On March 16, 2018, the International Trends and Services Facet of The New Orleans (LA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated provided 7th and 8th grade Bethune Elementary students the opportunity to explore one of the City’s revered HBCU institutions, Dillard University, and to learn more about International Studies – – the curriculum and the opportunities.
The students, during their exploration of the many buildings, halls and corridors on Dillard’s campus, learned about the admissions process, courses of study, testing requirements, and university expectations of students as they enter college life. They were also able to also hear from and speak with Dillard students.
The New Orleans (LA) Chapter, seeking to instill in the students the importance of HBCU institutions, incorporated a viewing of the documentary “Tell Them We are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities.” To be sure, many young students today do not know the history of HBCU institutions: why they exist; the role they played in the advancement of civil rights; and their struggles and ongoing accomplishments in affording African Americans throughout the country with educational opportunities and advancement.
‘Think Globally’ was also one of the objectives of International Trends and Services in introducing the Bethune students to Dillard University. The young ladies heard from a panel composed of Dillard University Melton Fellows.
Founded in 1991, the Melton Foundation is a network of partner universities and over 450 competitively selected Fellows from Chile, China, Germany, India, and the USA. Their portfolio of programs and activities is centered on promoting global citizenship as a way for people and institutions to address today’s global challenges.
New Orleans Chapter member Cheryl Teamer, whose father, Dr. Charles Teamer, served as a Dillard administrator, spoke to the students about her experiences living with her family on the campus during her father’s distinguished tenure at Dillard. Additionally, Carmen Labrie Brown, a Dillard alumna and New Orleans Chapter member, shared her experience in the pre-medical curriculum, including the support system of the campus organizations.
The ITS Facet hosted this event as part of Project L.E.A.D. At the core of this international component of the program, the New Orleans Chapter sought to instill in the students the knowledge that their options post high school and college are boundless and the world is, indeed, their oyster.
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