April Unite Page 12
Snap Shots
April 2015 Volume 25/ Number 4 • A Monthly Publication by Unite of Southwest Missouri, Inc •
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Highlights Of
www.unitenewsonline.org
Diversity
1. "Gospel Mass" - Parkview High School Viking Singers 2. In memory of Maya Angelou Central High School 4As recite her poem “Still I Rise” 3. Central High School continues its tradition of celebrating the school's diversity at the end of February in conjunction with Black History Month. The Multicultural Assembly celebrates all cultures represented at Central High School. The student-led diversity assembly is unique to Central and has been a part of the school’s annual activities for several years. 4. Central High School sophomore Pavitra Deshpande, 15, performs a traditional Indian dance. 5. Diversity Assembly Central High School Celebration! 6. "Gospel Mass" Parkview HS Viking Singers, directed by William Grega. He also director their Annual Masterworks Concert. The 120 voices performed "Gospel Mass" by Robert Ray, featuring guest conductor Kevin McBeth (Front Center) of Manchester United Methodist Church in St. Louis.
Stor y on page 12
Building Empowering Connections In Our Diverse Community
Springfield Public Schools
These activities highlights some of the diverse backgrounds of the district’s 25,000 students at Springfield Public Schools.
UNITE.
Highlights of Diversity In Springfield Public Schools
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The Annual NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet Is April 25 See Stor y on page 4
Missouri State University Releases its 19month Diversity Climate Study See Stor y on page 2
Springfield Dance Alliance Presents Bloom: Spring Dance Concert
All photos provided by Springfield Public Schools Office of Diversity and Inclusion
See Stor y on page 5
Google to Give Minority Tech Entrepreneurs Stipends and Free Office Space Mountain View, CA — Google says, “Great entrepreneurs are great problem solvers, inspiring leaders, and really, really hard workers. If that's you, they want to help you build your company and make a difference.” It's no secret that the majority of tech companies are comprised mostly of white males. Even tech companies have agreed that diversity is important in order to create the best products. Changes are now coming to ensure that more minorities will be added to the technology industry, thanks to a grant from Google. Google gives grant to support minorities Google awarded a grant of $775,000 in February to non-profit CODE2040 to help them work on bringing more African Americans and Hispanics into the tech industry. CODE2040 is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that supports educational, professional, and entrepreneurial success in technology for underrepresented minorities. The company specifically focuses on Blacks and Latinos. The name refers to the year 2040, when
Larry Page, Cofounder and CEO of Google
they predict that minorities will be proportionally represented in technology and other areas of the U.S. economy. How will the grant be used? The grant will be used to start a pilot program, giving 3 technology entrepreneurs in Chicago, Austin and Durham one year of free office space and $40,000 in seed funding for their start-up companies. The idea is to support minority tech companies in other cities outside of Silicon Valley. The 3 chosen entrepreneurs will also spend time at Google headquarters where they will receive support and mentoring.
CODE2040 Residency Program The CODE2040 Residency Program, supported with the Google grant, is a pilot program designed to get the ball rolling in support of more minority tech entrepreneurs. Three entrepreneurs will be the first members of the class designed to help minority entrepreneurs take their companies to the next level. Google and CODE2040 are optimistic that this is only the beginning! To learn more, visit www. code2040.org/entrepreneurs/ Source: BlackBusiness.org