All Entries Tagged With: "educational NoCo"
Natural healing expert to speak in Ferguson
A few years ago, when an old back injury started causing me serious pain, the only person who could help was a chiropractor. I was reluctant to see him at first, knowing that many folks consider chiropractic care to be a scam, but boy, am I glad I went. Not only did my pain disappear, but my posture improved and I even grew a bit taller!
Since then, I’ve been fascinated by the full spectrum of natural medicine techniques, which rely on the body’s own ability to heal. I know there are still many naysayers, and that’s fine, but for me, natural is the way to go.
That’s why I was excited to learn that a world-renowned master healer is making a rare appearance in St. Louis, and he’ll be hosting a free lecture right here in Ferguson. Chiropractic physician Dick Versendaal, whose revolutionary Contact Reflex Analysis method can determine imbalances in the body’s subtle energies, will lead a dinner talk to discuss how the body works, what leads to illness and how you can find healing.
Rather than focusing on how to treat disease, as traditional Western medicine does, Dr. Versendaal, who originally hails from the Netherlands, has made it his life’s work to teach about prevention and wellness. So if that approach resonates with you, I hope you’ll come to St. Stephen’s Church on February 16 to hear him speak.
Admission is free, but donations of non-perishable goods to the St. Stephen’s food pantry will be greatly appreciated. To RSVP (by 2/12) or schedule a private appointment with Dr. V before the lecture, contact Ferguson Wellness and Chiropractic at (314) 524-2580 or jessica@getwellferguson.com.
Dr. Versendaal’s dinner talk will take place Thursday, February 16, 7-10pm, at St. Stephen’s Church, 33 N. Clay, 63135.
Hazelwood Central senior earns acceptance to MIT
Luther Banner, a senior at Hazelwood Central High School, will fulfill his dream of attending prestigious MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
For all the grief that North County schools receive, you might be surprised to know that the Hazelwood School District has been quietly building an award-winning robotics program. It is so successful, in fact, that one of the students on the Hazelwood Central team recently received a rare invitation to study mechanical engineering at MIT, the #1 ranked university in the world for engineering and technology! HSD’s Diana Gulotta shares his inspiring story…
Every college-bound high school senior has aspirations of getting accepted to the college of his dreams, and when the dream becomes a reality, it takes a little getting used to. Luther Banner, a senior at Hazelwood Central High School, is on the verge of experiencing his dream of attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
In mid-December, the school released its early action decision list online. A few days after seeing his name on the list, he got a shiny, silver cylindrical package from MIT containing a formal acceptance letter, confetti, balloons, stickers and information about the school. The package arrived just before Christmas.
“It’s pretty surreal for me. It hasn’t settled in that I’ve been accepted to MIT,” said Banner, noting that only 11 percent of students are accepted for early action. “It’s still shocking. It’s my dream school.”
Banner plans to accept the offer from MIT to study mechanical engineering. He said MIT will offer him a scholarship, but he is researching other scholarship opportunities too. He was also accepted to Georgia Institute of Technology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
“My grandmother and mom are really excited. They pretty much told me that they knew I was going to get in, but I was worried about it,” he said. “I wasn’t 100 percent sure I’d get accepted. It’s a highly competitive school to get into. I was thinking about the other kids that I’d be up against for admission.”
Banner is a notable student, taking five advanced placement (AP) classes this year – calculus, senior English, government, Spanish IV and physics. He is a co-captain of the RoboHawks robotics team, and last spring, he was nominated and received the FIRST Dean’s List Award at the FIRST Robotics Competition St. Louis Regional.
Banner and his teammates on the Hazelwood Central RoboHawks demonstrated their robotics skills at a St. Louis Cardinals game last year.
FIRST – For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology – is a “thrilling and unique spectator sport experience in which teams of high school students solve an engineering design challenge through imagination, dedication, teamwork and the help of their robotic friends.” The RoboHawks won the event and qualified to participate in the FIRST National Championship, which took place in St. Louis. (in NoCo actually, at St. Louis Community College – Flo Valley)
During the championship competition, Banner was named to the FIRST Dean’s List, an honor recognizing 10 students from the United States and abroad for their leadership and dedication to FIRST. Of the 10 selected, only two were juniors – Banner and a student from Rhode Island. Winners received a long list of prizes, including a BlackBerry Playbook tablet, a BlackBerry Torch mobile phone, a Nike book bag with a shirt and hat, gift cards to JC Penney and Starbucks, a Kindle e-reader, a flip camera, software and a trip to New Hampshire to the FIRST headquarters.
Being named as a Top 10 student involved in robotics certainly didn’t hurt his chances of realizing his dream. “It helped,” he said. “MIT was always the school in the back of my head. I knew it was tough to get in. I didn’t view it as a reality at first, but I decided to apply at the end of my junior year.”
Banner went to New Hampshire in August, during the first week of school in HSD. While there, the students toured MIT, but at this point, he had no idea what his future would hold.
Fast forward to the present and Banner seems quietly humbled, yet excited, about what’s to come. The robotics team is preparing for the competition season and plans to participate in events in Kansas City and St. Louis. The team is working toward earning the prestigious Chairman’s Award, presented to the team that best represents a model for other teams to follow and embodies the goals and purpose of FIRST.
