Sunday, November 30, 2014

Message from BDPA Los Angeles Chapter President

David Malonson
BDPA Los Angeles chapter accomplished very much in 2014 with more more planned to happen in 2015. Some of the successes and plans include:
  1. Blacks in Technology Meetup group now has over a 1,000 members.

  2. We established a BDPA partner group in San Diego.

  3. Planning a year end celebration with Los Angeles Black MBAs.

  4. Expanded our youth program to include Game Development, Mobile Development, Computer Science 101, and CyberSecurity.

  5. Plan on hosting quarterly youth and adult hackathons in 2015.

  6. Our chapter continues to work closely with BDPA West Region vice president John Malonson and BDPA West Region director Kirk Williams to bring new innovative approaches to the table that benefit our membership, associates and community.
We encourage you to support BDPA Los Angeles chapter via our Facebook or Twitter account!

Sincerely,
David Malonson, president
BDPA Los Angeles chapter

Saturday, November 29, 2014

CSEdWeek (December 8-14, 2014)

Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) takes place December 8-14, 2014 to coincide with the birthday of Admiral Grace Hopper, a pioneer in the field of computer science who was born on December 9, 1906. CSEdWeek was first recognized in 2010 when the 111th Congress passed House Resolution 1560. The goal of CSEdWeek is to introduce students to computing and show them that the world of technology is for everyone.

Computer science is often present in informal curricula but is absent from mainstream education. Additionally, according to Code.org, "25 states still don't allow students to count computer science courses toward high school graduation." These facts impact all students, and especially girls.
As noted in one of NCWIT's most popular resources, 'Girls In IT: The Facts,' "girls comprise 56% of all Advanced Placement (AP) but only 19% of AP computer science test-takers."
Exposure to computer science is critical, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor predicts that in the coming decade some of the best and highest-paying jobs will be in IT. For these reasons and more, CSEdWeek provides an opportunity to introduce students to computer science, using fun and engaging activities.

Friday, November 28, 2014

Grant Declination: Chichester duPont Foundation (BDPA New York)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) partnered with BDPA New York to submit a grant proposal to the Chichester duPont Foundation seeking $22,654 funding for the chapter's Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. We learned today that our grant request has been denied.

The declination letter read as follows:



Dear Mr. Hicks:

Thank you for your correspondence and grant request. Unfortunately, your organization's geographic location lies outside of our perimeter of giving. Accordingly, we respectively request that you not seek future funding from our Foundation. Consistent with our policy of reducing our administrative costs, we will no longer provide letters of denial.

Please accept our best wishes for your organization's future success.

Sincerely,
Gregory F. Fields
Secretary


We will continue to seek out funding on behalf of BDPA New York chapter. You can help! Please consider making a secure online donation to provide college scholarships for the young people in the New York educational programs.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Grant Declination: Andrew Jergens Foundation (BDPA Cincinnati)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) teamed with BDPA Cincinnati chapter to submit a 'letter of inquiry' to the Andrew Jergens Foundation seeking permission to submit a full-fledged grant proposal. The proposal would ask for a $10,000 grant to support the chapter's 2015 Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program.

We learned today that our letter of inquiry was declined. The message read as follows:

Wayne,

Thank you for the Letter of Inquiry to The Andrew Jergens Foundation. After thoughtful review, we do not believe that your program is within the funding priorities and capacities of the Jergens Foundation at this time.

Thank you for all you do to improve the quality of life in our community.

Jim Huizenga
Senior Program Officer
Greater Cincinnati Foundation


We will continue to seek out funding in support of BDPA Cincinnati chapter. You can help ... please consider supporting the chapter's Brandon Berry Memorial Scholarship with your secure online donation!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Milestone: 3,000 Posts on the BDPA Foundation Blog


Wow! Just noticed that this humble blog reached the 3,000 blog posts mark yesterday! We began this blog when I wanted to say something nice about Joe Smialowski back on August 7, 2007. We've stuck around long enough for BDPA to create a 'Hall of Fame'!

It has been a fun seven years ... who knows where this will take us over the next few years ... but, I hope that many of you will come back and visit with us. Take a moment to subscribe to the blog. It is a good way to stay informed of BDPA and BDPA Education and Technology Foundation information.

Anyhow, I hope you'll accept my thanks for being part of the first 3,000 blog posts!



Monday, November 24, 2014

Long Story Short: Derrick Brown (BDPA Atlanta)

Derrick Brown considers himself to be an Organizational Relationship expert who utilizes critical thinking in order to analyze and assess individual and team dynamics for improvement and strong positive outcomes. This same skill set is utilized as a powerful problem solving tool ... a strong leader, able to influence for success across any organization at all levels. He created the tool for motivational empowerment, 3FE: Find, Focus, Fundamentals and Execute. The everyday person's critical thinking tool for problem solving that enhances, motivates, and empowers the individual.

