Mountain View College will hold a Skills Development Fund grant announcement/ check presentation which will be presented by Texas Workforce Commission, Chairman Tom Pauken.

The announcement is part of the $202,668 Skills Development Fund job-training grant from the Texas Workforce Commission. “Our economic workforce development department believes in the purpose and process of Skills Development Fund because we are also dedicated to empowering businesses and employees toward an improved economy and greater quality of life for those we serve,” stated Pat Webb, Dean of Workforce & Continuing Education – Mountain View College.

“We, as an educational  institution are expanding our capacity in training skilled workers to exceed expectations in emerging industries such as construction, manufacturing, technology, heath care and green energy,” continued Dean Webb.

Partnering employers who will also be present include: Regional Hispanic Contractors Association, Environmental Lighting Services, Azteca Enterprises Omega Contracting- Incorporated, Ruiz Protective Services Incorporated and Ponce Contractors-Incorporated.

The check presentation will take place on Friday, October 21, 2011 at 10 a.m. at Mountain View College, inside the Economic and Workforce Development Building (Building B) Room B149.

From left to right: Nakia Douglas, Principal; Kerry Shelton, Math; Yolanda Dearborn, English; Dane Larsen, Art; Alan Mota, Science (Photo by Grant Meeks)

Story Michael Hubbard, Photos by Grant Meeks and Isaiah Williams

Most of us have spent the summer of 2011 seeking relief from the near record breaking heat.  But for Nakia Douglas, the principal of the Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy, the past few months have been a whirlwind of activity as he and his staff prepared to open the doors of the first all boys’ school in the history of DISD.

The Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy joined the Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School as the second single gender public school in the district.  The Academy opened August 22nd with 212 young men in grades 6-9 who will embark on an educational experience which is sure to be life altering.

“I’ve given the following advice to the young men that are coming in,” says Douglas,  “First be a willing participant in your education, secondly believe in yourself as much as we believe in you and finally have an open heart and mind to receive the lessons that we’re going to provide as you transition into manhood.”

Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy (Photo by Isaiah Williams)

The Texas Education Agency reported that in 2009-2010 65.6% of the DISD student population was classified as “At Risk” and 86.6 percent were classified as “Economically Disadvantaged.” Those statistics can’t be ignored, though Douglas believes they can be overcome.

“Staying focused on our young men and the mission, we have to develop them into impactful leaders through their intellectual, moral and physical development, which will be the key to the success of the Academy,” says Douglas.  He also counts on the Academy receiving plenty of support from the community.  “Support from the community has grown”, Douglas says. “We are finalizing partnerships with several groups who plan to support the campus by their presence as well as financially.”

Recent cutbacks in school districts across Texas could have dealt a blow to the non-traditional curriculum planned for the Academy, yet the entire faculty was hired and moved into the new facility on August 15.  Douglas, who confesses he always sees the glass as half full, admitted it has been challenging but the original curriculum and programming at the Academy will not be compromised.

Principal Nakia Douglas (Photo by Grant Meeks)

“I won’t say the DISD cutbacks affected the program, I’ll just say we became more creative and sought hybrid teachers for the campus. We have fewer staff members but they all have more than one certification and are capable of teaching both middle and upper school courses.”

Douglas went on to say, “We sought  staff members  that were willing, able and committed to carrying out the mission of the Academy and holding up the high expectations that we have for our young men.

Enrollment for the 2011-2012 school year is closed, but interested parents can have their sons placed on the Academy’s waiting list. “Our waiting list is actually growing. A lot of young men and their parents have recently learned about the opportunity and want to be a part of the Academy.  It is flattering when the calls come in and parents want to know what they need to do to get their child admitted.”

Over the summer break Douglas and other administrators spent a week in China studying their school system and seeking a school with whom they could partner.  Mission accomplished.

“As a part of our Mandarin program we were looking to establish a partnership with a school overseas.  We now have a sister campus, Yubei Middle School located in Chongqing, China three hours outside of Beijing,” he says.

