I am one class away from having perfect attendance!  While that might not seem like a blog-worthy topic, let me assure you that not only is it worthy, but it's HUGE!  Why?  Because it will be the first time in my ENTIRE life that I have had perfect attendance.  The FIRST TIME!  EVER! 
To be quite honest, school was never a big deal for me.  
As you may know, from 4th to 9th grade, I missed as many as 60-90 days of school every year. Even after I started taking school seriously, I never managed to break that habit. If you're interested, I plan on talking about about some of the factors that lead to excessive absenteeism and truancy as well as things that are needed to shake off mediocrity and excel academically.in my upcoming EMPOWERMENT SEMINAR.  

But next Tuesday, at 8AM, if I can make it to class, I will be celebrating in my heart, because I know how big of milestone this will be for me.  To be sure, I know that school years have two semesters. But I'm not thinking that far ahead.  I'm just trying to make it to next tuesday.  If I make it, my wife promised to get me something I've always seen others receive-a certificate with a sticker on it. I can't wait! 

In my to visits to school districts around the country (California, Indiana, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Iowa, New York, Kentucky, Arizona, and others), I have been seeing and sensing a much higher degree of anxiety and stress among educators across the board. From regional superintendents to teachers in the classroom, schools are cutting programs left and right just to keep their heads above water.

I can’t tell you how heartbreaking it is to sit with superintendents over dinner, and see tears well up in their eyes as they talk about the difficulty of handing pink slips to some of their best teachers; or to hear a young teacher, who feels called to teach, tell me she has been fired even though her students had been getting higher test scores. Most of the tens of thousands of teachers losing their jobs are not being fired because of poor performance, lack of commitment, or some personal moral failure. Rather, they are being fired because we don’t have money to pay them (while millions of our tax dollars are padding the pockets big bank executives via bonuses or to build another jail).

We need to make sure Congress understands that investing in education is not only good for the economy, but for society as whole.  We can reduce costs LATER on by ensuring we have a well-educated, competitive workforce NOW!

Click HERE to email your member of congress today, and win an ipod nano.  

What are your thoughts about the current state of education in America? What do you think needs to be done?

Even if you do not have a college-aged child at home, please share this with someone who does, pass this scholarship information on to anyone and everyone that comes to mind. Though there are a number of companies and organizations that have donated moneys for scholarship use to African Americans, a great deal of the money is being returned because of a lack of interest.

(If clicking on the link doesn't work, then type in the Web site
address manually.)

1) Bell Labs Fellowships for Under Represented Minorities http://www.bell-labs.com/fellowships/CRFP/info.html

2) Student Inventors Scholarships http://www.invent.org/collegiate

3) Student Video Scholarships http://www.christophers.org/vidcon2k.html

4) Coca-Cola Two Year College Scholarships http://www.coca-colascholars.org/programs.html

5) Holocaust Remembrance Scholarships http://holocaust.hklaw.com/=20

6) Ayn Rand Essay Scholarships http://www.aynrand.org/contests/

7) Brand Essay Competition http://www.instituteforbrandleadership.org/IBLEssayContest-2002 Rules.htm

8) Gates Millennium Scholarships (major) http://www.gmsp.org/nominationmaterials/read.dbm?ID=12

9) Xerox Scholarships for Students http://www2.xerox.com/go/xrx/about_xerox/about_xerox_detail.jsp

10) Sports Scholarships and Internships http://www.ncaa.org/about/scholarships.html

11) National Assoc. of Black Journalists Scholarships (NABJ)
http://www.nabj.org/html/studentsvcs.html

12) Saul T. Wilson Scholarships (Veterinary) http://www.aphis.usda.gov/mb/mrphr/jobs/stw.html

13) Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund http://www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org/sk_v6.cfm


14) FinAid: The Smart Students Guide to Financial Aid scholarships)
http://www.finaid.org/

15) Presidential Freedom Scholarships http://www.nationalservice.org/scholarships/


16) Microsoft Scholarship Program http://www.microsoft.com/college/scholarships/minority.asp!


