Essay Contest

This year the League of Women Voters of Lexington offers a two part question. The intent is that in answering the first question the writers will clarify their own thinking about different aspects of American citizenship. The second part then asks writers to apply that thinking to a major issue facing American citizens right now.

QUESTIONS:
1. What does the phrase “actively engaged citizen of the United States of America” mean to you?
2. How does your interpretation of the phrase shape your thinking on one of today’s most important issues (e.g., voting rights, immigration, partisan politics, national budget problems, health care reform)?

This contest is open to students in grades 9-12 who are attending a Fayette County school. Essays are to be typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than five pages excluding the title page. The deadline for submission is Friday, October 28th, 2011. Awards will be presented in December, 2011. Entering contestants need to submit the following:
•Title Page- submit all information requested on the attached Essay Title Page
•The Essay
•References

Essays may be mailed to:
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF LEXINGTON
P.O. Box 22045, Lexington, KY 40522-2045

Must be postmarked no later than October 28, 2011. E-mail submissions may also be made by midnight, October 28, 2011 to Judy Johnson at lexington.lwvessaycontest@gmail.com. Questions may be submitted to above e-mail address.

Information on the Essay Contest at www.lwvLexington.com

John Legend!

Join the Student Activities Board for an inspiring and motivational evening with John Legend as he speaks about his journey to ignite social change around the world.

Tickets are FREE for full-time UK Students and full-time UK Faculty/Staff. Students must show a student ID (one ticket per ID) and faculty/staff must show a Faculty/Staff card. All other tickets are $10 for the general public.

Tickets are available to UK Students and UK Faculty/Staff starting on Wednesday, August 24 - must be present at the SCFA Ticket Office to receive them. General public tickets go on sale Wednesday, August 31.

Date: October 4
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Singletary Center

For more info: www.uksab.org

Black Fathers Study

Ms. Katrina Akande is conducting a research study at the University of Kentucky about the parenting experiences of Black fathers who live apart from one or more of their children. Katrina is asking for fathers with various parenting experiences to join the study. For example, some fathers may have a good relationship with the mothers of their children while other fathers may not.

Fathers may be eligible to participate if they:

•Live in Kentucky or Southern Indiana,
•Live apart from one or more of their children who are between the ages of 2 and 17,
•Are willing to complete an online questionnaire or be interviewed via phone.

For further information, please visit www.ket.org/cgi-bin/cheetah/watch_video.pl?nola=KCWRS_000641&altdir=&template to see Katrina discussing fathers who live apart from their children.

If fathers want to join the study, please go to www.wix.com/katrinaakande/blackfathers and click "Join The Study" or call 859-544-9194. Please forward this information to others.

KSP academy targets teen drivers

The Kentucky State Police (KSP) is accepting applications for its ninth annual Drive To Stay Alive teen driving academy Sept. 7 - 11 at KSP Headquarters in Frankfort.

Drive to Stay Alive is an innovative program targeted directly at teenage drivers. Participants will spend four days learning potential life-saving skills including hands-on skills in actual motor vehicle situations combined with classroom studies. KSP uses skilled driving instructors that take participants through a variety of obstacles while coaching them the correct way to control a vehicle in different driving scenarios. The training includes topics like collision causation; vehicle dynamics and skid control; backing; multiple turns and lane interchange; safety belts and air bags; evasive maneuvers; off-road recovery and controlled braking.

To be eligible for the program, a student candidate must be:

· 16 years of age or older

· a licensed driver

· able to show good communication skills/leadership traits

· granted permission from principal or superintendant to participate (all Kentucky public and private school students are welcome.)

Applications for the Drive To Stay Alive program are available on the KSP website. There is no fee for the program but space is limited. The deadline for submitting an application is Aug. 31.

For more information about Drive To Stay Alive, go to www.kentuckystatepolice.org or contact the Public Affairs Branch at (502) 782-1780.