In two years students of the Academy will have the opportunity to study abroad.  Mr. Douglas added, “We will start the exchange program with our upper level students, but we want to make sure they develop a fluency in the language which is the reason for delaying the program for two years.”

Douglas and his staff are aware that all eyes will be on the Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy and he promises that observers will see a “new breed” of male students. “The general public can expect to see students who realize first and foremost their role within their families; students that have a genuine interest and desire to be successful leaders for our communities,” Douglas says with excitement. “They can also expect our young men to wholeheartedly take on challenges that not only face our campus but our community as well.”

Michael Hubbard is a freelance writer and blogger.  A native of Dallas, TX, he is a proud graduate of James Madison High School.  Michael brings a unique, hometown perspective to his political and social commentary.  You can follow his opinions at mikeondallas.blogspot.com, and Mike can be reached at Mhubbard23@aol.com.

The Mountain View College Theatre Department is proud to announce the conclusion of its 2010-2011 Season with the Anna Deavere Smith’s theatrical documentary, Twilight: Los Angeles 1992.

Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 gives the audience a glance into civil unrest and the events separating Los Angeles in the wake of the Rodney G. King beating and the verdict of the first trial. Created by over two hundred interviews conducted by Smith herself, this mosaic of pontificating voices reflects the tension of a city in turmoil, avoids using blame for what happened, and attempts to aid the process of healing through a kaleidoscopic of language and class. Twilight ruthlessly offers a rendering of complex social, economic and political issues surrounding the catastrophic event that remain prevalent today.

The performance features an ensemble of 21 students and guest artists playing over fifty diverse voices affected by, involved in, or related to the conflict. The cast includes MVC students Sharonda Anthony, Shenequa Crockett, Julie Curtis, Samantha Gutierrez, Milan Hughes, Edgar Ipina, Paula Jiminez, Jessica Kozlik, Jocelyn Michelle, Courtney Moore, Angel Moreno, LaKenya Moss, Robert Natal, Yilleni Nino, Amir Razavi, Reba Scott, Maggie Simmons, and Dontae Square.  The cast is rounded out by guest artists Bobby Anderson and Professor Mika Rogers.

Adjunct professor Akin Babtunde directs this production. Mr. Babtunde is an accomplished action, director, writer, and coach whose career spans the regional to Off-Broadway to international stages of the world. He has been a resident company member of several prestigious theatres – Trinity Rep, Alley Theater, La Mama NYC, Florida Stage, and the Dallas Theater Center. He is the recipient of several awards, most recently the Audelco for Best Director of a Musical.

The performance will take place in the MVC Performance Hall and will run Wednesday through Sunday, June 22, 2011 through June 26, 2011.  We are located at 4849 W. Illinois Avenue, and the performance hall is located on the east side of the campus.

Wednesday through Saturday evening performances will be at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday matinees will be at 2:30 p.m. For more information and to make reservations, contact the Mountain View College Fine Arts Department at 214-860-8671.  Please be advised that this production contains strong language and adult content which may not be suitable for children under the age of 12.

The Economic and Workforce Development department at Mountain View College will offer local business owners, managers, marketing representatives and entrepreneurs the opportunity too engage in “The Power of Engagement Marketing,” FREE of charge on April 26, 2011 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. inside the Mountain View College, Economic and Workforce Development Building, Building B- Room B149.  Limited seating is available.

Registration is required please call 214-860-8550 or email mvcentrepreneurs@dcccd.edu.

Those in attendance will learn the basics of what engagement marketing is, why it works and how to use it in business planning and strategy to achieve specific goals. This workshop is designed to provide inside tips on how to turn email marketing campaigns into a reliable revenue source.

This session also includes: specific instruction on how to get email promotions and updates opened, how to position the value of your message so that recipients will act on it, how to measure the impact of a campaign and samples of successful engagement campaigns.

It was the freshman’s first trip out of Texas and he didn’t know what to expect but he knew the team had to win because this underdog team had something to prove.