Derrick is ending his first year as president of our BDPA Atlanta chapter. His chapter earned chapter of the year honors in 2014 after winning the 2013 national BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship. There is little that his chapter hasn't accomplished as it continues to expand itself in terms of programs and services for its members, sponsors and other stakeholders.

Derrick Brown
This blog wanted to get a more personal look into the personality of this rising BDPA leader. We asked Derrick to give brief answers to some odd questions. We hope you enjoy this new feature that we simply call, 'Long Story Short...'

  1. Craziest thing you've ever done? - There have been far too many craziest things (some I just can’t mention). However, let’s go with jumping off a house hoping I could fly. As a child I had a very powerful imagination and it continued as a grew up. However, back then there was cartoon called G-Force on television and I wanted to emulate those characters. I tied a sheet around myself and thought that I perhaps could glide off the roof like the characters in the cartoon.

  2. Favorite food you'd take with you on a desert island? - French Fries. I have a sincere love for potatoes dumped in olive oil and cooked for a several minutes to a golden consistency.

  3. How do you kill time in airports? - Writing on my laptop. I’ve published four books and have eight manuscripts complete. Please be on the lookout for the re-release of 'An Educational Primer For The Majority Student'!

  4. Who you'd like to meet? - I would like to meet Booker T. Washington


Somebody bring this brother some french fries when you see him next time!

Happy Birthday: George Williams, Past National BDPA President

Please join us in wishing a wonderful birthday to our past national president -- George Williams. I've known George since I first joined BDPA back in the late 1980s. He was a powerful figure in the BDPA Cleveland chapter before he set a record for the longest-tenured national president in BDPA history.

George has an information technology and business career background that spans thirty years of professional experience in marketing, sales and management within corporate, small business, non-profit and civic organizations. A number of major accomplishments occurred under George's leadership of the national organization in the late 1990s:
  • implemented a new national Corporate Alliance program that increased annual sponsorship revenue
  • implemented a comprehensive Enterprise Transformation Plan that completely reorganized the national organization
  • inspired major annual conference events in Philadelphia (1995), Atlanta (1996), Houston (1997), Orlando (1998) and Atlanta (1999)
  • signed Memorandum of Understanding to promote joint technology projects between BDPA and National Urban League
As a life-long Cleveland native, graduate of the Cleveland Public School System, John Carroll University and Leadership Cleveland, George understands the intricacies of doing business and volunteering time in the Northeast Ohio community. George was a co-founder of the Consortium of African America Organizations (CAAO). He has actively served on the Board of the Cleveland Education Fund, the Cuyahoga Community College Unified Technologies Center and the John Adams High School Vocational Education Advisory Group.

George is a father of two daughters and grandfather of four children. He is a remarkable role model for his family ... and for BDPA. I encourage you to share some BDPA-love with George as he celebrates his born-day! Happy Birthday George!

Sunday, November 23, 2014

3D Printing & The Promise of Tomorrow

Derrick Brown & Ron Robinson
Cross-posted: The Aspiring Critical Thinker's Era

What is 3D Printing? Why is it such a hot product? Why has 3D Printing been on the lips of technologists for years and now it’s on the lips of the general consumer? Why is the technology just now poised for explosive growth and why is it so important to BDPA?

On November 6th our BDPA Atlanta meeting answered these critical questions. Our special guest was Ron Robinson of 3D Printer Technology Incorporated. He also invited Russell Lamoy of 3D Systems Corporation, a manufacturer of commercial and consumer 3D printers, to speak to our membership.

They shared with the group what 3D printing is, that it is a process making real world objects from a digital file by laying down successive layers of material until the object is complete. This process is called additive manufacturing. The layers are so thin that they are not readily visible, making the object look as one complete finished material product.

3D products are all the rage and so hot because the technology lends itself to potentially printing whatever our minds can come up with. Using software, if we can create a 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) file of our idea then we can conceivable print it. Some companies want printers on their employees desks at work so that whatever they are working on can be created at their desk. Imagine printing out your prototype overnight and having it ready for the big meeting the next day.

Why has 3D Printing been on the lips of everyone, including those general consumers that are in the know of what is potentially coming? Imagine printing toys for your kids at home. You can download a file off the Internet, load up your home printer and print whatever the toy is to your child’s delight. The US Army is actually looking at printing food. Imagine, printing something tasty and nutritious at your desk, from a printer. This Christmas you’ll even see 3D Printers at Home Depot, with commercials highlighting how great a gift it would be for the Do It Yourself innovator.

Ron and Russell showed us the Makerbot Replicator as well as the 3D Systems Cube 3. The Cube 3 is a very elegant printer that is aesthetically pleasing, removing any look of the industrial, fitting right in with modern home décor. The 3D printer is well on its way to becoming a staple of the home, which is why it is poised for explosive growth.