Midwest Regional Black Family Reunion Celebration/Cincinnati

Highlights:

S.O.S Band, R&B Concert
SATURDAY - AUG. 20th
3 pm - 7 pm

Marvin Sapp, Gospel Concert
Aug. 21, 2011
3 pm - 7 pm

The 23rd Annual Midwest Regional Black Family Reunion Celebration will be held August 19th through the 21st, 2011 at Sawyer Point. This outdoor event continues to grow and is now one of Cincinnati's largest family-focused events drawing over 100,000 patrons. The Midwest Regional Black Family Reunion Celebration was inaugurated in August 1989 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is held annually the 3rd weekend of August at Sawyer Point and Yeatman's Cove. Through the generous support of our sponsors we are able to offer the event to the public at no charge. The event has grown form the early days of 1989 to over 100,000 people of all ages on hand each year to enjoy the three days of activities.

For more info: http://www.midwestbfrc.com

Black Alliance for Educational Options

Breakfast Roundtable Discussion
with
Dr. Ben Chavis1 & President Kenneth Campbell2
Monday August 1st, 2011

8:30–10:00 AM
S.P. Rawlings Conference & Multipurpose Center
866 Georgetown St. Lexington, KY 40511
Seats are limited. For additional information or to RSVP please contact:

Dr. Wayne D. Lewis, Jr.
Lexington Outreach Coordinator
Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO)
WayneDLewisPhD@gmail.com

Black Educational Summit

The 2011 summit will be at Booker T. Washington Academy Intermediate Center, 475 Price Road. Those who fulfill requirements will be eligible for one of 150 free computers.

July 30: 9 a.m., registration; 10 and 11 a.m., breakout sessions; noon, lunch; 1 p.m., keynote speaker: Fayette Circuit Judge Pamela Goodwine, "The Practices of Positive Discipline."

July 31: 3 p.m., dinner; 4 p.m., keynote speakers Kenneth Campbell, president of Black Alliance for Educational Options, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., and Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., Black Alliance strategist and former NAACP executive director.

To register, call (859) 231-1555.

Source:www.kentucky.com

Deadline extended for Camp

The waterbotics camp hosted by the Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative is now open to rising ninth grade girls and boys. The camp, called "RoboKats," runs 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 25-29. Students will discover how robotics are changing the world as they work together to design, construct, program and operate an underwater vessel. The registration deadline has been extended to July 15 for students still wishing to sign up for the camp.

Carol Hanley, co-chair of the Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative, said she decided to open the camp up to all students because the option for a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is something that everyone should consider.



"All students should get the opportunity to learn about robotics and computer programming," Hanley said.



No prior experience is necessary to participate. The program will be held at the University of Kentucky's E. S. Good Barn at 1451 University Drive in Lexington. The cost of registration is $100. A $50 refund is given for perfect attendance, and scholarships are available.

The Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative Project brings together organizations and programs that are committed to informing and motivating girls to pursue educational choices in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to build a strong, diverse workforce in Kentucky.

For more information, please contact Esther Edwards at (859) 257-3780.

High School Students to Explore Studies, Careers in Design

High school students will get to explore careers in design through the Summer Career Discovery Program, an intensive two-week program being held at the University of Kentucky College of Design from July 10-22. The program, open to rising high school juniors and seniors, will introduce students to the depth, breadth and rigor of a design education, including the study of architecture and interior design.

Admission into the Summer Career Discovery Program is regulated through a selective admission procedure. Students will be selected according to the merit of their cumulative GPA and the quality of their statement of interest (see application for directions). The application and essay must be mailed to the UK College of Design by July 1. If you are admitted into the program you will be required to pay a $1,200 tuition fee. This fee includes the cost of housing and meals. After the fee is processed you will receive forms for parental consent and a packet with additional details about the program.

For more information on the Summer Career Discovery Program, contact Derrick Meads at derrick.meads@uky.edu or (859) 257-5367, or visit the college website at: www.uky.edu/design/index.php/events/description/summer_career_discovery_program.

Lexfusion Event

LEXfusion is an exciting community collaboration that consists of youth and adults working together to build a better community. Our vision is that young people in Lexington will be engaged in equal opportunities to develop their abilities and enhance their capacity to contribute as productive members to create safe and healthy communities.

The “Everybody Shines: Spotlight on Youth” Celebration will take place on June 12th 2011 at the Courthouse Square from 4 - 11 pm.