March Madness is heating up and this young basketball team turned up the heat in New York state last weekend to prove to a hostile crowd that they had what it took to rise up through the ranks to beat conference top ranked Rochester CTC Yellowjackets 72 – 64 last Saturday night in Lock Shedrake, New York to become 2011 NJCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Champions.  “This was my first championship win and my very first airplane ride. It was exciting but our team remained focus,” said 19-year old Championship MVP, Marcus Price.

Price, dropped 18 points on the Yellowjackets, including going 2-3 from the free throw line. Eliwasa Baker joined in with 11 points, and added 8 rebounds, while Ashley Crayton also contributed 11 points and 5 rebounds. Baker and Crayton went 3-6 and 5-8 from the line respectively. Bryan Rollins was an asset off the Mountain View bench, scoring 8 and grabbing 3 boards. William Talton had 11 assists in the title game.

Mountain View College is a community college located in southwest Dallas with 8,463 students, a new record high for Fall semester enrollment. Mountain View College is building a name for itself and creating an athletic program that places a premium on academic achievement. “We are building a winning athletic program but more importantly we are building an all academic team collectively averaging a 3.00 or higher GPA,” says Coach LeRoi Phillips.

More and more community colleges are cutting costs due to growing budget woes and decreased funding. Some junior colleges are cutting back on essential student services but Mountain View College is sustaining its academic focus, increasing enrollment and producing graduates. “I have one course to complete this semester to graduate in May with an associates degree in Kinesiology,” shares sophomore William “Gary” Talton.

Athletes are finding the cost of higher education is too expensive for their families to afford and scholarship offers are highly competitive and hard to come by in today’s economy. Community colleges are filling the gap and fulfilling athletes’ desire to play competitive sports and the desire to earn a degree. These athletes are finding a different environment on the community college campus that other competing colleges are not fulfilling. “…our students uphold very high academic standards. We are very proud of our fighting MVC Lions,” said Mountain View College’s President Felix A. Zamora.

Community colleges offer lower per credit hour tuition costs in comparison to NCAA Division I universities and NAIA junior colleges; as well as, smaller classrooms and more personal attention in the classroom. “My professor works with me because he knows I’ll go the extra mile to keep up with my homework even with my busy basketball schedule. I didn’t have the same support at Navarro College,” states Talton.

The National Junior College Athletic Association national championship has a forty-year history.  The NJCAA Men’s Division III Basketball Championships consists of eight teams playing over a three-day period (Thursday-Saturday) in March to determine a National Champion. The tournament field is made up of teams that win either region or district championships that are required to earn entry into the tournament.

Mountain View College celebrated its forty-year anniversary in 2010 and celebrated their very first national basketball championship this season. The college continues to strive to remove barriers to equal and quality education despite budget cuts. Coach Phillips stated, “… our goals were to win regional conference, win district championship, and to win the national championship.  We accomplished every goal with a young team.”

Eighty-nine percent of the team consisted of freshman spawning from cities like Fort Worth, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia to New Orleans, Louisiana who accepted the challenges and remained as, one player put it, humble and focused on the win and become a force to be reckoned with in New York state. Talton whose favorite coach happens to be Phil Jackson shared, “When the season started all of the team members were new. We had never met one another before but now we are all brothers – a family of winners.”

When Mr. Smith went to Washington (remember that movie?), he was on a mission: he wanted to represent the “folks back home” who trusted him to speak on their behalf.

(left to right) Dr. Wright Lassiter Jr., DCCCD chancellor, and students Gwendolyn Stallsworth and Matthew Detweiler

Two students from the Dallas County Community College District went to Washington recently to visit with their own elected officials and to share with them the importance of the education and opportunities they receive through DCCCD.

Frisco resident Matthew Detweiler of Richland College and Lancaster resident Gwendolyn Stallsworth of Cedar Valley College attended the 2011 Community College National Legislative Summit in the nation’s capitol; the event was convened by the Association of Community College Trustees, with the support of the American Association of Community Colleges.  Detweiler and Stallsworth accompanied DCCCD’s chancellor, Dr. Wright Lassiter Jr., and the district’s vice chancellor for public and governmental affairs, Justin Lonon.  They all wanted to share their concerns over federal funding cuts to higher education as the nation faces tough economic times.