We at BDPA Atlanta wanted to introduce this technology to our members because in keeping with our promise to introduce Tech Superiority Themes this technology is today’s burgeoning internet, and tomorrow’s exploding ubiquitous web. In time a 3D printer will sit next to your laser printer, and someone will have to maintain the machine, support its manufacture, and design the software that drives it. Our members need to be a part of this revolution.

If you are interested in such technology and the promise of the brighter future that it offers then consider joining our organization. Next month we will be introducing Smart Machines. We would love to see you there.

The Aspiring Critical Thinker,
Derrick Brown, president
BDPA Atlanta Chapter

Thursday, November 20, 2014

UN Africa Industrialization Day – Mobile Payments Pave the Way

Helmut Okike
Guest Blogger: Helmut Okike (Omlis)

Global mobile payments solutions provider, Omlis, believe that mobile payments is still the key catalyst for economic and social growth in Africa as they support the United Nations Africa Development day to be observed on November 20, 2014. This global observance day was initiated in 1989 at the 25th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) with the aim of drawing attention to the ongoing issues and challenges of industry in Africa.
Many African economies have shown impressive growth rates in recent years, but increased prosperity has not always translated into inclusive wealth creation,” UN secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement on their website. The Secretary General added, “On the occasion of Africa Industrialization Day, I reaffirm the commitment of the United Nations to promote Africa’s inclusive and sustainable industrial development to help ensure and economically prosperous and socially integrated continent.”
With a population of 1.1 billion and rising, Africa is currently experiencing exceptional growth to match its growing population. The question of how African-based economies can cope with their increasing population growth experts say is being answered through the explosion of mobile payments in emerging economies across the world, with Africa emerging as a global leader in this market space. Mobile payment experts Omlis have attributed Africa’s leadership in this mobile centric space to availability and access of affordable mobile phones and internet services, lower transaction costs compared to traditional alternatives and financial inclusion options for the previously un-banked and excluded.
Through mobile payments, Africa is beginning to show the economic potential that it always had. Mobile liberation means that industries from farming to telecom can effectively share knowledge, communicate and most importantly transact quicker and cheaper,” said Markus Milsted CEO of Omlis. Mr Milsted also added, “As a leader in the secure mobile payments space, Omlis ensures that mobile users operating on 2, 3 and 4G can access digital services with complete confidence. In mobile payments, trust is our most valued currency and we ensure that it’s justifiably spent.”
Research by Gallup across 23 countries in sub-Saharan Africa found that 65% of households had at least one mobile phone, with countries like Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso experiencing an average annual growth rate of 9% since 2008. The same research found that 80% of urban households in Africa had a mobile phone compared with 63% of rural households compared to 2008 where the figures were 63 and 43% respectively.

With energy being a key component for industrialization and economic development, it is still a resource that is scarcely available to nearly two thirds of African households. Almost 80% of Kenyans rely on kerosene as a source of energy due to the lack of electricity. This has had an impact on education, commerce and wealth creation. This being said, Kenyans have experienced a digital revolution through mobile payments. Affordable mobile phones now provide Kenyans, both urban and rural, direct access to the internet for little or no cost, minimizing any reliance on fixed landline and internet infrastructure that are heavily reliant on electricity.
Africans didn’t invent mobile phones, but they invented a new way of using mobile phones.” Said Calestous Juma, a leading voice on technology and development in Africa. Mr Juma also added, “Energy is becoming the biggest barrier to greater connectivity. All those smartphones that use broadband use power, so there is an energy challenge of how to expand to rural areas.
As Africa Industrialization Day is observed across the world on the 20th November 2014, it is worth noting that Africans continue to display their ability to adapt and adopt new technologies and points of view. It is very unlikely that this behavior will change in the near future and the rapidly closing gap between African economies and the “industrialized” world dictates that the status quo should be maintained.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

BDPA Cincinnati Announces New Board Leadership – William Carter

BDPA Cincinnati chapter is a nonprofit organization made up of racially diverse information technology professionals, today announced new officers and members of its board of directors. William Carter was named the director of the chapter’s Planning Department. William Carter is the co-founder of Collaborative New Ventures … a crowdfunding venture created to build businesses in the greater Cincinnati area. He has experience working as a technical engineering manager at a variety of companies, including Procter & Gamble. William received his Mechanical Engineering degree from Tuskegee University.

"We have to care enough about our collective future to not only demand change, recognize successful change, and dream of how good life will be if we could experience change, but rather we must take collective action to become the great change that we were created to be," says new director, William Carter (Twitter: @CNVEntrepreneur).

In his new role, William works with a team of volunteers to handle all aspects of all strategic planning process. He is responsible to design and implement processes to help local chapter complete strength, weakness, opportunities and threat analysis on its own operation. His analysis will form the basis for both a 3-5 year strategic plan as well as a 1-year business plan.

