higher learning network,nfp: black star reports...

Links:

The Black Star Project's website:

blackstarproject.org

Black Star Journal:

blackstarjournal.org

Become a Member:

Click Here

Make a donation:

Like us on Facebook:

The All-Work, No-Play Culture Of South Korean Education

By
Elise Hu

apil 15, 2015

In South Korea, grim stories of teen suicide come at a regular clip. Recently, two 16-year-old girls in the city of Daejeon jumped to their deaths, leaving a note saying, "We hate school."

It's just one tragedy in a country where suicide is the leading cause of death among teens, and 11- to 15-year-olds report the highest amount of stress out of 30 developed nations.

A relentless focus on education and exams is often to blame. For a typical high school student, the official school day may end at 4 p.m., but can drag on for grueling hours at private cram institutes or in-school study hall, often not wrapping up until 11 p.m.

"Every high school, they do this," high school juniors Han Jae Kyung and Yoon Seoyoon tell NPR.

The 14-hour days in classrooms reflects South Korean society's powerful focus on educational achievement.

It's no surprise, then, that researchers found more than half the Koreans age 11 to 15 reported high levels of stress in their daily lives. That's a higher percentage of stressed out kids than in any of the 30 other developed nations that are part of the OECD, or Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

A race to succeed so intense it can have tragic consequences. And there are social consequences, too. Many parents say they chose not to have more children because supporting all the cramming simply costs too much.

Click Here to Read Full Story

Daytona Beach, Florida Joins

The Million Father March

Bethune-Cookman University President Dr. Edison O. Jackson leads Daytona Beach, Florida back to school in 2015 Million Father March.

Bethune-Cookman University President Dr. Edison O. Jackson leads Daytona Beach Florida Back to School in Million Father March.

Young men from Bethune-Cookman University welcome students back to

Daytona Beach, Florida schools.

Francetta "Fran" Hendricks,

First Executive Director of The Black Star Project, Passes Away

Francetta "Fran" Hendricks, age 74, daughter of the late Nathaniel and Sue Verrett, passed away peacefully from this life on August 4, 2015. She leaves to mourn her loving husband, Dr. Leon Hendricks; sister, Nataleen Coleman; children, Lynette Helm and Leon Hendricks; grandchildren, Christopher Helm, Julian and Kira Hendricks; great-grandchildren, Ethan and Myliah; nephew, Douglas Coleman; and many other loving family members and friends. Visitation: August 17, 2015, from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at AR Leak Funeral Home, 18400 S. Pulaski, Country Club Hills, Illinois. Wake/Funeral: August 18, 2015, from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Sanctuary of Holiness COGIC, 700 S. Pulaski, Chicago, Illinois. Interment in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois.

With Only $5.00, Children and Students Opened a $25.00 Bank Account at First Midwest Bank!

Over 25 families mobilized by The Black Star Project and J. Michael Carr, of Fathers for the Future, opened $5 Student Bank Accounts at the AKArama Community Service Center in Chicago's Woodlawn community, on Saturday, August 15th.

The "Bank on Chicago Student Bank Day" event, sponsored by First Midwest Bank, provided an opportunity for students 16-23 years of age, and some younger, to open a student checking or youth savings account on-site. for $ 5.00 and qualify for a deposit contribution of $20 from the Monroe Foundation utilizing funding from First Midwest Bank.

Otis C. Monroe, III, CEO of the Monroe Foundation, stated, "Student Bank Day at the AKArama Community Service Center, for the second year, continues to be an empowering and financially educational opportunity for young children and their families to become part of the financial services mainstream at an early age or as they plan for college".

The Monroe Foundation and First Midwest Bank will collaborate in December, 2015 with the AKArama Community Service Center to put families in holiday bank accounts for the event, " A Holiday Gift of A Bank Account for You".

For more information on this upcoming program, contact Athena Williams, project coordinate and associate executive director of the Monroe Foundation, at (773) 914-1534.

Our Next

Sunday University

Sunday, August 23, 2015

-------------------------------------------------

"Flipping Houses"

Learn to rebuild your community and to earn wealth while you provide quality housing for the people of your community. Learn how to research, identify, acquire, finance, rehabilitate and sell properties in your community.

Professor Attorney Geneva Brown

and

Professor D. Drew Williams

2:30 pm to 4:00 pm

after church, mosque or temple

The Black Star Project

3509 South King Drive

Chicago, Illinois

Please call 773.285.9600 to RSVP, for more information or to create a Sunday University in your city.

Unto Perfect Manhood!

Graduating 8th-grade, rising 9th-grade and transferring 10th-grade young men (and young women) can register now to attend Hales Franciscan High School in Chicago, Illinois. Some financial assistance is available. Please call 773.285.8400 for more information.