More than 1,000 community college students, trustees, presidents and higher education leaders advocated for increased funding and resources that would support community colleges in their efforts to address unemployment and economic development during the summit.

“The Dallas County Community College District has worked aggressively to accommodate the increased demands of recent years while we maintain the highest standards possible for our students,” said Lassiter.  “We have added classes, new programs and facilities, and we also have extended our hours.  However, without continuing federal support, we cannot meet the needs of our students.  It is vital that we urge our members of Congress to support local community colleges, and meeting face-to-face is the best way to show how serious we are.”

The DCCCD delegation met with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson, plus staff members for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and U.S. Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson and Kenny Merchant.  College officials also attended group meetings and sessions throughout the three-day event, which focused on the roles that community colleges play in economic and workforce development as well as the increased attention on the need to help more students complete degrees, certificates or successful transfers to four-year colleges and universities.

Detweiler, who will graduate in May 2011, had stop-and-start careers in both higher education and the business world after he finished high school.  Now a non-traditional college student at age 26, he is fully involved in campus life, is the international president of the community college academic honorary Phi Theta Kappa, and serves as the  student representative on the DCCCD Foundation’s board of directors.

“I hope to transfer to Cornell University, where I plan to study communications,” said Detweiler.  “After I receive my master’s degree, I hope to return to the community college that has changed my life so dramatically in Dallas, Texas.”  The future faculty member works full time for a manufacturing company close to school and fills his days with work, classes, studies and homework in order to fulfill his dreams.

Stallsworth, a U.S. Navy veteran, has been employed by Boeing for 10 years.  She currently manages repairs for a variety of domestic and international airlines.  Previously a student at North Lake College, Stallsworth now attends Cedar Valley College, where she is vice president of service for the Alpha Zeta Omicron chapter of Phi Theta Kappa.  She is involved in several community clean-up projects, leadership workshops, city council meetings and environmental sustainability seminars.

Stallsworth is pursuing an associate’s degree in business administration from CVC; her plans include earning a bachelor’s degree in public administration, a master’s degree in constitutional law and a juris doctorate in law and government.  Her goals include providing leadership for the next generation of Americans and serving as a U.S. District Attorney.

“During a time of high unemployment and concerns about America’s competitive future, why are we compromising on educational opportunity?  Education is a proven gateway to success, as both Matthew Detweiler and Gwendolyn Stallsworth can attest,” added Lassiter.  “Without a restoration of or an increase in funding levels for our state’s community colleges, we are putting our citizens and our state at further risk.  This summit gave us an opportunity to bring this message directly to the people who make decisions at the top in Washington, D.C.  We are speaking with one voice and making sure we are heard.”

Fox Rich, author, motivational speaker, and marathon runner will be the guest lecturer on Thursday, March 10, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. to discuss how to break the cycle of incarceration through education. Rich will address the Office of Student Life in Building S, Room 1029.

She spent time in four Louisiana correctional facilities before earning an early release.

“Incarceration is the most dangerous epidemic facing African-American and poor communities today,” said Rich. “Some assume that college students and graduates have escaped the lure of prison, however, in recent years there has been an increase of reports of students and graduates getting caught up in the penal system. The cycle can be broken through education.”

Rich is the national coordinator for L.R.N.D. – Living Responsibly Never Deviating – an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of incarceration by raising awareness through education. In early February, Rich completed a 26.2 mile marathon, the first in a series of seven marathons to raise college scholarships for children of incarcerated parents.

In 2005 students dubbed Rich “The Realest Motivational Speaker of the 21st Century.” Her recently-released autobiography, The One That Got Away, details her experiences.

Role models often are adults who inspire students, children and their friends to help others and contribute to their communities.  Seven Dallas County Community College District students are turning that perception around, demonstrating their ability to serve as role models because they are making a difference where they live and go to school.

