Greetings and Welcome to the Education Program Page of the Mighty Eastern Region, The purpose of this correspondence is to ensure that there is a unity of purpose around the educational programming objectives for the Eastern Region. Attached to this correspondence you will find the PowerPoint that was presented by the Eastern Regional Director of Education during the 2016 Regional Leadership Retreats. Embedded in the PP presentation you will find links to the Standard Operating Procedures and easy to follow guidelines and directions that will enable you to produce quality educational programming on behalf of the region to uplift the community during the 2017-2018 implementation cycle. Additionally, this communication will also update you on the expectations, important program focus areas, and Educational PIA reporting. Remember our mantra, “Men of Sigma Promoting Literacy” as we once again embark on the awesome task of uplifting our communities through our important educational initiatives that make us as relevant as progress and necessary as air to our beloved constituents and supporters in the community at large. Do not forget to continue to keep track of the data surrounding the implementation of our initiatives because that is the data that is analyzed to determine, recognize and reward the Best Collegiate and Graduate Chapter in Education in the Eastern Region.
There is nothing more important as it relates to the Mighty Eastern Region’s Educational Objectives for 2017-2018 moving forward as mandated by the International Director of Education than ensuring your chapter makes manifest through action these two objectives…
- RAISING MONEY FOR AND PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS
- ADOPT A SCHOOL
Educational Stakeholders of the Eastern Region please ensure that you highlight any and all educational activities and programs on Social Media utilizing the #EDUCATION1914. Include pictures and descriptors because as a wondrous band it is Mission Critical that we increase our visibility in the communities that we serve as testament to the oath we took and the commitment in our collective hearts. We as educated men of Sigma have a duty to serve as a buffer and vanguard of the communities that we service against the coming uncertainty and expected difficulties of the new presidential administration. We have to be PRESENT in our communities and PROMOTING the culture for service that we all hold so dear; increase of the #EDUCATION1914 is an affirmative step toward that desired result. The Eastern Regional Director of Education is looking for an an explosion of educational reporting utilizing #EDUCATION1914. The Region is looking to award two chapters (one graduate and one collegiate) with a monetary award and recognition at our upcoming Eastern Regional Conference for the chapters that utilize the #EDUCATION1914 to highlight and showcase their educational events and service to the community through our Adopt A School and/or Scholarship initiatives. Become the model chapter by publicizing your events this fall! More details to follow during the upcoming State Meeting Season.
Oratorical and Debate Contests
The oratorical and debate contest will continue to be sponsored and supported by the Eastern Regional Director of Education. We must collectively be committed to making these competitions the showcases of intellectual discourse and eloquent oratory that they were designed to be. Graduate advisors, chapter presidents, area directors, chapter education chairs and state education chairs all share in the collective responsibility to encourage our collegians to participate in this showcase. The skill sets that can be honed and perfected in this contest have cross applications in the job market that is simply unparalleled. There will be important information conveyed during the upcoming State Meeting Season in September of 2017 about the financial support available to each respective state in the region if you decide to conduct a state level contest (WHICH IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED). The themes, monetary prizes and chapter trophies will come through your State Directors of Education and supported by the region when you decide to implement. The information and rules on how to conduct a competition at the state level is all available on our national website. You can also go to www.debate-central.org in order to gain more clarity on the rules for conducting the Lincoln Douglas as well as the oratorical contests at the state level or contact me directly at sraalim@gmail.com for more information.
PIA’s
It is also mission critical to ensure as educational stakeholders in the Eastern Region that we are holding one another accountable for the completion of the PIA’s for our educational programming. The PIA’s are an important mechanism for both documenting our efforts and being able to affirm our collective work with data that we can leverage other confluent organizations to partner and support our educational objectives and outreach activities. I am requesting that all PIA’s for educational programming completed in the fall be updated in the Blueprint by no later than January 31st of 2018 unless there are extenuating circumstances that would preclude that outcome.
Grades “All The Way Up” Initiative/Internal Scholarships
It is the intent of the Eastern Regional Board and the Eastern Regional Director of Education to affirm our collective commitment to educational excellence. In pursuit of that end I have outlined the Grades All The Way Up Initiative in the attached powerpoint which will explain the incentives to encourage brothers enrolled in school to improve their grades and study habits so that our wondrous band can continue to be a change agent in our communities and a shining example for the generations coming behind us that the pursuit of educational excellence is not only a worthy goal but the key to our collective personal freedom. Additionally, the previous administration established the 3.0 Educational Honor Roll to encourage our brothers to aim and maintain a 3.0 grade point average. This important initiative will continue and all brothers who meet the criteria will be recognized on the Eastern Regional Website. The deadline for submissions is March 1 of 2018 to be recognized for a 3.0 attained during the Fall semester of 2017. The applications to be recognized for the 3.0 Sigma Dean’s List, 3.5 GPA Scholarship, as well as the Most Improved GPA recognition will all be posted on the Eastern Region Website after the September 2017 State Meeting Season has ended.
Culture for Service Pathways: How To Make It Through College Successfully
Sigma Leadership Journal Project
Pursuant to the goals of the Grades All The Way Up initiative I have designed a presentation for our beloved collegiate brothers that is an element of the Program Director’s Tour that will be continuing this fall with cities and campuses TBA throughout the Eastern Region. It has been posted below and can be downloaded by clicking the link below.
Food 4 Thought Program
This is a collaboration between the Education and Social Action Programs that address Sigma Wellness. Chapters in the Eastern Region were provided with a resource kit and S.O.P. prior to my administration in order to provide guidance for chapters in combatting the double tragedy of lack of school supplies and Classroom hunger particularly Title 1 Schools. This information will also be posted on the Eastern Regional Website. All chapters are highly encouraged to donate backpacks full of school supplies during the months of January-March 30 and non perishable food items to replace the school supplies lost or used up during the first half of the year. The non perishable food items (i.e. Granola Bars etc.) are an important part of this initiative because child hunger because studies from the American Pyschological Association reveal the psychological effects of hunger on education. Hunger has been observed to cause depression, anxiety, and withdrawal. all of which are obstructions to a child trying to focus on learning. So the backpacks full of school supplies AND nonperishable food items are an important and profound way to promote education by promoting things that impact the whole child. Ideally, this program can be implemented in conjunction with our flagship Adopt A School Program; in the event that your chapter has not adopted a school as of yet the donation of the fully stocked backpacks could be an important first step to establishing a partnership with a school under your purview.
Blueprint Support
Brethren, since it is critically important that we ensure that our Educational PIA’s are posted and we are truly maximizing the Blueprint for its intended purpose we have Brother Mark Cornelius to support you with your Blueprint questions and he can be reached at Technology@phibetasigma.org
If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact me directly at 240-381-5519 or at sraalim@gmail.com or education@pbseast.org. Looking forward to reconnecting with everyone and reaffirming our important work during the upcoming State Meeting Season.