OPPORTUNITY FAIR, 4:00 - 6:00
GRASSROOTS GRANT Awards, 5:00 – 6:00
MUSIC SONG & DANCE, 4:00 – 7:30
YOUTH TALENT SHOW, 7:30 - 9:30

For more information or to learn how to get involved, please contact Project staff Larry Johnson at 859-258-3108, ljohnson@lfucg.com or Project Coordinator, Camille Hodge, chodge@lexingtonky.gov.

African American Genealogy Group of Kentucky

Research your roots with the African American Genealogy Group of Kentucky.

The group, which is thought to be the first of its kind in the state, helps participants get started, preserve their records and nagivate the various websites that help with genealogical research.

Interested?

Join the group June 18 for its next meeting at Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park in Jessamine County. Brandon Slone, archivist for the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs, will discuss blacks who served in the military, then the group will tour Camp Nelson. The meeting starts at 1 p.m. and welcomes all experience ranges.

Subsequent meetings are held in a different county on the third Saturday of the month. Nine counties — Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jefferson, Jessamine, Madison, Scott and Woodford counties — are represented in the group.

Annual membership in the African American Genealogy Group of Kentucky is $30 for individuals, $50 for organizations. If you just want to receive emails, the ambassador membership is free.

For more information, email aaggky@yahoo.com.

Source: www.kentucky.com

Juneteenth 2011

Saturday, June 18th

10:30 am

African Cemetery No. 2

419 East Seventh Street

Lexington, KY


12th Heavy Artillery Regiment will present colors and share stories of African American men who served in the United States Colored Troops.

Tubby's Klubhouse

The Tubby Smith Foundation and the Division of Parks and Recreation have teamed up to create Tubby’s Klubhouse Computer Education Classrooms in four of Lexington’s Community Centers (Carver, Castlewood, Dunbar and Kenwick). Each center features computer workstations with high-speed internet access for public use. Computer classes are offered to elementary, middle and high school students along with adults and senior citizens. Check with each community center for exact dates and times.

For info concerning Community centers, call: Community Centers
(859) 288-2953.

2011 Kentucky Women Writers Conference

The 2011 Kentucky Women Writers Conference will take place on September 15 -18, 2011. A complete schedule will be released in July, but we encourage you to register for the conference now.

Early registration is crucial to ensure your place in one of these limited-enrollment writing workshops:

Workshop in Poetry with Lynnell Edwards
"Writing the Poetry of Your Dreams" with Krista Franklin
Workshop in Poetry with Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Workshop in Poetry with Susan Stewart (Saturday only)
Workshop in Short Fiction with special guest Sallie Bingham
Workshop in Fiction with Danzy Senna
"Voice and Persona in First-Person Narrative" with Kim Dana Kupperman
"Stretching the Boundaries in Nonfiction Filmmaking" with Katja Esson (Friday only)

Most workshops are in two parts, meeting once on Friday and once on Saturday, Sept. 16 and 17, unless noted above.

Phone: (859) 257-2874

Kentucky Women Writers Conference
232 East Maxwell Street
Lexington, KY 40506-0344

A Chance to Tell your Story...

StoryCorps, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, preserving and sharing the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs, kicked off its visit to Lexington today. StoryCorps, which will be recording interviews in Lexington through June 25, is being hosted by WUKY, the University of Kentucky's NPR station.

As part of today's kickoff, Lexington Legends President and CEO Alan Stein and his wife, state Sen. Kathy Stein were the first interview, followed by Keeneland CEO Nick Nicholson and his brother, Kentucky Horse Park Director John Nicholson. The interviews took place in a StoryCorps MobileBooth, an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio. The MobileBooth is parked on North Upper near Main Street next to the Lexington History Museum.

To make a reservation for a 40-minute interview, call StoryCorps' toll-free reservation line at 1-800-850-4406 or visit storycorps.org. StoryCorps requests a donation of at least $25 for each MobileBooth interview. If participants cannot afford to meet the suggested donation, they may participate at no cost to ensure that StoryCorps remains a free public service.

StoryCorps plans to collect 180 interviews with residents in the Bluegrass region. WUKY will air a selection of local interviews and segments of select interviews may air nationally on NPR's "Morning Edition." With participant permission, all StoryCorps interview will be archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

Robotics Camp for Girls

The Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative will host a Waterbotics Camp for rising ninth-grade girls July 25-29. Girls will discover how robotics are changing the world as they work together to design, construct, program and operate an underwater vessel.