We are very excited about adding William to the BDPA Cincinnati Board of Directors. He brings a variety of experiences and a diverse background in IT along with a passion for the success of the mission of the BDPA organization,” said BDPA Cincinnati chapter president Dalric Webb. “I look forward to working with him to grow our chapter and community.

BDPA Cincinnati chapter is the second-largest chapter in the nation. The chapter meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. In fact, the chapter meets next on Wednesday, November 19 to discuss ‘Insights through Data Visualization’ at Brown Mackie College (1011 Glendale Milford Road; Cincinnati OH 45215) - http://www.meetup.com/TechLife-Cincinnati/events/211504332/.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

John Carroll University Supports BDPA Cleveland Chapter

John Carroll University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit Catholic university providing programs of study in the liberal arts, sciences, and business at the undergraduate level and in selected areas at the master’s level. The school is also proud to host the BDPA Cleveland chapter program meetings on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. The chapter has managed to grow its program meeting attendance throughout the entire year ... and they are looking forward to expanding the programs offered in 2015.

We are very grateful to John Carroll University for their efforts!

Friday, November 14, 2014

Delta Gateway Foundation Supports BDPA Cincinnati Chapter

Delta Gateway Foundation supports educational and social initiatives that empower individuals, particularly women of African descent. Since 2004 Delta Gateway Foundation has supported organizations and projects that align with our mission. Delta Gateway Foundation agreed to sponsor one of the students from BDPA Cincinnati chapter to participate in the just-concluded 2014 National BDPA Technology Conference at a cost of $1,500.

The Delta Gateway Foundation supports any not-for-profit organization whose goals align with the foundation’s mission and promotes:
  • Educational and scholastic achievement for individuals particularly women of African descent in the Greater Cincinnati area
  • Programs that enhance the social well-being and quality of life for women in the Greater Cincinnati area
  • Programs that support the development of women through community outreach or social change
We are grateful to Delta Gateway Foundation for its continued support of BDPA Cincinnati. You can help the chapter as well with your secure online donation in support of the Brandon Berry Memorial Scholarship Fund! The recipients of the 2014 Berry Memorial Scholarship were: Yaw Asante, Jon Carr, Hasani Harrigan, Austin Murph and Brian Pulliam.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Grant Declination: Raytheon Charitable Foundation (Los Angeles)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) worked with BDPA West Region vice president John Malonson to complete a $750 grant proposal to the Raytheon Charitable Foundation. Our proposal focused on the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program hosted by BDPA Los Angeles chapter (president, David Malonson). We learned today that our grant request has been denied.

The declination letter read as follows:



Dear Mr. Hicks,

This email is to inform you that Raytheon Community Relations Team has reviewed your grant request for BDPA Education and Technology Foundation, submitted on 10.03.14

It is increasingly difficult to respond to the many requests we receive for deserving and worthwhile programs seeking Raytheon's support and participation.

After careful review, we regret to inform you that Raytheon will not be able to support your request.

Sincerely,
The Raytheon Community Relations Team


We will continue to seek out funding in support of the 2015 SITES program hosted by BDPA Los Angeles chapter. In the meantime, you can help! Please click here and make a secure online donation to the Brandon Gardner Memorial Scholarship Fund that goes to support the college education of a BDPA Los Angeles chapter student.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

BDPA iRadio Show: November 11, 2014 (Kevin Robinson)


BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud to be the creator of the BDPA iRadio Show. You can listen to the archive version of the show using the widget shown in the right-hand sidebar of this blog. FREE download from the iTunes Store is also available for our listeners!

Check Out Technology Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with BDPA on BlogTalkRadio


The guest on the November 11th show:

Kevin Robinson - Premier Field Engineer, Microsoft - Kevin Robinson is a senior premier field engineer over 30 years of experience in the IT industry, the past 10 years with Microsoft. Kevin was a presenter at the 2014 BDPA Technology Conference on the topic, 'Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Windows Azure'. His workshop worked through the rationalizations of why IaaS makes sense including discussing scenarios when and where it makes sense for your business. Also, Kevin will explore ways that BDPA can significantly scale its national High School Computer Competition program from impacting hundreds of students to the point that it can impact thousands of students in the near term. Kevin highlight his workshop presentation with our BDPA iRadio Show audience.

It is worth noting that Kevin is one of the highest individual donors to the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation!   He is an illustration of what it means to give your time, treasure and talents to support BDPA.  BDPA is a remarkable corporate champion within Microsoft.  He is touching many lives and we were glad to have him on the show!


We hope you enjoy the insights and commentary on the show from each of these guests. Please take a moment to post a comment to let us know that you care!

