Education – Page 60 – The Mississippi Link

JSU presents ‘Step Afrika!’ September 10

The Mississippi Link Newswire
(JACKSON, Miss.) – The Jackson State University College of Liberal Arts will present the percussive dance troupe Step Afrika! in a public performance at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Rose E. McCoy Auditorium on the university’s main campus, 1400 John R. Lynch St. in Jackson.

Step Afrika! is the first professional company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping. Founded in 1994, the Washington, D.C.-based dance company is renowned worldwide for using the stepping tradition to promote teamwork, academic achievement and cross-cultural understanding…. […]

Education chief: Maybe start school later in day

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WASHINGTON (AP) — A later start to the school day could help teenagers get the most from their classroom time and local districts should consider delaying the first bell, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday.

School districts would still be free to set their own start times, Duncan insisted in a broadcast interview, but he pointed to research that backs up his comments that rested students are ready students. Duncan said he would not be telling local school leaders when their first bells should ring and said it was up to local leaders to make the decisions on their own…. […]

Student drivers subject to drug tests

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The first day back at school typically means lots of forms to fill out from clubs, classes and extracurricular activities. But some students in one district also have to sign a consent form to be tested for drugs in order to receive a parking permit.

An amendment to Madison County Schools’ drug testing policy means students who drive to school are now subject to random tests, a move applauded by parents and administrators but questioned by a civil rights group.

The district already randomly tests any student involved in extracurricular activities from grades seven and up. However, the new policy expands the testing pool by also adding all sophomores, juniors and seniors who purchase a parking decal, a requirement dubbed “pee to park” in some circles. […]

Beekeeping workshop set in Corinth

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Mississippi State University bee specialist Jeff Harris will conduct a workshop for beekeepers on Aug. 20 in Corinth.

The Daily Corinthian reports the session is designed for beginning beekeepers and will be held at the Alcorn County Extension Service office near Crossroads Arena.

There is no charge to attend.

The workshop is scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. […]

CSLC Summer Youth Program a huge success academically, enriching lives

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The Mississippi Link Newswire

LEXINGTON – As students head back to school across the state of Mississippi, 53 of them in Holmes County can say they had a fun and enriching summer that also enhanced their lives academically.

Recent raw data from pre- and post-tests administered during the Community Students Learning Center’s (CSLC) Summer Youth Program indicated that the majority of the students showed academic improvement in reading, math and language after the six-week summer program…. […]

Myrlie Evers honored with National Urban League Civil Rights Award

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The Alcorn family congratulates civil rights icon Myrlie Evers for being honored with the National Urban League Civil Rights Award. Mrs. Evers, who serves as Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at Alcorn State University, accepted the award at the 2013 National Urban League Conference held July 24-27, 2013, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“We are extremely proud for Professor Myrlie Evers for adding another coveted award to her array of honors,” stated Alcorn President M. Christopher Brown II. “We are grateful for everything Mrs. Evers is doing for the nation and for her invaluable contribution as faculty at Alcorn.” […]

Aug. 30 deadline set for parents to scan fingers

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Parents have until Aug. 30 to register for a finger-scanning system to sign children in and out of federally subsidized child care.

Jill Dent, director of the Division of Early Childhood Care and Development at the state Department of Human Services, announced the deadline last Wednesday.

By then, parents and other caregivers will have to visit county DHS offices to scan their fingers into the system, or lose their subsidy. […]

Hattiesburg Zoo gets grant for discovery center

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The Ashbury Foundation has given $277,000 to the Hattiesburg Zoo to help complete work on the zoo’s highly anticipated education building.

The money will be used primarily to finish the interior of the 2,200 square-foot facility. It will open in April of 2014 as part of the zoo’s annual Birthday Bash celebrations and will be known as the Asbury Discovery Center.

The new state-of-the-art facility will feature viewable housing for the zoo’s education animals, as well as viewable offices and labs. It will also serve as the new home and play yard for the Zoo’s Galapagos Tortoises, and a venue for zoo classes, camps, special events and corporate meetings. […]

New certificate in Veteran service available at MSU

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Consistently ranked as a top U.S. military-friendly university, Mississippi State continues its longstanding tradition of serving members of the armed forces by offering a new certificate program.

The university recently developed the Veterans’ Certificate Program to train individuals to help former military service members successfully transition to civilian life. The program establishes an opportunity for professionals, graduates and undergraduates to improve their knowledge of veterans’ benefits while honing their leadership skills.

A recent grant from the Walmart Foundation for $80,000 funded the new program, which is the only one of its kind in the nation. Courses to earn the Veterans’ Certificate may be applied as a concentration for the Bachelor of Science in interdisciplinary studies, or as electives in a graduate-level program, said Kenneth D. “Ken” McRae, director of MSU’s Center for America’s Veterans. […]

DSU president LaForge returning to work this week

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Delta State University President Bill LaForge says his doctors have given him a clean bill of health, and he will be back at work this week.

DSU spokeswoman Michelle Roberts said Friday that LaForge will attend a Delta State alumni meeting Thursday in Jackson, then will return to campus in Cleveland.

During the July 4 weekend, LaForge suffered a subdural hematoma – a gathering of blood on the brain’s surface – while at a South Carolina beach with family. Roberts says while LaForge’s injury was not major, he went to a local hospital when he continued to suffer headaches and pain. […]