"This will be a great opportunity for girls to learn engineering design skills and work in teams with their peers," said Carol Hanley, co-chair of the Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative. "Girls will be coming from across the state to participate and we hope the program grows in the years to come."

No prior experience is necessary to participate. The program will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at the University of Kentucky's E. S. Good Barn at 1451 University Drive in Lexington. The deadline to register is June 15, with a registration cost of $100. A $50 refund is given for perfect attendance, and scholarships are available. For more information, please contact Esther Edwards at (859) 257-3780.

The Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative Project brings together organizations and programs that are committed to informing and motivating girls to pursue educational choices in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to build a strong, diverse workforce in Kentucky.

FREE Music Camp for Fifth Graders!

Incoming fifth graders at Arlington, Deep Springs, Dixie, Mary Todd, Maxwell, Northern, Russell Cave, Sandersville and Yates elementary schools will soon get a chance to learn to play a band instrument free of charge.

No experience necessary.

The fun begins with May 31 from 4-8 p.m. at Bryan Station High School. That night, youths try out various instruments, and parents can rent equipment from various on-site music shops.

Parents should be ready to pay the first monthly rental fee, which ranges between $25 and $40. Instruments can be also be rented from Fayette County Public Schools for $25, but those instruments are in limited supply. Preference goes to students who qualify for the free or reduced lunch program.

Also that evening, students can sign up to attend the Northside Band Academy camp which will be held at Bryan Station 6-9 p.m. Aug. 1-4.

For those who can't make it on May 31, call Bryan Station band directors at (859) 381-3311 to schedule an appointment for a Monday evening throughout the summer.

Source: www.kentucky.com

Scholarship -Deadline Approaching Soon!

The deadline to apply for the Robert Henry Hughes Memorial Scholarship is May 31, and takers are few.

The $1,000 scholarship, administered through Fayette County Judge-Executive Jon Larson's office, gives recipients $500 a semester and is renewable each year as long as the student maintains a 3.0 grade-point average.

Deputy Judge-Executive Stephen McFayden, who has been assigned to get the word out, said he has visited most Fayette County high schools and spoken with guidance counselors.

There is $35,000 available, he said, not including money that has been set aside for recipients who have maintained the required grade-point average.

Applicants need to submit a "hand-written essay" describing their accomplishments or need for the scholarship. The "hand-written" part might be the most difficult for some students in this age of computers.

The scholarship will be given equally to black and white students, McFayden said, according to the wishes of Hughes, who left $100,000 in his will to fund the scholarship.

Hughes died in 1935. He was biracial, with a black mother, Ellen Davis, and white father, John T. Hughes, a wealthy horseman and landowner.

Applications are available in counselor's offices at local high schools, McFayden said. Students also may email him at mcfaydengroup@gmail.com or call (859) 255-1001, and an application will be mailed to them. Remember, the deadline is May 31.

Source: Kentucky.com

Happy Birthday Isaac Murphy!

Celebrate Isaac’s 150th year with a Birthday Barty

Date: June 4th, 2011
Time: 1:30 - 3:30 PM
Location: Corner of Third St. and Midland Ave.

What to Expect:
•Public Archeological Dig
•Cupcakes
•Kids Crafts
•Stick Horse races
•Music
•Mayor’s Proclamation

Fun for the whole family!
FREE! NO RSVP NEEDED FREE!

Ages and Stages!

EVER WONDER HOW YOUR CHILD IS DEVELOPING? THE AGES & STAGES QUESTIONNAIRES CAN HELP!

These first years set the stage not just for school, but for life. As your baby grows into a young child, she will have many experiences, learn lots of things and gain lots of skills. That's why it's so important to make sure your child's development is progressing during this critical time.

United Way's long-term goal is that all children in our community arrive at kindergarten prepared to succeed. That's why we're promoting Ages & Stages Questionnaires for the Central Kentucky region. Ages & Stages Questionnaires help you keep track of your child's development. Starting at one month and ending at five years, these easy-to-use Questionnaires help you make sure your child is ready to succeed in school and in life.

All information provided by participants is completely confidential and never shared with anyone else.

Sign up here immediately: uwbg.org.Or, call 2-1-1 to have an enrollment form mailed to you.

Source: uwbg.org