2007 STAR Conference

Dear Colleague,


We would like to cordially invite you to our Smart Teachers as Role models (STAR) mini film festival and conference, which will be held September 12 -14, 2007 at Fond du Lac Ojibwe School, Cloquet, Minnesota. We at the Phelps Stokes Fund believe that developing a cadre of young men of color who become leaders and public elementary school teachers will address the current crisis facing role models for young men of color.  We are proud to host a solution-oriented event that brings together a wide range of people including local leaders, educators, administrators, and students who will address some tough issues related to this topic.

The theme of this mini film festival and conference, “Erasing Preconceptions: From Stereotype to Reality.” Over the course of the festival and mini conference, several films by Native American and African American filmmakers will be viewed. The STAR mini-film festival and conference will highlight and discuss how stereotypes and images in media and music will have a negative impact on young men of color, specifically Native American males and the role that media literacy plays in helping to dispel some of these issues. Understanding these issues will help empower Native American youth with media literacy skills that will be used to tackle issues of identity, culture, education and community awareness.
 
The anxiousness surrounding the lack of male role models and the educational crisis that exists for all boys, especially boys of color will continue unless solutions to the set of challenges for young men of color, in particular, are addressed.  We hope that this conference will provide a safe forum for addressing possible causes and solutions.

We hope to see you September 12 -14 at Fond du Lac Ojibwe School, Cloquet, Minnesota, as we work toward enhancing the STAR initiative in a way that empowers young men of color!

 
Regards,



Leon Collins
Director, Education and Leadership Programs
Phelps Stokes Fund