me to make awesome friendships with people from across the country, including Montana, Kansas, New York, California, Tennessee, Georgia, Maine and even Alaska! Even though we no longer party with each other every night or debate about books by Mark Twain or George Orwell, we still keep in contact via Facebook.

All in all, Adventures of the Mind taught me to continue to be who I am and never be flustered about failing. If I am ever inspired to write a book, the title would be Don't Be Flustered by Failure and the first couple of pages would read: "It all started with a student conference in Missoula, Montana..."

If I had to choose a favorite speaker, I would have to say either Jacques D'Amboise, or Mark Moffett. Jacques has inspired me to continue being the Thespian that I am today...

 

While Mark has taught me that no matter what you're passion is, because you have one, you have something to be excited about. It’s not everyday that someone is passionate about bugs or ants, but meeting Mark has transformed my life.

Great opportunity for rising 9th-12th graders! Application deadline is Tuesday, July 5!

Rising 9^th-12^th graders are invited to apply for the Howard University Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence (HU IC CAE) Camp Cyber 2011.

Camp Cyber 2011 is part of The Howard University (HU) – Virginia Tech Intelligence Community (IC) Center of Academic Excellence (CAE). Camp Cyber is a FREE, 2-week academic and enrichment day camp that focuses on engineering, technology, cyber security, cross-cultural and international awareness and career opportunities in the United States Intelligence Community.

The dates of the camp are July 18^th – 29^th and the camp will run Monday – Friday from 9am – 4pm on the campus of Howard University and will include off-campus trips.

Selected participants will be paid $300 for their participation in the 2-week camp. Participants will also receive lunch daily and all supplies and materials that they will need for the camp will be provided.

Students are required to attend all days and participate in all activities.

Selection into the HU IC CAE Camp Cyber 2011 is competitive and all applicants must submit the following documents in order to be considered:

1. An online application
2. A 250-500 word cohesive essay that answers the following two questions:
• Why do you want to participate in the HU IC CAE Camp Cyber 2011 Program?
• What interests you about science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics and why?
• Please note that this is an online application and it is highly recommended that you first write your essay in Microsoft Word and then cut and paste the essay into the online application. This essay should not include any special formatting (i.e. bolded text, underlining, italics, special fonts, characters, symbols, etc.).
3. One (1) letter of recommendation
• This recommendation can be from a science or math teacher, guidance counselor, pastor or mentor that is not related to you.
• Please talk to this person before adding his/her name to see if he/she would be willing to provide a recommendation for you.
• The recommender should speak to your school performance, interests or extracurricular activities, leadership qualities and why you should be selected for this program.
• Your recommender should submit the letter of recommendation via email to HUICCAE@gmail.com with the subject line: IC CAE Camp Cyber 2011 Recommendation (Applicant’s Last Name, First Initial).
  
4. A copy of your most recent report card

Completed applications must be received no later than Tuesday, July 5, 2011 by 11:59pm EST. If you have any questions, please contact:

Ms. Melissa E. Wynn, Associate Director
Howard University IC CAE Program
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Washington, DC 20059
HUICCAE@gmail.com
Phone: (202) 806-9031