Some have served as scout leaders, AVID volunteers and tutors: others have led high school athletic teams, overcome learning disabilities to succeed or served as elementary school teaching assistants.  They have inspired other students, as well as DCCCD faculty, staff and administrators; as a result, these seven individuals have been named 2010-2011 LeCroy Scholarship recipients by the DCCCD Foundation for their outstanding leadership and academic achievements.  The program honors DCCCD’s former chancellor, Dr. R. Jan LeCroy, who served in that capacity from 1981 to 1988.  Each LeCroy Scholar receives up to $4,000 ($1,000 per semester, with a maximum of four semesters) to attend any one of DCCCD’s seven colleges: Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake or Richland.

The LeCroy Scholars fund was made possible by a grant established in 1988 by Mike A. Myers and the Mike Myers Foundation.  A long-time Dallas business and civic leader, he provided funds to recognize LeCroy’s leadership; the program was the first major student recognition and incentive scholarship created for DCCCD.  Myers currently is chairman and president of the Myers Financial Corporation.

The scholarship recipients, the colleges they attend and their chosen fields of study are:

• Rachael Bergman of Garland, Eastfield College, marine biology/environmental science;
• Saile Estrada of Farmers Branch, Brookhaven College, sociology;
• Ana Juarez of Carrollton, Brookhaven College, civil engineering;
• Thong H. Luong of Dallas, Richland College, kinesiology;
• Lacey Wells of Rowlett, Eastfield College, education; and
• Matthew Wilson of Richardson, Richland College, business.

Five other DCCCD students are returning 2009-2010 LeCroy Scholars as well:

• Taylor Eubanks of Coppell, North Lake College, business;
• Melody Sadjadi of Dallas, Brookhaven College, nursing; and
• Hannah Smith of Farmers Branch, Brookhaven College, business.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about how to apply for a DCCCD LeCroy Scholarship can visit www.dcccd.edu/fdn/scholarships/foundation/lecroy.

El Centro College will hold their annual African American Read-In program on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at 12:45pm in the Performance Hall. The Theme for the program is “As A Man Thinketh In His Heart So Is He.” The Special Guest Speaker, Jonathan McCoy will speak on the topic “Eliminating the “N” Word from your Vocabulary.” A vendor fair and lunch will be served following the program and admission is free.

Since being described as a “10 year old YouTube Sensation” by Black America Web in June 2009, Jonathan Emile McCoy has been receiving invitations around the country to present his oration, A New Petition, which incidentally has received over 860,000 views on YouTube since May 2009.

The drive to get a petition of 100,000 signatures began with an entry in an oratorical contest hosted by Empowerment Temple of Baltimore, Maryland. As he reflected on the various names used to characterize African Americans, he found one word to be “unacceptable”, the “N” word, which refers to someone who is economically, politically and socially disenfranchised. His research of the word inspired him to write a speech to persuade discontinued use of it.

Master McCoy, who just turned 11 years old on September 18, is a highly intelligent student with a 3.7 GPA, and is passionate on his stance to delete the “N” word, especially among African Americans. He says that an African American’s use of this word “takes away from everything the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks stood for and accomplished to help us obtain civil rights.   There is nothing civil or right about being called, or calling someone an “N” word.” McCoy said.

The YouTube video presentation can be viewed by accessing the link at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMyp8y8SkUM.

El Centro College is located at 801 Main Street in downtown Dallas, across from the DART West End rail station.

For more information, INCLUDING INFORMATION ABOUT MEDIA ACCESS, please contact Florine Humble at (214) 860-2057, via email at FHumble@dcccd.edu,  or by fax at (214)860-2164

Not only will the campus be used for educating Dallas citizens, but it will also house the Southeast Dallas Chamber of Commerce, the Southeast Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Wilkinson Center.

Eastfield Pleasant Grove already has 300 students registered for the Fall Session. The theme of the day was how the Dallas workforce lags behind in the area of education, and that DCCCD is the largest college system in Texas. The citizens of Southeast Dallas have another landmark to be proud of, and hopefully the city as a whole will embrace it.