History:

Hales Franciscan High School is a nationally recognized not-for-profit, independent Catholic school that has serviced students throughout Chicago, for over 50 years. Named after Alexander of Hales, a Franciscan scholar in the Middle Ages, Hales Franciscan High School opened it's doors in 1962 as an African American, all-male, Catholic college preparatory high school, dedicated to imparting Christian values in the Catholic and Franciscan traditions; instilling moral and ethical ideals, while helping students fulfill their academic potential in a safe, disciplined and nurturing environment. In 2013, Hales Franciscan High School became a coeducational institution, enrolling female students.

Academic Program:

Hales Franciscan High School is a small, faith-based, Catholic school, servicing approximately 125 male and female students in grades 9-12. Class sizes average about 20/1. Students receive a traditional, classical education, anchored by humanities and the great books, in addition to participating in weekly colloquia. Senior students are afforded an opportunity to take classes at our partner schools; Chicago State University and Shimer College; as part of our dual-enrollment program.

School Stats:

Freshmen On Track Rate: 90%

Graduation Rate: 97%

College Enrollment: 100%

College Retention: 99%

Demographics:

Number of Students: 125

Gender: 20% Female, 80% Male

Race: 99% Black

Ethnicity: 99% Non-Hispanic

Click Here to visit the Hales Franciscan website

Report: Student Loan Debt Stratified by Race, Class

By Ronald Roach

June 4, 2015

It's well known that graduating college students in recent years have faced student loan debt at unprecedented levels far exceeding that of previous generations of American graduates. Nonetheless, a new report released by the New York-based Demos public policy organization documents the patterns of debt along racial and class lines with Black, Latino, and low-income students taking out higher loans than Whites and more likely to drop out with significant debt.

In "The Debt Divide: The Racial and Class Bias Behind the 'New Normal' of Student Borrowing," Demos senior policy analyst Mark Huelsman details a system that is highly stratified along class and racial lines. The nation's debt-financed system for college enrollment not only produces higher loan balances for low-income, Black, and Latino students, but also results in high numbers of low-income students and minority students leaving school without receiving a credential, according to the report.

The author draws upon data from three U.S. Department of Education surveys, the Federal Reserve's 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances, and existing academic literature, for the analysis.

Black and low-income students borrow more, and more often, to receive a bachelor's degree, even at public institutions. At 80 percent, the vast majority of Black graduates take on debt, compared to 63 percent of White graduates. Latino students borrow at the same rate as White students to attend public colleges and universities, but borrow at far higher rates to attend private non-profit schools (87 percent to 72 percent, respectively).
Black and Latino students are dropping out with debt at higher rates than White students. At all schools, 39 percent of Black borrowers and 31 percent of Latino students drop out of college compared to 29 percent of White borrowers. Thirty-eight percent of low-income borrowers drop out, compared to less than a quarter of their higher-income peers.
Associate's degree borrowing has jumped particularly among Black students over the past decade. At public institutions, 57 percent of Black associate's degree recipients borrow (compared to 43 percent of White students), and borrow nearly $2,000 more than White students. A decade ago, 38 percent of Black associate's degree recipients borrowed (compared to 32 percent of White students). In other words, a six-point gap in borrowing between White and Black associate's degree holders has turned into a 14-point gap.
Black students are substantially more likely to cite financial reasons for not completing a degree program. Nearly 7 in 10 Black dropouts cite student debt as a primary reason for dropping out, compared to fewer than half of White students.
Students at for-profit institutions, who are disproportionately people of color, face the highest debt burdens and dropout rates.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Click Here to Read the Full Report, The Debt Divide

Moncks, South Carolina Joins

The 2015 Million Father March

MONCKS CORNER, SC - On Monday, August 17, 2015, Berkeley County School District's first day of school, Berkeley Middle School will participate in the national Million Father March (MFM) initiative.

The school is encouraging all fathers to bring their children to school.

Patricia Hill, guidance counselor at Berkeley Middle School, said, "The faculty and staff at Berkeley Middle School are excited to be a part of the Million Father March this year. Research shows that students with involved fathers score higher on cognitive tests, have higher self-esteem and possess abilities associated with higher education achievement. We look forward to working more closely with our fathers this year to ensure student success!"

The MFM is an opportunity for men to show their commitment to the educational lives of their children on the first day of school and throughout the school year. Since MFM began in 2004, fathers and other significant male caregivers across the United States and around the world have gathered to accompany their children to their first day of the new school year. Each annual MFM marks the beginning of a yearlong commitment by men to their children's educational success.

"This is a great way for Berkeley Middle School and schools across this country to begin the year. Fathers and men must take an active role with our youth! We are excited to work with our school leaders in this and all other endeavors," said Pastor Tory Liferidge of Grace Reformed Episcopal Church.

Principal Mike Wilkerson identified the need to improve parental involvement at Berkeley Middle School for the upcoming school year and the initiative addresses that need. When fathers and children arrive at the school on the first day, they will be ushered into the Multi-Purpose Room where donuts and coffee will be available. Fathers will receive nametags, pledge sheets and a badge stating "I took my child to school today!". School calendars also will be on hand so fathers can sign up to volunteer or attend activities throughout the year. Afterward, photos will be taken of each father and his child or children.