About Councilmember Navarro

I serve as the Council Vice-President and the Montgomery County Councilmember representing District 4. I am the chair of the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee and also serve on the Health and Human Services Committee.

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November 12, 2010

The African Youth Kaleidoscope: A Framework for Innovation

8th Annual Conference: November 19-20, 2010
The African Youth Kaleidoscope: A Framework for Innovation
Hosted by the African Immigrant & Refugee Foundation and Montgomery College



Silver Spring, MD – The African Immigrant and Refugee Foundation (AIRF) whose mission is to facilitate the effective transition of African immigrants to American society and to support the productive and sustainable integration into their new homeland, will host its 8th Annual Youth Conference in partnership with Montgomery College and University African Students Associations on Friday and Saturday, November 19-20. Mr. Bill Strassberger, Chief of the U.S. State Department Public Affairs Bureau of African Affairs, will be the keynote speaker.

This year’s conference is titled "The African Youth Kaleidoscope: A Framework for Innovation,” and will be held on the Silver Spring/Takoma Park Campus of Montgomery College, 7600 Takoma Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912 from 8:30 AM to 4 PM. Metered parking and a parking garage are available. The campus is accessible by Ride-On buses, and by Metro: Red Line to Silver Spring station, then transfer to Ride-On Bus Route 17 or 18.

A diverse group of speakers and presenters -- including high school and university students, educators, service providers, philanthropists, elected officials, other nonprofit leaders and shareholders in the African community -- will address the need for broader understanding of these newcomers. The conference goal is to challenge the youth to be innovative in creating solutions for eminent identity issues, social, economic and technical challenges facing them in their new home and in the global world, including their homes of origin. Two universities in Africa have been invited to share their innovations through skype to enrich the dialogue and collaboration. Elected officials will be on hand to educate, inform and encourage civic participation on issues important to the community.

Among the conference highlights will be a special guest, Ms Cora Weiss, who will tell the story of how she became a member of a group of Black and White Americans who understood that in post-colonial, independent Africa, there could be no government, no democracy and no justice without education. To realize this noble vision, an organization known as the African American Students Foundation (AASF) was established and Ms. Weiss volunteered to serve as its Executive Director. The AASF answered Tom Mboya's cry from Kenya and offered to raise funds to provide airlifts in 1959 for over 900 Kenyans to study in American colleges and universities in order to become leaders when their country became independent from Britain 1963. Barack Obama senior was in the first Airlift and Wanjiru Kamau, the founder and director of the African Immigrant and Refugee Foundation, was in the fourth Airlift.

Students from local high schools Blair, Spring Brook and Cardozo High School, alumni from the AIRF after-school programs and their mentors from Howard, Georgetown, American Universities and the University of North Carolina, will share their experiences of their new homeland.

Panel discussion topics during the two-day conference, November 19-20, include: Innovations in Science, Technology and the Arts; In Our Voices: Our Stories and Lived Experiences, featuring area high school and college student presentations; Scholarships and Financial Aid: Opportunities for Education; Policy Making and Advocacy, with several state and county elected officials; Public Health and Nutrition: Wellness Promotion and Disease Prevention; Violence Prevention: Bullying in Schools and Conflict Resolution; Community Collaborations and Resources; Entrepreneurs and Social Enterprise; Philanthropy, Leadership and Community Service Learning Opportunities: A Time to Give Back.

Tables will be made available for the distribution of resource materials and information regarding area health and human service programs, non-profit organizations offering community service learning hours for students, scholarships and educational opportunities, announcements of upcoming events, etc.

Following the Saturday panels and presentations, there will be a banquet in honor of AIRF’s volunteers, alumni, mentors/tutors and current African Club members. All participants and guests are invited to attend for a donation of $25. The Georgetown African Student Association will provide the music.

For more information and fees, and to register, please visit www.airfound.org. Registration include breakfasts, lunches and snack breaks. You can also call Desta Anywio at 202-234-AIRF (2473) or send an e-mail to info@airfound.org.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Airf-Page/1430660020

http://www.facebook.com/pages/AIRFound/177752401729?ref=ts
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