Education

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Aquila Hall

WE’VE EXPANDED!

New classrooms, science courses, labs, tutoring center, astronomy deck and telescopes. Now you can take all the courses you need to earn an AA or AS degree and transfer to ASU and other universities – day, evening, or online.

AA/AS DEGREE | UNIVERSITY TRANSFER | EARLY COLLEGE AFFORDABLE | FLEXIBLE | ACCESSIBLE

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PVCC at Black Mountain | 34250 North 60th Street | Scottsdale, AZ 85266 602.493.2600 | paradisevalley.edu/blackmountain

At Primavera Online High School, your classroom doesn’t have to be in an old, stuffy room filled with 35+ kids. Instead, you can study at home, at a coffee shop or anywhere with internet connection!

Make the switch this fall and enjoy award-winning curriculum with personalized attention from highly qualified instructors.

Classes start every two weeks! ChoosePrimavera.com/enroll 480.456.6678

EDUCATION

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Whenever you face an obstacle in life, you have two options: deal with it, or do something about it. At times, it will feel like you are not in control, and that’s when it’s important to look to powerful fi gures in history for inspiration. In January, we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day and February is Black History Month. Learn more about Martin Luther King Jr. and other key contributors to civic rights below.

“Martin Luther King Jr. was both a social activist and Baptist minister who became increasingly active in the fi ght for civil rights after facing countless moments of discrimination and racism.

By the early 1960s, MLK had become a national fi gure as he supported various efforts around the nation including sitins and other peaceful demonstrations. To this day, his words are echoed yearly and remembered as a turning point in the civil rights movement.”

LESSON 1: THE FREEDOM RIDERS

“Beginning on May 4, 1961, 13 Freedom Riders—black and white, male and female—embarked on their challenge in two buses from Washington, DC. In a tag-team type system, hundreds of supporters of the movement joined for any length of bus ride they could commit to. The riders planned to end the trip in New Orleans on May 17, the seventh anniversary of the Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education desegregation decision. Riders were arrested in Charlotte, North Carolina, and then assaulted in Rock Hill, South Carolina, when they refused to obey ‘whites only’ regulations.”

LESSON 2: ROSA PARKS

“Bone weary, Rosa Parks climbed aboard a public bus on a cold December morning in Montgomery, Alabama. She took a seat at the front of the bus, too tired to make the trip to the segregated section in the back. When asked to move, she refused. Failure to comply with the bus driver’s order to move to the ‘blacks only’ seating led to her arrest. This story would spark a powder keg that would disrupt the public transit system in Montgomery.

Rosa Parks’ arrest for refusing to give up her seat inspired a boycott of the Montgomery buses by African Americans in the city. Since 75 percent of the patrons were African American, the loss in revenue forced Montgomery offi cials to change the policies.

LESSON 3: THE ASSASSINATION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

“With criticism from his supporters and progress seemingly reduced to a crawl, King began to make plans for another March on Washington. Yet, before this could happen, a labor strike broke out in Memphis in 1968. Sanitation workers, who were dissatisfi ed with their working conditions, wanted the support of King for their cause, and he agreed to come to their aid. On April 4, 1968, King was standing on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis when a sniper shot him where he stood. Surrounded by his peers, King was pronounced dead at the St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Shortly after the fatal shot, the Federal Bureau of Investigation launched an international manhunt. They were able to match fi ngerprints to James Earl Ray, a former convict.”

Four days after MLK’s assassination, Coretta Scott King and her four children led 40,000 followers through the streets of Memphis, to remember and to continue King’s work by protesting the treatment of the city’s sanitation workers. Dr. King’s funeral would be held the next day in Atlanta, Georgia. The funeral was televised across the nation.

To this day, Martin Luther King Jr. is credited with being one of the greatest African American leaders of his time. His vision of what life should be like led him to encourage others to advocate for social justice by taking peaceful measures.

As we celebrate Black History Month, we hope you take some time to learn about the important men and women who fought for equality, and get inspired to make a difference in your own world.

COVER STORY

WEST-MEC BRINGS JOB TRAINING TO DEER VALLEY ADULTS

By Keyera Mitchell, West-MEC Media Specialist

Are you looking to better yourself this New Year? Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC) is bringing Adult Education programs to the Deer Valley area helping people fi nd a promising career benefi cial to them and their families.

West-MEC is a unique center for Career and Technical Education focused on leadership development training, industry certifi cation and hands-on instruction that prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s careers. They have spent over a decade catering to the needs of high school students helping them fi nd a passion and career pathway. The district is now expanding their programs to adults looking to jumpstart their careers and fi nd their happy.

Adult Education Coordinator Lizeth Fils-Aime stated “Our goal is to provide to the community and train students with skills for specifi c jobs to fi nd immediate employment and become fi nancially independent”.

There are approximately fi ve percent of Arizona residents that are unemployed and looking to gain experience in a new skill, but lack the resources to make that possible.West-MEC provides Adult Education courses that are both cost-effi cient and time-effective for those who are destined to obtain a better future.

“People looking for a career, or a change in the Deer Valley community will have an opportunity to take affordable training that enables them to obtain careers in their immediate community. This includes careers in pharmacy, automotive technology and HVACR,” stated West-MEC Adult Education Administrator Dr. John Mulcahy.

West-MEC Adult Education is committed to working with businesses in booming industries to ensure the success of their students along their journey to a better tomorrow. They believe that success builds success and learning is a lifelong process. Adults who are dedicated to advancing their future and are ready to work will now have a home to make those dreams and aspirations a reality.

West-MEC is more than an institution that provides Career and Technical Education opportunities; they are training future creators, leaders, medical professionals, and builders of the community. 2017 is the year for you to take charge, and fi nd A Faster Way Forward.

For more information on West-MEC and their Adult Education opportunities, visit west-mec.org.