Banner said the team is trying to enhance the awareness of FIRST and be an “inspiration to the community and the District.” When he goes to college, he said he will “miss everything” about robotics.
“I plan to find a team to help mentor. It’s an environment and an atmosphere that you can’t get away from,” he said. “I’ll miss being on a team. To see that you built something that great with your own hands is exhilarating.”
Banner gives credit to “every teacher I’ve had who pushed me to work as hard as I can” in getting him to where he is today. He especially gives thanks to Catherine Sylve, a former teacher at HCHS and RoboHawks sponsor, for “making” him get involved in robotics. Sylve continues to be actively involved with the team. He also gives thanks to retired Spanish teacher Carol Villalobos for encouraging him to apply to MIT.
As for his family, Banner is grateful to them for “believing in me and for all that they give up to support me.”
“My family has always said ‘Strive to be the best. If not, why do it?’ I try to live by that in everything I do.”
Want to make a difference in your community?
Here's what it looked like when several Pagedale residents came together to improve their neighborhood. What can you achieve in your own corner of NoCo?
In 2003, when my husband and I were going door to door in the August heat, asking our neighbors if they wanted to help start a neighborhood association, we really had no clue what we were doing. Neither of us had experience in community organizing or starting a nonprofit, so we just kind of bumbled along until things fell into place. Looking back now, I can’t imagine how much easier it would’ve been had we only known about the Neighborhood Leadership Academy.
Launched by UMSL in 2002, this intensive continuing education program teaches people how to be proactive leaders in their community, covering topics like project planning, goal setting, communication, and of course fundraising. Spanning ten sessions from February to May, the NLA draws civic-minded folks from all across the region and has produced dozens of graduates who have gone on to make a real impact.
My awesome neighbor Heather Robinett went through the program, and she and her husband, Larry, ended up founding the Old Ferguson West Community Garden. I was also honored to be a speaker during last year’s NLA classes, and I heard about countless community projects and neighborhood initiatives that really knocked my socks off.
No doubt about it, if you want to be a successful community leader, this is the way to make it happen.
The next Neighborhood Leadership Academy starts in February, so you still have plenty of time to sign up. But in the mean time, check out this upcoming workshop sponsored by the NLA team. Called “Funding Your Neighborhood Project,” it takes place this Saturday, December 3, from 9am to 1pm. The cost is only $40, and you must register by December 1. If you’re interested, here’s the detailed info…
Join us to learn the tools and techniques to secure funding for your neighborhood project. Learn how to seek out a variety of funding opportunities and sources specific to your project. Become skilled in the art of persuasive writing as a tool for making your funding request successful.
This hands-on workshop is being offered in partnership with the Community Partnership Project’s Neighborhood Leadership Academy. It will provide you with real-world examples and take-aways that will help you get your neighborhood project started or expand an existing one. Whether you’re new to grant writing or fundraising, or a seasoned professional, this workshop is for you.
Grant writing consultant Wendy Dyer is once again sharing her expertise in grant prospecting and grant writing for this one day workshop. To read more about the workshop or Wendy, please visit this website. Light snacks will be provided.
If you have any questions, please call Kara at 314.516.6392 or email at lubischerk@umsl.edu. To register, please call Jennifer at 314.516.5994 or by email at clementecrarenj@umsl.edu.
Flo Valley hosting 2011 Communities in Action forum
FROM THE NEWS WIRE:
St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley’s North County Community Access to Resources, Education and Services (CARES) and North County Churches Uniting for Racial Harmony and Justice (NCCU) will host the 2011 Communities in Action forum 9 a.m.- noon on Thursday, Sept. 22, in the Student Center Multipurpose Room. The campus is located at 3400 Pershall Road in Ferguson.
Ten panelists will offer their expertise and provide information on topics such as education, policing and financial services, addressing issues that are very important to North County. Panelists include:
Policing
Police Chief Tim Fitch, St. Louis County Police Department
Police Chief William Karabas, Florissant Police Department
Police Chief Carl Wolf, Hazelwood Police Department
Mr. Wesley Bell, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator Criminal Justice, Florissant Valley Community College
Education
Dr. Steve Price, Superintendent, Hazelwood School District
Dr. Art McCoy, Superintendent, Ferguson-Florissant School District
Dr. Stanton Lawrence, Normandy School District
Former Senator Rita Days, St. Louis County Election Director
Financial Services
Mr. James Watson, President, Midwest Bank Centre
Mr. Alex Fennoy, Senior Vice President, Midwest Bank Centre
Mr. Jeffrey Forrest, Instructor and Department Chair Business Administration, Florissant Valley Community College
The forum will be moderated by Laurna Goodwin, a three-time Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist who spent more than 20 years in television as a news anchor, reporter, talk show host and producer. Goodwin is also the co-founder of Vector Communications.
The forum is free, but registration is required. For more information contact Rance Thomas at 314-238-6828. To register, call the Continuing Education/Community Engagement office at 314-984-7777 and refer to registration code NCCA 700.500.