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Howard University Purchases College Student Memberships

Howard University purchased ten (10) corporate memberships for students in its Information Systems & Decision Sciences department. The idea is for these students to be able to apply for the Johnson & Johnson college scholarships (due: 11/30/14) as well as other college scholarships offered by both National BDPA and the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation.

Monday, November 10, 2014

The Digital Drummer: Perry Carter (BDPA Washington DC Chapter President)

Beating the drum is the riveting and engaging BDPA media mogul Perry CarterAs President of BDPA Washington DC, Editor-In-Chief for BDPA Today, and Exec. Producer of Popular Technology Television,  Perry will share how he has built his chapter into a tech media power house and developed innovative lines of revenue.

Check Out Technology Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with MASTER GRIOT NBBTA RADIO on BlogTalkRadio

Sunday, November 9, 2014

College Scholarships Offered by BDPA

The BDPA strategy is to bring college students into the professional chapters on the local level as opposed to creating ‘college chapters’. One strategy in place is the aggressive delivery of college scholarships to deserving BDPA high school students. There are a number of college scholarship programs in place:

  1. BlueCross BlueShield Scholarship for BDPA Students - These scholarships are administered by BETF. Some BCBS Scholarships are reserved for BDPA Chicago and BDPA Dallas chapters. The rest are available nationally. This scholarship began in 2014.

  2. Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship – These scholarships are administered by BETF. They are awarded to high-performing students in the annual BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships. Bemley scholars can be found in scores of colleges around the nation.

  3. Eli Lilly Scholarships for BDPA Students – These scholarships are administered by BETF. They are awarded to students around the nation who show a desire to make a difference in the IT industry over the course of their college and professional careers. Eli Lilly & Company began funding these scholarships in 2008.

  4. Human Capital Logistics Scholarships for BDPA Students – These scholarships are administered by BETF. This scholarship awards outstanding BDPA Greater Columbia student members, with an interest in information technology, who make significant contributions to society. This scholarship began in 2014.

  5. Johnson & Johnson Scholarships for BDPA Students - These scholarships are administered by BDPA. They are provided to winners of the annual BDPA IT Showcase as well as all-around excellent HSCC students.

  6. Monsanto Scholarships for BDPA Students – These scholarships are administered by BETF. Some Monsanto Scholarships are reserved for BDPA St. Louis chapter. The rest are available nationally. This scholarship began in 2013.

  7. Oracle Scholarships for BDPA Students – These scholarships are administered by BDPA. They are awarded to deserving students selected by local chapters. Over $150,000 has been awarded to Oracle scholars over the past three years.

  8. State Farm Scholarships – These scholarships are administered by BDPA. BDPA is pleased to have substantial State Farm funding to pilot its 1st Annual BDPA Mobility Application Showcase this year in Indianapolis. This scholarship began in 2014.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

BDPA Announces New Board Leadership – Audra Sweeney

BDPA Cincinnati chapter, a nonprofit organization made up of racially diverse information technology professionals, today announced a new member of its board of directors. Audra Sweeney appointed to serve as the director of the chapter’s Membership Department. BDPA is the premier organization for African American professionals in the information technology industry. For more than 25 years, BDPA Cincinnati has fulfilled its mission and worked to bridge the digital divide by providing career growth opportunities for its members. BDPA Cincinnati is the fastest-growing of the 46 chapters that exist around the nation.
I decided to volunteer as Membership Director of the BDPA to serve as a community resource committed to fostering the development IT knowledge and other initiatives within the Cincinnati chapter,” said Audra Sweeney.
BDPA Cincinnati is the 2nd-largest chapters in the nation with over 190 members. The Membership Department director works with a team of volunteers to ensure the growth of BDPA in both the Greater Cincinnati African American community and the IT industry. This department will design and implement processes and programs designed to maximize the recruitment and retention of paid members. BDPA Cincinnati chapter has successfully increased its membership by over 120% in 2014.
We are very excited to have Audra Sweeney on board as the new Membership Director. She brings a depth of technical experience and organizational leadership from her 17 year career with Honeywell,” said BDPA Cincinnati chapter president Dalric Webb. “Audra is the right person for the job at the right time as we seek to solidify the membership gains we’ve made this year while continuing to recruit and retain even greater numbers in the coming weeks and months.
Audra is an applications engineer for Honeywell with over 17 years of experience in the information technology industry. She manages software system development and integration projects and serves as the technical interface with customers. Audra has a passion for travel fueled by her job that has taken her to various states and countries. Whenever possible, she uses her vacation to scuba dive with her colleagues in the National Association of Black Scuba Divers. She hopes to expand engagement with BDPA by college students going to school on the many college campuses in the area. Audra received her computer science degree from Syracuse University while completing her masters at Xavier University.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Grant Award: Helen Bader Foundation ($5,000)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) partnered with BDPA Milwaukee chapter to submit a letter of inquiry to the Helen Bader Foundation seeking funding to support the chapter's Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program.  We learned that our grant award was approved in the amount of $5,000!

