First National Conference to Address Educational Needs of African American Males to be Held in Denver

A national conference – the first effort of its kind – to address the educational needs of African American males will be held in Denver on Thursday, May 4, and Friday, May 5. The conference will provide opportunities to research and study African American males’ experiences at all stages of the educational pipeline, from the early influence their family has on their educational success to their roles as university administrators.

The conference, hosted by the Center for African American Research and Policy, Colorado State University and the Interwest Equity Assistance Center, will provide attendees with information about scientific research and practical applications to ensure that African American males are better served in educational systems. Researchers, teachers, educational administration and policy makers will be in attendance.

"This conference will provide a forum to discuss issues surrounding African American males in educational settings. The one thing that makes this conference different is that we will develop a best-practices document that can be disseminated to parents, K-12 educational settings, higher education institutions and to any other constituents who are concerned with the plight of African American males in education," said Chance W. Lewis, assistant professor of Teacher Education at Colorado State University and associate director of the Center for African American Research and Policy.

The goal is to bring individuals who are committed to improving the educational conditions of African American males in the United States together, added Jerlando F. L. Jackson, assistant professor of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and executive director of the Center for African American Research and Policy.

"We will discuss the experiences of African American males as both students and professionals throughout the educational pipeline. What will make this dialogue unique is that key stakeholders – including researchers, practitioners and policy makers – will be at the table. We intend to translate this rich and varied dialogue into a best-practices document to provide intervention guidelines as students progress through educational systems," Jackson said.

National experts will discuss research and current issues. Conference presenters are:

– Lamont A. Flowers, distinguished professor of Educational Leadership and director of the Charles H. Houston Center for the Study of the Black Experience in Education at Clemson University.

– Jerlando F. L. Jackson, assistant professor of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and executive director of the Center for African American Research and Policy.

– Chance W. Lewis, assistant professor of Teacher Education at Colorado State University and associate director of the Center for African American Research and Policy.

– Jelani Mandara, assistant professor of Human Development and Social Policy at Northwestern University.

– James L. Moore, III, associate professor of Counselor Education at The Ohio State University.

– Brian N. Williams, assistant professor of Public Administration and Policy at the University of Georgia.

Registration before April 4 is $145 per person for the two-day conference, which includes workshops and five meals. After April 4, registration is $165. Conference registration is limited to 250 people, and pre-registration is encouraged. On-site check-in is from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, May 4, with the opening session beginning at 9 a.m. Opening remarks on Friday, May 5, begin at 8:30 a.m.

For more information about the conference or to register, visit www.caarpweb.org.

The Center for African American Research and Policy engages in scholarly research to advance critical discourse and promote informed decisions about policy issues confronting African Americans in academics and society at-large. The breadth and depth of research and policy-oriented projects encompasses the full tapestry of the African American predicament and reflects the wide diversity of academic backgrounds of the affiliated researchers at the center.

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