— Chevron U.S.A. Inc. has launched its 2015 Fuel Your School program, a collaboration with DonorsChoose.org, an online organization that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need, in Clayton, DeKalb and Fulton counties. Building on the 39,528 local students who benefited last year, Fuel Your School is now in its third year in those counties and will generate up to $400,000 this fall will help fund classroom supplies and materials, including those focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and hands-on activities to help connect real world experiences to classroom learning. School teachers are invited to post eligible classroom projects at www.DonorsChoose.org. Then, from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, 2015, the program will donate $1 when consumers purchase eight or more gallons of fuel at participating Chevron and Texaco stations, up to a total of $400,000. Last year the program helped fund 317 eligible classroom projects.
— The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities' 2015 HBCU All-Stars include Zoe McDowell, a junior biology major at Clark Atlanta University from McDonough. The All-Stars are 83 undergraduate, graduate and professional students from 70 historically black colleges and universities, recognized for their accomplishments in academics, leadership and civic engagement and selected from more than 450 students who submitted applications. During the year, the HBCU All-Stars will provide outreach and communication with their fellow students about the value of education and the role of the White House initiative as a networking resource. Through social media and their relationships with community based organizations, the All-Stars will share promising and proven practices that support opportunities for all young people to achieve their educational and career potential.
— High school band students from Fayette County Public Schools make up almost 10 percent of the 2015-16 Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony. Just over 300 students tried out for only 85 seats. Eight students from Fayette County High, McIntosh High, and Whitewater High schools were selected for this year's ensemble. They are Rachel Anders, flute, McIntosh High; Jonah Negusse, flute, Fayette County High; Anthony Weaver, bassoon, Fayette County High; Alisha Zamore, clarinet, McIntosh High; Pearce Kramer, clarinet, McIntosh High; Leslie Sullivan, contralto clarinet, Whitewater High; Will Talley, trombone, Fayette County High; and Errol Rhoden III, tuba, Fayette County High.
— Just making the audition cut for admission to the esteemed Brevard Music Center's summer program is a feat, but having the center's world-renowned faculty vote him as the 2015 "Outstanding High School Musician" is an honor that Errol Rhoden will cherish for a lifetime. Errol, who plays tuba at Fayette County High, was one of approximately 180 students accepted into the Brevard Music Center's annual high school program for students aged 14 to 18. As the "Outstanding High School Musician" for 2015, Errol received a full scholarship to attend next summer's program, valued at over $6,300. The scholarship guarantees admission, omitting the required audition. Brevard Music Center, on a 180-acre campus in western North Carolina, is nationally known for its premier summer classical music-training program and festivals.
— Gwinnett Technical College's Respiratory Care program was honored recently by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) with the Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award at the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) Conference Summer Forum. According to Program Director Nadya Khoja, the award honors colleges that had a 90 percent or above on RRT (Register Respiratory Therapist) credentialing success, attrition and positive job placement. Gwinnett Tech's Respiratory Care program is considered one of the top programs of its kind in the country, boasting a six-year streak of 100 percent pass rates on the field's national credentialing exam, a rare accomplishment.
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