The letter of approval read as follows:



Dear Mr. Hicks,
On behalf of the Helen Bader Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors and staff, I am pleased to notify you that BDPA Education and Technology Foundation's grant request for the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship Program project has been approved in the amount of $5,000.00.
Please note that the Foundation uses an all-electronic grant review process, so all related correspondence is sent via email. Within the next few weeks, you can expect to receive additional emails with information regarding electronic submission of required legal documents and an electronic bank deposit for your grant payment. 

If you should have any questions about processing, publicity, or any other aspect of your grant, please feel free to contact Robert Tobon, Communications Director: robert@hbf.org or (414) 755-4364.
Congratulations on your newly awarded grant. We look forward to working with you on this project.
Sincerely,
Daniel J. Bader
President


Our newly-crowned BDPA Comeback Chapter of the Year is BDPA Milwaukee chapter ... led by chapter president Carmen Giles (MillerCoors). She is moving her chapter forward in a positive direction! I hope that all 46 chapters are working closely with BETF to get the funding that they need to operate their 2015 SITES programs!

Thursday, November 6, 2014

BDPA IT Showcase

The BDPA IT Showcase is an advanced technology forum where High School and College students from across the nation demonstrate their research and theories in the fields of information technology. Papers will be published in the IT Showcase Proceedings. The purpose of this program is to encourage more students of color to advance their education to the Ph.D. level in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) curriculum.

The projects focus on various “advanced thought” topics including; database technology, web design technology, wired and wireless communication technology, IT security, data mining, soft computing, high performance computing, cloud computing, virtual technologies, nanotechnology, robotics, operating systems, IT certification, social media and much more.

The Showcase presentations consist of demonstrations where applicable. Three awards (First, Second and Third Prize) are made in each of two categories: High School and College (undergraduate).

Over the past few years there were 46 undergraduate papers and 74 high school papers presented from students in 14 states, 33 high schools, 12 universities and three community colleges. Some of the presentations over the past few years are entitled: Artificial Intelligence Applications in the Military, Can Cloud Computing Eradicate Hard Drive Storage Systems, Fourth Generation Mobile Communications Networks, Nanotechnology in High Performance Computing, Positron Emission Tomography, Robotics and Bioinformatics in Healthcare Industry.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Message from BDPA Cincinnati Chapter President

We have turned back our clocks one hour as the weather begins to cool off and chill on some days but your BDPA chapter is still SMOKING on executing our 2014 Action Plan! The leadership team of volunteers had a hugely successful 2015 Strategy and Planning session last month with several new board members in attendance lending fresh ideas and energy to an already pumped up team of volunteers. You can expect not only a continuation of the successful monthly programs and communications that were delivered in 2014, but look for an uptick in our SITES efforts and professional development efforts as well! Your teams of volunteer leaders are laser-focused on building and strengthening the bridges for professionals and our underserved students to advance their information technology opportunities “from the classroom to the boardroom”.

Just because it is getting colder out we still want each and every member to come out and join us at this month’s program meeting on November 19, 2014. This month we will have the honor of having Stephen Lett engaging with us 'Insights Through Data Visualization'.  We hope to see you there.

In the event you haven’t seen any of our recent press releases, or the latest copy of the organizational newsletter, please join me in welcoming the newest volunteer members to our Board of Directors: Norman Phillips (Procter & Gamble), William Carter (Collaborative New Ventures), Lesley Floyd (US Bank), Carl Matthews (Group Three Systems) and Audra Sweeney (Honeywell). These newest members of our dynamic professional team will help raise the bar on our effectiveness and efficiency in delivering greater value to you, our members, to our corporate sponsors and supporters, and to the individual members of our communities.

Speaking of which, there are still a few more open positions on the board for others to step forward and join the team. Do you have a passion to make a difference in your community? Would inspiring a child to reach greater heights in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math be of interest to you? Can you serve as a role model to our underserved youth? Are you good at planning? Project Management? Or do you need to expand your personal board of directors and build stronger professional network connections with some of the area’s leading technology professionals? Then you should sincerely consider an opportunity on the BDPA Cincinnati Chapter Board. You will find yourself amongst great company in giving back through volunteering your time.

We continue to grow our membership and expect to pass the 200 member mark by the end of 2014. This tremendous growth is a partial testament to the value others find in the organization. Get engaged and learn how you too can benefit more from your membership. Bring your ideas and suggestions to the monthly program meetings or to any board of director member. We welcome your input.

As always, your feedback is earnestly solicited. How is your BDPA membership working out for you? How can we improve the value of your membership? Send me a note or pull me to the side at the monthly program meeting. This is YOUR chapter. Are you feeling engaged?

