Operation HOPE to host entrepreneurship competition at Washington School of Banking, Finance and Investment

Operation HOPE Founder and CEO John Hope Bryant and students from Washington’s School of Banking, Finance and Investment

John Hope Bryant, Founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, surprised students at Washington’s School of Banking  Finance and Investment when he announced that the budding entrepreneurs would have an opportunity to participate in a pilot program through which they can compete for professional mentors, financial coaches and start-up money to develop and execute their business ideas.

Bryant, along with Jim Clifton, Chairman and CEO of Gallup, Inc., and Esther Stearn, President and CEO of LPL Investment Holdings Inc, are making an investment in the students’ dreams, and giving them the chance to participate in Operation HOPE’s student version of “Shark Tank,” the ABC reality show featuring entrepreneurs seeking investors for their businesses and products.  Their hope is that by supporting and investing in youthful creativity, passion and ingenuity, they are providing a foundation for ideas that could someday change the world.

Students participating in the program will take financial literacy classes which will teach them about dignity, capitalism and money, entrepreneurship and how to take control of their financial futures.  Each student will select one business idea from a list of  ideas that cost $500 or less to start.  The students will develop their ideas, and eventually “pitch” them on-stage to a panel of judges.

News of the competition re-ignited a certain passion in 11^thgrader, Kiya Gray.  Kiya, like many students present, frequently thinks about starting her own business.  She wants to share her love of fashion with the world by creating a fashion magazine and a clothing line.           

Kiya Gray looks forward to becoming an entrepreneur and sharing her fashion savviness with others by creating a clothing line and fashion magazine.

“I’ve always loved fashion, and I’ve always been sort of a trend-setter when it comes to clothes. I always think outside the box,” the teenager said while modeling her jazzed up version of the Washington School of Banking and Finance school uniform.Kiya wants to create a fashion magazine so others can realize that fashion is a great form of expression, because, as she says, “You can communicate who you are and how you feel through how you dress.

“When I’m sad, I wear dark colors.  When I’m happy, I wear bright colors.  Fashion is my outlet to get away,” she stated.

Kiya’s passion for fashion is just the sort of imaginative spirit and enthusiasm Bryant, Clifton and Stearn are seeking to cultivate through the student entrepreneurship program.  The three CEOs answered questions from the group and they each gave the students inspiring messages to mull over.

When asked why he never gave up after several failed business attempts, Bryant simply stated, “Because I didn’t want to be broke.”

That statement resonated with Kiya.

“I’ll leave here today knowing that anything is possible,” she said. “I learned that you’re going to have doubt, and doubters, but that’s normal.  Don’t give up, even if you don’t think you have enough money.  If you really want it and you have the motivation, you can do it. So, I’m going to keep trying until I get my own business, because, it’s like he said, I don’t want to be broke.”

To learn more about Operation HOPE, please visit www.operationhope.org.

Twenty-two APS students earn 2012 Gates Millennium Scholarships

Twenty-two Atlanta Public Schools students have been awarded 2012 Gates Millennium Scholarships – the third highest number of Gates scholarships awarded in the nation this year.

A total of only 1,000 students across the nation were awarded these prestigious college scholarships, which can be used to pursue degrees in any undergraduate major at colleges and universities of the recipients’ choice. The scholarships cover students’ tuition, room and board through undergraduate schools and beyond for recipients who decide to pursue advanced degrees.

APS students who earned 2012 Gates Millennium Scholarships are:

First Name	Last Name	High School Name
Douglas	Ruffin	Benjamin E. Mays HS
Maya	Knight	Booker T. Washington HS
Brittany	Brown	Booker T. Washington HS
Juwan	Bolton	Booker T. Washington HS
Wade’	Ruff	Booker T. Washington HS
Cesar	Chavez	Carver Health Sciences & Research
Ashley	Thomas	Carver School Of The Arts
Makeeva	Walker	Carver Early College HS
Kaitlin	Camp	Frederick Douglass HS
Jasmine	Davis	Frederick Douglass HS
Rifat	Mursalin	Frederick Douglass HS
Raveen	Ford	Henry W. Grady HS
Abena	Amoakuh	Henry W. Grady HS
Chantil	Coleman	Henry W. Grady HS
Shafiq	Gyagenda	Henry W. Grady HS
Alexander	Greene	Maynard H. Jackson HS
Cierra	Martin	North Atlanta HS
André	Goddard	North Atlanta HS
James	Atkins	S. Atlanta Computer Animation & Design
Sandra	Porter	South Atlanta Health & Medical Sciences
Amber	Davis	South Atlanta Health & Medical Sciences
Erica	Kimbro	Therrell Law, Government & Public Policy

Springdale Park Elementary School earns U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools designation

Springdale Park Elementary School is one of only 78 schools across the nation to be designated a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School. The announcement was made earlier this week in Washington, D.C. by U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

Recognized schools exercise a comprehensive approach to creating “green” environments through reducing environmental impact, promoting health, and ensuring a high-quality environmental and outdoor education to prepare students with the 21st Century skills and sustainability concepts needed in the growing global economy. This is the first year the U.S. Department of Education has recognized schools for this achievement.

More than 350 schools competed for the recognition. The winners include 66 public schools, including 8 charter schools and 12 private schools. All winning schools will receive special green ribbons in recognition of their accomplishment.

Last year, Springdale Park Elementary School earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, which is next to the highest certification for school buildings and campuses in recognition of the unique nature of the design and construction of K12 schools.

Springdale Park underwent a $12.1 million total renovation and expansion recently that incorporated energy efficient and environmentally friendly, low-emissions geo-thermal technology into the school’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.