Archives: News

The Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium (PEDC) hosted a two-day virtual summit on June 22 and June 23 that joined hundreds of educators at all levels to engage members and stakeholders in important dialogues about the future of educator diversity in Pennsylvania.

 

The event titled, “Reaping What We Sow: Enriching the Soil to Cultivate and Sustain Culturally Relevant and Anti-Racist Educators in Pennsylvania” was organized by PEDC co-founders who represent Cheyney University Pennsylvania, Temple University, State College Area School District, and other professionals in education. The goal was to elevate a shared vision, new opportunities and tools needed to mobilize, prioritize and take actionable steps toward increasing the number of Black, Latinx, and culturally relevant and sustaining educators in Pennsylvania.

 

According to Kizzy Morris, Cheyney’s Provost and Chief Academic Officer and PEDC Co-Founder, the Pennsylvania Educators Diversity Consortium was founded as a grassroots organization of concerned and committed educators to increase and sustain teacher diversity with the Commonwealth.

 

“Less than 10% of teachers, that is not even 1 in 10 educators, in the state are persons of color. Yet our state is representative of many people from diverse backgrounds and varying identities,” said Morris. “Our purpose culminates annually with the Summit, which is hosted by Cheyney University, the nation’s first HBCU whose origins are grounded in educator preparation programs. We are excited to continue to be part of the journey to affect the changes to policies, procedures, and practices to make education within our Commonwealth equitable and inclusive.”

 

“The impact of bringing together several hundred stakeholders from across the Commonwealth to address educator diversity is significant for ensuring equitable and high-quality educational experiences for students in Pennsylvania,” said Dr. Juliet Curci, Assistant Dean of College Access and Persistence, Temple University College of Education and Human Development. “We are looking forward to building the momentum of the Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium’s efforts through the programming and engagement of attendees in the Summit.”

 

The virtual summit included keynote speeches by education stakeholders, workgroups, and informational sessions across the two days. Participants had the opportunity to engage in several topics, including:

• Examine the vital role of the preparation, recruitment, hiring, and retention of highly effective, culturally relevant, and sustaining PreK-20 educators as foundational to dismantling systemic racism across Pennsylvania ecosystems.
• Identify how local education agencies, institutions of higher education, and community-based organizations can utilize data to examine trends, assess challenges, and set goals for increasing educator diversity locally, regionally, and state-wide.
• Center the voices and experiences of Black and Latinx students and educators in identification of action steps related to the need for culturally relevant and sustaining education, teacher effectiveness, and equity and diversity in the educator workforce.
• Explore various strategies and tools for implementation of the Consortium’s culturally relevant and sustaining education competencies, as well as initiatives related to the recruitment, mentorship, and retention of Black and Latinx teachers.

 

“What made this educator diversity Summit such an important event is the number of committed educators from across the Commonwealth registered and expressed an interest in teacher diversity and Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education,” said Dr. Donna-Marie Cole-Malott, Educational Consultant. “We have an opportunity to make a difference, and the time is now. The Summit is a place they can come to learn about the possibilities for what this could look like, and to get support from PEDC and the individuals already doing this work.”

 

This was the second annual Educator Diversity Summit hosted by PEDC, formerly the Aspiring to Educate (A2E) Consortium. Cheyney faculty and staff became founding members of PEDC’s statewide program last year to teach diversity as it aligned well with efforts as part of its Breaking Barriers Series initiative. The program’s initial key outcome during the last several months was creating toolkits based on the pillars of the teacher diversity: recruitment, retention, mentorship, and culturally relevant sustaining

After watching repeated news stories and footage about the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, Isabella Hanson felt there needed to be a platform for youth to have their voices heard and process the pain they were witnessing from the tragedies.

Hanson, 15, launched “I Matter,” a national art and poetry contest on the Black Lives Matter Movement, one year ago.

The contest drew participation from students in 26 states. The top poems and art were compiled in a book honoring the Black people killed in 2020.

“I wanted to create a space for the youth to have a voice for self-expression about why Black Lives Matter and a place for their voices to be heard,” Hanson said. “I think it was cathartic for the participants to use the “I Matter” platform to process their reactions to everything that was going on.”

Hanson and the “I Matter” Project will be a part of an event titled “The Role of the Artist in the Journey Toward Freedom” at Cheyney University’s Marian Anderson Auditorium on Saturday.