Sincerely,
Dalric Webb, president
BDPA Cincinnati Chapter

Monday, November 3, 2014

BDPA Announces New President -- Pamela Mathews

BDPA announced the appointment of Mrs. Pamela Mathews to serve as President of BDPA. The BDPA National Board of Directors accepted the resignation of Dr. Craig Brown at a special Board meeting on October 30, 2014.

BDPA, a national organization, is the premier organization for African Americans in Information Technology (IT). Founded in 1975, BDPA is celebrating its 40-year anniversary in 2015 and will continue to close the digital divide for minorities in Information Technology. BDPA has been committed to increasing the upward mobility of its membership; informing and preparing those interested in pursuing careers in IT and making the minority community as a whole aware of the opportunities available and long-term benefits of our industry.
"We are very pleased Pamela has accepted this leadership position at BDPA. Pamela has proven to be not only a great people leader, but a results-driven business executive. We look forward to her continued leadership with our on-going efforts of operational excellence, innovative programming, membership growth and customized corporate sponsorship solutions that BDPA is committed to delivering to our stakeholders. The appointment now permanently packages her extensive management experience, corporate partnerships and membership focused solutions with an organization committed to advancing the mission of BDPA," said BDPA Co-Founder, Mr. Earl Pace, Jr.
Mrs. Mathews previously held several leadership positions as an active BDPA Board member, BDPA National Executive Committee and the former President of the BDPA Chicago Chapter.

As BDPA members and sponsors prepare to celebrate BDPA’s 40th year of existence next year in Washington DC, this is the time to rededicate ourselves to BDPA’s objectives, which are more relevant today, than in the entire history of the Information Technology industry. We must grow our members from the Classroom to the Boardroom,” said National President, Mrs. Pamela Mathews.

BDPA Cincinnati Launches 2015 High Technology STEM Initiative

BDPA Cincinnati chapter announces the opening of the 2015 Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES) program. The SITES program offers cutting edge STEM training to areas High School and College Students. 2015 is the 19th year for SITES program. The program will begin on January 10th at Cincinnati State Technical College. Students can preview the program content and complete the application for training sessions on the www.bdpa-camp.org web site. The SITES program contain a number of distinct offerings for students and opportunities to win college scholarships

Computer Camp – a disciplined 13-week program for students in 8th through 12th grades. The computer camp covers Visual Basic Applications, Mobile Phone Applications, Web Development, Programming Automation Controllers, Robotics, 3D Printing, Internet Of Things, Information Technology Theory and History, and Professional Development. This training provides students with IT theory and hands-on activities as well as exposure to leading technical professionals in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas.

High School Computer Competition (HSCC) -The BDPA National High School Computer Competition, was founded in 1986 by Dr. Jesse Bemley, of Washington, D.C. What started as a two-team event between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, GA. has grown to over 20 teams of various high school students from within the 46 chapters across the nation. It's designed to introduce our youth to the field of Information Technology, challenge their learnings, encourage them to seek higher levels of education, and groom many of them to become our next generation of IT professionals. HSCC is a 28-week program that prepares students to compete in a 3 step competition that demonstrates IT prowess. The competition consists of an oral component, a written component, and a very competitive programming component. Students are taught to master ASP.NET Programming, JavaScript Programming, Structured Query Language, MySQL Database and Microsoft Visual Studio in a succinct and efficient manner. Students will have the ability to develop a complete database driven application in seven hours after completing this training. Additionally, students are coached on working effectively in teams, team building, leadership, and academic discipline. The top winners of this competition are awarded scholarships at the National BDPA Conference in addition to any local chapter recognition or awards.

IT Showcase – The BDPA Information Technology Showcase allows student presenters from educational institutions across the United States, to present and demonstrate their research. The presentations represent advanced computing and technical topics presented by college and high school students to an audience of corporate representatives and IT professionals. IT professionals and educator mentor students and help them prepare for a national competition. Top students are awarded scholarships at the National BDPA Conference.

Mobile Application Showcase - The National BDPA Mobile Application Showcase allows student application developers the opportunity to participate in a competition that allows them to an opportunity to test their talents against others and develop a working, functional Mobile Application, at no cost to themselves. The applications being showcased will represent three different application categories (i.e. business, personal productivity, and gaming). Each category will have stringent requirements to be met in advance to the showcase. The top winners of this showcase are awarded scholarships at the National BDPA Conference.

BDPA Cincinnati had an exceptional training year in 2014 which culminated in students winning $15,625 in scholarships for their performance at the 2014 National BDPA Conference. The chapter is looking forward to an even greater training year in 2015 engaging more minority students and bringing even greater rewards back to Cincinnati.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Grant Declination: BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) partnered with BDPA Greater Birmingham chapter (president, LaDonna Crum) to submit an online grant application seeking $8,000 in funding from BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama.

We learned today that our grant proposal was declined.

