African American student recruitment conferences Feb. 8 and 29

The 26th annual African American Student Recruitment Conference at California State University, Fresno will be held on Feb. 8 for middle school students and Feb. 29 for high school students.

The high school conference will feature Bay Area poet/hip-hop artist Dahlak Braithwaite. The middle school conference will feature a game, “African American Jeopardy.”

Both sessions, sponsored by University Outreach Services, run 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Satellite Student Union. They are free but pre-registration is mandatory by Jan. 25 for the middle school event and Feb. 15 for the high school students.

With the theme “Fresno State, Educating Future Leaders,” the gatherings will address how students can survive their first year at college, financial aid, planning for the future and facing adversity, said Tanya Crabb, outreach counselor and event organizer.

Officials expect 450 high school students and 300 middle school students and parents to attend.

This year’s high school conference will promote higher learning and the art of teaching, with an African American Future Teacher (AAFT) workshop for students interested in education careers. The AAFT workshop provides information about career opportunities in teaching through seminars and specialized workshops. Workshop attendees will be given an opportunity to interact with community and university educators, Crabb said.

In addition, there will be a presentation on the Smittcamp Family Honors College. The college is dedicated to creating, identifying, cultivating, and enhancing learning opportunities for talented and highly motivated students.

Braithwaite is known for live performances throughout the United States, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The poet/emcee/actor/playwright tours with iLL-Literacy, as well as the world-renowned Scourge hip-hop theater collective and with his hand-picked hip-hop band the Hi-Lifes.

For more information, contact Crabb at 559.278.2048 or
tcrabb@csufresno.edu <mailto:tcrabb@csufresno.edu> .