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Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Tampa Alumnae Chapter Holds Writing Workshop, Spoken Word Event
Writing workshop en- courages the public to share their life stories through po- etry
The Tampa Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in collaboration with D.E.L.T.A., Inc. will hold Expressions of Determina- tion Strength and Triumph, a writing workshop for youth and adults on Saturday, March 25, 2017. The free workshop will be held from 12 to 2 p. m. at the College Hill Conference Center, 1002 E. MLK Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33603. The public is in- vited to attend and should register at Eventbrite.com.
The writing workshop will feature instruction and coaching by Phillip Scott, Dennis Amadeus and Wally B, members of the Tampa poetry collective Black on Black Rhyme.
DR. LESLIE BROWN ...President
Veronica Blakely, author, and instructors will also par- ticipate.
Through the event, the sorority seeks to encourage open communication and ex- pression about difficult, in- spiring, or challenging times in life.
“With so much anxiety in our country right now related to the political climate, work
DENNIS AMADEUS ...Coach, Instructor
issues, finances and the stresses of everyday life, we felt that it was imperative to present an event that allowed for introspection, reflection and engaging dialogue around an issue that has sig- nificantly impacted the com- munities we serve,” said Leslie Brown, president of the Tampa Alumnae Chapter. “Poetry can be that therapeu-
WALLY B ...Coach, Instructor
tic release.”
As part of the chapter’s
annual May Week events, participants in the March 25 event will be invited to share their work in the sorority’s Poetry Open Mic Night on May 6.
Both events dovetail with the sorority’s initiative to bring awareness to the state of mental health in minority
VERONICA BLAKELY ...Author, Instructor
communities. The Project is funded in part by a grant from the Tampa Bay Light- ning Foundation in honor of Senator Arthenia Joyner, 2016 Community Hero Award Recipient, in Collaboration with D.E.L.T.A., Inc., a 501©(3) Organization, a longtime col- laborator of the Tampa Alumnae Chapter.
Students Lead Discussion At Community Summit
On Thursday, March 2nd, students from 12 high schools in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties will partic- ipate in GradNation Commu- nity Summit. The Summit will take place at the Hilton Tampa Downtown, 211 N. Tampa Street, from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
The students will discuss challenges and solutions for raising high school gradua- tion rates at the Summit.
Community officials, business leaders, educators, and parents will join the stu- dents as they examine local data, identify challenges, and offer solutions to prepare students for success on their path to graduation and be-
yond.
The sessions include:
“The Power of Youth Voice,” “The Generation Gap,” Crucial Conversa- tions,” “Mapping Com- munity Assets,” “Crossing the Cultural Divide,” and “What I Can’t Tell You.”
The Summit is one of 100 held across the country, but this is the only one that is student-conceived and stu- dent-led. The GradNation Community Summit will serve as a launch pad for the development of a community action plan that outlines how both counties will accelerate efforts to raise the high school graduation rate.
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