Winners from the inaugural poetry competition will share their poems and art on why Black Lives Matter. Hanson will also read the winning poem from the contest, “Hey Google,” written by Khabria Fisher-Dunbar.

The occasion will also feature a lecture and Q & A session with acclaimed writer, award-winning poet, activist and scholar Caroline Randall Williams.

Williams is on the faculty at Vanderbilt University as writer-in-residence in the Department of Medicine, Health and Society.

A reception will be held prior to the poetry readings and lecture.

“Our segment is jam-packed and it’s going to be amazing,” Hanson said. “The way the poets present themselves is really special and I feel like everybody needs to experience that. I want people to leave our event feeling inspired.”

Cheyney’s keynote lecture is a part of Chester County’s inaugural Juneteenth Festival, a program featuring nationally known speakers, performances, local programming and celebrations through July 5.

The festival is a partnership between the Chester County Historic Preservation Society, Voices Underground, the Chester County History Center, and the Chester County Planning Commission.

President Joe Biden signed legislation Thursday establishing June 19 as a federal holiday.

“We’re excited to participate in an event that celebrates the journey toward freedom in the African-American community,” said Christa Cobb, director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Responsibility at Cheyney University.

“Hosting an important discussion on Juneteenth sends a compelling message about Cheyney University’s historic role in education, advocacy, equity and social justice,” she added.

Cobb said she hopes the event gives people some lifelong benefits.

“What I want people to take away from the event is a sense of community in terms of being able to come together to discuss the journey toward freedom as it relates to what the experience has been for the African-American community, but also how that journey toward freedom requires participation from all communities,” Cobb said.

“My hope is that people participating in this event will have a better understanding of some of the challenges, but also see opportunities where as a country we can come together to not only engage in dialogue, but to be more tactful.”

University is taking steps to return to the courts for 2021-22, establishing regular season schedules

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania today announced its plans for returning to the courts for the 2021-22 season as Covid-19 pandemic restrictions are being lifted for Pennsylvania and surrounding states.

“We have been actively monitoring the state’s guidelines and CDC restrictions throughout the pandemic and doing everything we can to keep our students, staff and campus community safe and healthy,” said President Aaron A. Walton. “We are excited to get our athletic programs back in action again, and most importantly we are encouraged by the state’s recent announcement to lift the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions on May 31.”

President Walton continued, “We are taking all necessary steps right now to get our teams back on the courts next season.”

The university is communicating with several potential universities and colleges to establish full schedules for the upcoming season. Cheyney competes as an independent school and is not part a specific league or conference. The university participates in men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball.

“We are actively contacting schools and working with their athletic programs to establish regular season schedules for our student athletes,” Walton said. “We remain committed to our athletic programs and believe they are an important part of every student athlete’s educational experience. We look forward to confirming schedules and seeing our teams practicing again.”

Cheyney did not participate in the 2020-21 regular season when the pandemic hit because the games would have necessitated travel. The university has been factoring all health and safety conditions into its decision to return for the upcoming season.

Along with a return to athletics, the university will be realigning its coaching staff and will announce the detailed plans at a later date.

These actions are part of the university’s long-term plans, including expanding its current sports engagements beyond the three existing teams. A major component of the plan is construction of a state-of-the-art sports complex on campus.

“Cheyney has made tremendous strides in just the last few years,” said President Walton. “We are building on that momentum through ongoing efforts to grow our academic programs, on-campus internship opportunities and expanding partnerships that are providing more internships for our students. We know our sports programs play an important role in our student athletes’ academic success and bring pride to our alumni. We are committed to the course we have charted.”

###

 

About Cheyney – Founded in 1837, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is the nation’s oldest historically Black institution of higher education. Building on this legacy, the vision for Cheyney is to become the premier model for academic excellence, character development, and social responsibility among not only Historically Black Colleges and Universities, but in all of American higher education. The campus is located on 275 acres straddling Delaware and Chester Counties. Read more at www.cheyney.edu.

 

 

What’s the best way to learn time management? How about working the overnight shift at UPS while attending college full-time and maintaining a 4.0 GPA?

That is the model freshly minted graduate David Birts used. Now he has earned the honor of Cheyney University’s valedictorian for the class of 2021, saying, without hesitation, that the revered HBCU gave him a second chance at success.