Here is the declination letter received by the BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama:

Dear Mr. Hicks,


The Caring Foundation of BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama has reviewed your request for funding for the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation. We appreciate the good work of many non-profits such as yours, and we must make some difficult choices among the requests we receive. We regret to inform you that your request was not approved, as it does not appear to be within our Foundation's charitable focus at this time.

We wish you continued success in your continued work.

Sincerely,
Tim King, Manager
The Caring Foundation and Corporate Giving

BDPA Greater Birmingham has already identified other funding sources that they want to approach for funding of its 2015 SITES program. BETF encourages all 46 local BDPA chapters to aggressively partner with BETF on these grant proposals. In the meantime, shower your good thoughts on BDPA Greater Birmingham as they seek to raise $27,720 in the near-term!

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Message from BDPA Atlanta Chapter President

Derrick Brown
Cross-Posted from The Aspiring Critical Thinker's Era

Saturday October 25th was a day that will always ring with a strong sense of positivity in the annals of BDPA Atlanta history. After much planning, no small amount of pain, highs and lows, disappointments and triumphs, BDPA Atlanta’s 1st Annual Josie’s FIT STEAM Relay came to fruition in the gym on the grounds of Arabia Mountain High School.

It was an unprecedented success.

When BDPA Atlanta set out to put together our year of programs we knew we wanted to raise our level of engagement and put on a program that not only maintained our national commitment of bringing kids From the Classroom to the Boardroom but also adhering to our local motto of Learn, Grow, Achieve, and for our kids this meant achieve at your level in order to spur you to go beyond. We dedicated ourselves to being advocates of STEM, and then evolved our perspective to become advocates of STEAM.

We knew, as do most people today, that technology touches every facet of our lives, including Art. So, in accordance we dedicated ourselves to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. We understand that art and how technology facilitates it are fundamental to the well-being and growth of our culture. With that understanding it becomes clear that any meaningful change in support of STEM requires an understanding and integration of Art, hence S.T.E.A.M.

Our program would be geared towards STEAM but we also had to craft the message of why? What makes us so different? Why is Josie’s FIT STEAM Relay so innovative? The differentiator is that we at BDPA know quite clearly that in order to make STEAM more accepted by our youth as an objective we must focus our efforts where we can make the right kind of impact. We need to be about cool culture change. We need to make STEAM not only fun, but cool.

And just to be clear, every person that attended the program thought it was not only cool, but a whole lot of fun.

Cool Culture Change is a transformation that requires an old approach with a new touch. By leveraging the power of MDC (Media-Driven Consumercelebreality), the meme virus that represents the power of marketing in a consumerist economy, driven by a what’s in it for me and where’s my stuff culture, by leveraging this power we can create that change. We can drive a strong message that embraces our youngest generation at their level, taking advantage of the things they like, the clothes, the music, the movies, utilizing all this to maximum effect by imbedding STEAM into what they know, what they love, what they desire, what they do.

On Saturday, October 25th we brought a group of young students together, along with their parents, friends, and supporters. We brought them together to test our approach to culture change. We had our brief opening ceremony, and then things began in earnest. The students were broken into four teams, got themselves mentally prepared, after which they gathered at the starting line.

Things kicked off with a sprint across the gym, followed by a set of even more demanding tasks. The physical activities were followed by more exercises that involved aspects of STEAM, an activity for each letter. Once a member of one team completed a circuit they tagged in the next STEAM athlete. As the student athletes went round for round, the crowd urged them on. In the background, DJ Professor played the music that got their blood pumping. They were in the moment. They were having fun. They flexed both their mental and physical muscles. They … were cool. And by virtue of them participating in the coolest new innovative event in STEAM, we were all cool as well.

Josephine 'Josie' Reed
It was a Saturday to remember, where the dreams of visionaries Josephine Reed and Arthur Rozier came together to build a program quite unlike any other. Josie’s FIT STEAM Relay is the gateway to BDPA Atlanta 5000, which is BDPA Atlanta’s commitment to the STEAM 5000 Conference, an effort to touch the souls of 5000+ kids.

The purpose? Take the power of MDC and strike at the heart of student apathy, engaging ever increasing numbers of kids at their level, with the things they like, the stuff that they hold dear, exposing them to the possibilities, educating them on how the stuff they love so much would not exist without the benefits of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math, and that they too have a place in this world beyond consumption. That they are tomorrow’s producers, being Prosumers, actively engaged in STEAM.

This is our mandate, this is our purpose, this is our mission. Join BDPA Atlanta today and help us in our endeavor to make STEAM 5000 a reality. If you would be a part of something momentous, something that affects change at a foundational cultural level, if you would join with a worthy cause and better prepare tomorrow’s dynamic innovators today, then join us. We are ready for you.

Consider critically, becoming a member today.

The Aspiring Critical Thinker,
D.S. Brown, chapter president
BDPA Atlanta