17) WiredScholar Free Scholarship Search htt p://www.wiredscholar.com/paying/scholarship_search/pay_scholarship_search.jsp

18) Hope Scholarships &Lifetime Credits http://www.ed.gov/inits/hope/

19) William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students
http://www.apsanet.org/PS/grants/aspen3.cfm

20) Multiple List of Minority Scholarships http://gehon.ir.miami.edu/financial-!assistance/Scholarship/blackhtml

21) The Roothbert Scholarship Fund http://www.roothbertfund.com

22) BOEING scholarships (soma e HBCU connects) http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/educationrelations/scholarships

23) Easley National Scholarship Program http://www.naas.org/senior.htm

24) Maryland Artists Scholarships http://www.maef.org/

26) Jacki Tuckfield Memorial Graduate Business Scholarship (for AA students in
South Florida ) http://www.jackituckfield.org/

27) Historically Black College & University Scholarships http://www.iesabroad.org/info/hbcu.htm


28) Actuarial Scholarships for Minority Students http://www.beanactuary.org/minority/scholarships.htm

29) International Students Scholarshi ps &Aid Help http://www.iefa.org/

30) College Board Scholarship Search http://cbweb10p.collegeboard.org/fundfinder/html/fundfind01.html

31) Burger King Scholarship Program http://www.bkscholars.csfa.org/

32) Siemens Westinghouse Competition http://www.siemens-foundation.org/

33) GE and LuLac Scholarship Funds http://www.lulac.org/Programs/Scholar.html

35) Union Sponsored Scholarships and Aid http://www.aflcioorg/scholarships/scholar.htm


36) Federal Scholarships &Aid Gateways 25 Scholarship Gateways from Black Excel
http://www.blackexcel.org/25scholarships.htm

37) Scholarship &Financial Aid Help http://www.blackexcel.org/fin-sch.htm

38) Scholarship Links (Ed Finance Group) http://www.efg.net/link_scholarship.htm


39) FAFSA On The Web (Your Key Aid Form &Info) http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

41) Scholarships and Fellowships http://www.osc.cuny.edu/sep/links.html

42) Scholarships for Study in Paralegal Studies http://www.paralegals.org/Choice/2000west.
htm

43) HBCU Packard Sit Abroad Scholarships ( for study around the world)
http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/packard_nomination.html

44) Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities http://ccmi.uchicago.edu/schl1html

45) INROADS internships http://www.inroads.org/

46) ACT-SO bEURoeOlympics of the Mind 'A Scholarships http://www.naacp.org/work/actso/act-so.shtml

47) Black Alliance for Educational Options Scholarships http://www.baeo.org/options/privatelyfinanced.jsp

48) ScienceNet Scholarship Listing http://www.sciencenet.emory.edu/undergrad/scholarships.html

49) Graduate Fellowships For Minorities Nationwide http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/Student/GRFN/list.phtml?category=MINORITIES

50) RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS AT OXFORD http://www.rhodesscholar.org/info.html  www.bell-labs.com

Syracuse University has 10 Full Rides for African American Men and Women
Interested in Studying Architecture. Mark Robbins, Dean of Syracuse
University's School of Architecture is desperately seeking young men and
women of color interested in pursuing a five year professional degree in
Architecture.
 
He says he's deeply committed to bringing diversity to his
field and has scholarship money set aside to fully cover education costs
for 10 students. He says that Hispanic enrollment in the school has
increased substantially, but it's been harder to attract Blacks.
Syracuse University School of Architecture has a great reputation and
this seems like a terrific opportunity, so please pass this on to
everyone you know.
 
Contact: Mark Robbins, Dean, School of Architecture  (315) 443-2256  
(315) 443-2256    (315) 443-2256  (315) 443-2256