Education briefs
Published 12:00 am Thursday, April 7, 2016
Rowan Youth Orchestra
The Rowan Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Marguerite Keller, will present a concert Friday at First United Church of Christ at 7 p.m. The group will also perform at Trinity Oaks Arboretum at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13, weather permitting.
The Rowan Youth Orchestra is sponsored by the Salisbury Symphony and the Robert and Lois Pruehsner Education Fund. The ensemble consists of young musicians who have completed two or more years of After-School Strings and/or its equivalent. Keller directs the group, which meets once a week from September to May. They present two concerts a year and also perform for community events.
For more information on this, After-School Strings and Summer Strings Camp, contact Nancy Barrow, education director, at 704-637-4730 or ncbarrow15@catawba.edu
Student art show
The yearly Student Art Show will be held at the Salisbury Civic Center April 12 and 13 until noon. A reception and awards presentation will be held Wednesday beginning at 6 p.m.
Teen Summit
Gemstones Academy and COMPASS presents the 2016 Teen Summit, “Empowering minds — transforming lives” on Saturday, April 16, at Livingstone College’s Tubman Theater. The summit will run from noon to 2 p.m. with topics of discussion such as education, athletics, music and gangs. The event is hosted by Alisha Byrd and Alex Clark.
Bloom Enchanted Gala
Salisbury Academy’s Bloom “Enchanted” Gala will be held April 16 at the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer. Attendees will enjoy cocktails, dinner and dancing, and will have the opportunity to bid on items during the live auction.
After-auction festivities will continue with live music and dancing to the tunes of The Shakedown Band. Festivities start at 7 p.m.
This year, one of the donated auction items includes a trip to the 143rd Kentucky Derby in Louisville. The trip includes clubhouse seating at the one and a quarter mile track at Churchill Downs. Airfare and three nights accommodations for two are included.
This year, the annual Fund-A-Need campaign will raise money to support Project Green Space. Bloom was designed to support Salisbury Academy and the youth of the community. A portion of the funds raised go to a scholarship program for summer youth leadership training opportunities and toward Salisbury Academy’s active community service outreach initiatives.
Tickets are $150 per person. Visit www.salisburyacademy.org/bloom.cfm for more information.
Wildlife scholarship grants available
Students committed to environmental and natural resource conservation and management can apply now for the 2016 North Carolina Wildlife Federation scholarship.
The federation will provide up to seven grants to students. Graduate students and undergraduate students are eligible for grants from $1,000 to $2,500.
Candidates for scholarships must be enrolled full time and attending an accredited North Carolina college or university. Scholarships are for both graduate and undergraduate students who are majoring in the areas of wildlife, fisheries, forestry, conservation or environment.
The 2016 scholarship application deadline is Thursday, June 30. Applications must be received online by 5 p.m. Visit the NCWF Scholarship Grants webpage to learn more and apply. For questions, contact Autumn Chappell at 919-833-1923 or autumn@ncwf.org.
RCCC tuition available to high school students
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s Career & College Promise program is giving local high school juniors and seniors a chance to jumpstart their college education – tuition-free.
The Career & College Promise program allows students to simultaneously enroll in high school and college so that they can receive both high school and college credit for courses taken as part of the program.
Currently, the program has approximately 575 traditional high school students in Rowan and Cabarrus counties taking advantage of this opportunity.
Unlike the early college programs, this allows students to remain very involved in their high school. They can stay active in sports and engage in all of the regular extracurricular activities, while taking college and high school courses simultaneously.
There are two tracks for the Career & College Promise program – one allows students to specialize in a career or technical pathway, while the other allows students to prepare for general transfer onto a four-year college or university.
For more information about Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, visit www.rccc.edu/ccp or call 704-216-7222. The college is currently registering Career & College Promise students for classes for the fall term. High school students should also speak with their guidance counselors.
Scholarships available
The Salisbury Rowan Home Builders Association is offering a scholarship to local students. To be considered for the scholarship a student must: be a resident of Rowan County, be enrolled or planning to enroll in a construction-related field, demonstrate academic promise and exhibit personal characteristics that will lead to success in the home builders’ trade.
Contact Chris McNeely at chriscarolmcneely@yahoo.com for more information or visit srhba.com to get an application. Applications are due on April 30.
Foxx to speak at NC A&T spring commencement
U. S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx is slated to deliver the spring 2016 commencement address for North Carolina A&T State University on Saturday, May 14. The ceremony will begin with the processional at 8:30 a.m. in the Greensboro Coliseum.
North Rowan Middle visits museum
As part of Black History month celebrations, North Rowan Middle School encouraged its students to enhance their knowledge about American history and learn more about the achievements and talents of black Americans. This effort was not confined to books alone as students visited the Spencer Doll and Toy Museum where the students were able to hear a story about the underground railroad and explore the museum with a scavenger hunt created specifically to highlight black history.
North Rowan Middle School, in collaboration with the Spencer Doll and Toy Museum, arranged a visit for 260 students from sixth, seventh and eighth grades. The field trip allowed students to improve their social studies skills and become part of celebrations and experiences for Black History Month.
For the majority of the students, this was their first time visiting a museum. Susie Hines, an African American doll artisan from Charlotte, shared her research on the evolution of black dolls throughout history. She was eager to share her passion for history and collecting those artifacts with the students.
Alexis Cowman, the Principal of North Rowan Middle School, said he appreciated museum’s efforts for his students for carrying out valuable activities.