“It’s not easy to maintain a high GPA, but when I transferred to Cheyney I wanted to push myself to succeed,” said Birts. “I worked during the third shift. I went to school and woke up at midnight to go to work. That taught me about managing my time. It’s about essentialism – putting first things first even when life gets hectic.”

Birts knows about life getting hectic. After having completed one semester at Penn State University in 2017, life threw a wrench into his plans. His mother became ill, necessitating his temporary departure from school and putting a hold on his studies. But, through the lessons he learned from his mom, who is an educator with the Reading School District, he knew he was determined to excel.

By the summer of 2018, he was able to return his focus to education and applied to Cheyney, where he was admitted and awarded the Cheyney Keystone Scholarship.

“Cheyney was my chance to receive a great education,” said Birts. “One thing I’ve learned from being here is Cheyney wants to see its students succeed. Professors and staff members always want us to reach even higher and to push for greatness. That’s what Cheyney has always been about.”

During his three years at Cheyney, Birts has pursued a degree in business administration with a minor in hotel, restaurant, and tourism. He has maintained a 4.0 GPA every semester, sets a high standard for his fellow students as Chair of the Cheyney Honors Council, and is a Thurgood Marshall College Fund scholar. During his time at Cheyney, he assisted his peers and professors as a resident assistant, a CARES Mentor, and a peer tutor.

Professor Christopher Barnes, Department of Social Science, got to know Birts when he competed for the Starbucks Foundation Grant. Barnes said as a sophomore Birts stood out among all students that competed for the limited positions on the grant. His input, dedication, and perspective were outstanding throughout the entire process, Barnes said.

“David was beloved on this campus by faculty, staff, and his peers,” said Barnes. “He was the recipient of many academic opportunities and assumed many leadership roles to advocate for his peers. His professionalism, work ethic, and maturity appeared to be that of a senior from day one.”

Barnes continued, “I was fortunate enough to observe how quickly he learned and leveraged his knowledge on a meaningful research project – examining job readiness and diversity, equity, and inclusion practices throughout the Philadelphia region.”

Birts has also been an inspiration for his younger brother, who is enrolled at Cheyney. The two have been roommates and encourage each other to excel.

Birts plans to continue as a supplier diversity analyst for Ally Financial Inc., a leader in digital financial services. Last summer, he interned in Ally’s Early Talent Program, which allowed him to gain experience across several industries involving finance, accounting, economics, and business-related fields.

He is also thinking of going to law school.

“Valedictorian is a title I’ll carry for the rest of my life. It means I represent Cheyney at the highest level and that I’m an example of Black excellence everywhere I’ll be going,” he said.

“Life is not a free ride; if you want to make something out of your life you have to go for it, work at it and it might sound like a little thing but being punctual is important too. In the business world, people appreciate that. I’ll always value my time at Cheyney, America’s oldest HBCU.”

When 22-year-old Essence Frazier received the letter from Cheyney University President Arron Walton informing her she had been chosen as class salutatorian, she was astonished.

“It was energizing and a complete validation of all my hard work at Cheyney,” said Frazier. “It takes a lot of effort and determination to get accepted to a great university and even more to understand the personal responsibility you’re taking on.”

Frazier has pursued a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in social relations concentrating in criminal justice. In her three years as a Cheyney student she has consistently maintained a 4.0 GPA. She transferred to Cheyney after a year at Harrisburg Area Community College.

Her time at Cheyney University has been well spent since she began her studies in 2018 as a Cheyney Honors student. She has served as president and past vice president of the National Society of Leadership and Success, the nation’s largest accredited leadership honor society. She is a Thurgood Marshal College Fund scholar and president of the National Council of Negro Women. In six semesters she has represented the university through her support on the Judicial Board and has assisted her fellow students and professors as a Campus Influencer, Peer Mentor, Summer Bridge Mentor and a Title XI Ambassador.

Her academic roles and achievements have helped her pursue a passion she has had since the fifth grade – understanding why crime happens.

“I want to get into the minds of individuals and understand their reasons for committing crimes and the ways they go about committing it,” said Frazier. “I love figuring things out. My goal is to become an FBI profiler.”

Her psychology professors, Dr. Christopher Barnes and Dr. Tamika Thomas, have had a significant impact on her academic success and helped her develop a career pathway.

“Dr. Barnes and Dr. Thomas have helped me understand my career options and they have always reminded me the importance of the field of psychology and the benefit it has on society,” she said. “I always knew that I wanted to work for the FBI as a criminal profiler. Since taking classes with both professors, I feel more confident it is the right choice for me.”

According to Frazier, the classes she took under Dr. Barnes and Dr. Thomas all have essential components that will assist her future career.

“Essence thrives at everything she works toward achieving. She is motivated to be the best and to make those around her better in-and-outside the classroom,” said Dr. Barnes. “I’m honored to have helped her grow academically. Ensuring that I was able to encourage her intellectual curiosity when teaching made me a better teacher.”

While she’s not going straight to the bureau after graduation, she is taking the next step toward gaining professional experience through an internship with the Altria Group in Richmond, Virginia working in consumer marketplace insights. She previously interned with the company last summer and during the fall semester.

“My goal is to develop strong enough professional ties and experience so that it will help when my time comes to join the FBI,” said Frazier. “My education at Cheyney helped me receive the internship and I believe it will be a steppingstone to other great things.”

Dr. Steven Hughes, an active researcher in fish farming for over 40 years, says one of the reasons most African Americans don’t see a career in aquaculture is they have never heard of it.

He is hoping to change that, and Cheyney University is on the frontlines of this research and exploring ways of introducing fish farming into urban environments.

“There are tremendous opportunities in this field, but it’s not widely publicized,” said Dr. Hughes, Director of Cheyney’s Aquaculture Research and Education Laboratory. “In southern states, there are many people working in the industry but not many who own the businesses. For those who do get into the industry, they’re not properly prepared for the business aspects. One of my objectives is to see that interested people are prepared.”

Aquaculture or fish farming is the cultivation of fish, shellfish, aquatic plants, mollusks, and other edible marine life. Cheyney University has created an academic/professional specialization in the culture of growing aquatic animals and plants in controlled environments.

Dr. Hughes has been overseeing the laboratory since 2004 and preparing students for emerging career opportunities, while meeting the educational extension and research needs for the region and its critical waterways. He is responsible for the planning, initiation, and execution of experiments to address research needs in the areas of urban aquaculture, fish nutrition, aquarium fish culture, impact of water quality on fish growth and physiology, and in the control of feeding behavior.

He has helped to develop an aquaponics research and production program on the campus which seeks to promote research on plant growth and the expansion of aquaculture in urban areas throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

“Many aquaculture businesses are located in rural areas, and our goal is to bring this opportunity to urban settings,” said Dr. Hughes. “It’s furthering the concept of urban farming but on a different level. We want students to realize this is something they can do, and it can lead to great career opportunities.

“It’s not just a hobby but a science industry that’s portable all over the world. It’s a way to feed hungry people and change impoverished nations.”

Recently, Dr. Hughes was elected to serve on the Board of the United States Aquaculture Society. He has also received an acknowledgment from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture for his services in Small Business Innovation program review. Hughes attained his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from the University of Notre Dame and earned both his Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Cornell University with combined emphases in nutrition, physiology, and aquaculture.

“The Aquaculture Society’s leadership has been aware of my work over the years and I’m very proud to be on the board,” he said. “I was already working with the institute in their grants program, and they appreciated the efforts I was making moving small aquaculture businesses. Their acknowledgment means a lot to me.”

Alieya Crawford, a sophomore who is majoring in aquaculture, said Dr. Hughes’ enthusiasm for the science-inspired her to pursue it. She knew she wanted to earn a degree in biology when she first came to Cheyney and realized after her first year that her passion became aquaculture.

“Dr. Hughes’ genuine interest in the subject nurtured my own,” said Crawford. “I eventually found myself with a clear idea of what I want out of the program and a possible future in aquaculture. Dr. Hughes is a treasure trove of knowledge and can answer any question about this field and the career opportunities it can create.”

As the world’s population grows, continuing to provide affordable, nutritious food becomes a major concern — and a major opportunity for meaningful careers. At Cheyney, students can get hands-on experience building and maintaining aquaculture and aquaponics systems. They also can actively participate in the development of research and education programs in urban aquaculture and fish nutrition/physiology, while furthering their education in the core foundation of the program which includes various aspects of aquatic animal biology, as well as marine and freshwater biology and ecology.

According to Dr. Hughes, fish farming is not a new concept. In fact, people have been doing it for at least 3,000 years!

“You see evidence of it in the Egyptian hieroglyphics and in ancient China. Now the world is rediscovering it in a major way,” he said.