Hotep! BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF) exists to provide financial support for BDPA. We share information about fundraising, funding sources and BDPA programs on this blog. The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent BDPA’s positions, strategies or opinions.
We are deeply saddened to inform our BDPA membership that BDPA St Louis Chapter President, Malcom Mathis II, and his 22 month old son, Malcom Mathis III, passed away in a tragic incident. He was a devoted husband to his wife, Susan and a devoted father to his children. Malcolm was a generous and caring friend and colleague and the personification of Servant Leadership. His absence will be felt greatly.
Malcom served as BDPA St Louis Chapter President from 2016 - 2018, where he embodied BDPA beliefs and purpose, “to serve and elevate others and prepare students and young professionals today for leadership tomorrow”. Malcom also served as a member of the BDPA St. Louis Corporate Advisory Council. He generously gave his time and talents in many capacities in his community, including on the School Board for the Jennings School District.
For those who were fortunate to know Malcom well, you couldn’t help but admire how deeply he cared for his community and the people he worked with. He spent more than 6 years at the Monsanto Corporation most recently as a business architect and an active leader in the African Americans in Monsanto Network (AAIM). He was always a strong advocate for diversity in Monsanto.
A benefit account has been established at Commercial Bank for The Mathis Family. Make checks payable to The Mathis Family Benefit. This account has been verified by the Maryland Heights Police Department. This account was established to help raise funds for funeral expenses.
Contributions can be mailed to:
Commercial Bank
Attn: The Mathis Family Benefit
2330 West Port Plaza Drive
Maryland Heights, MO 63146
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) worked closely with the officers of the National BDPA to submit a grant proposal to the HSBC seeking $25,000 for the 2018 Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. We should get an answer within a couple of months.
BETF is willing to work with any of the 46 local BDPA chapters to obtain the funding that they need to successfully deliver their 2018 SITES program. Simply reach out to the BETF executive director if you have questions or wish to discuss further.
Hello and Happy Black History Month. I hope your year is off to a tremendous start. I’m sure 2018 New Year Resolutions are being actively pursued and dreams are being realized. I have been in the role of President for the BDPA Atlanta Chapter for over a year now. I have seen a great deal of progression, however, there is still much more to do. I am excited to work hand-and-hand with National BDPA leadership to continue to move the needle forward.
As members of BDPA Atlanta, I want to provide you an update on the State of the BDPA Atlanta Chapter. This update will focus on professional membership, collegiate membership, Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES) & National High School Computer Competition (HSCC) Programs.
Professional Membership
Last year we had a number of sessions for professionals, however, we did not engage our professional members as much as we would have liked to. This year we are seeking to ensure we host activities to reignite excitement around BDPA Atlanta. We want to host activities that benefit our membership. The first step to achieving success is by being transparent. As a chapter, we have to bring focus to our professional members. We are committed to this, however, we need your assistance. We need your participation and volunteerism. We want to ensure we are serving you in a way that contributes to your advancement. You will see more communications from the Atlanta team, we simply ask that you respond by participating and volunteering.
If your membership has lapsed, I humbly ask that you give BDPA Atlanta Chapter another opportunity. I believe if we work together we can reignite the success of the Atlanta Chapter.
If you are interested in speaking or have an idea for a session, please email president@atlantabdpa.org.
Collegiate Membership
In conjunction with National BDPA, BDPA Atlanta is excited to announce plans to start collegiate chapters. The initial chapters will be at the following institutions:
Atlanta University Consortium (Clark Atlanta, Morehouse, and Spelman)
Georgia State University
Kennesaw State University
We are in the beginning stages of establishing these chapters. If you know of students at any of these institutions or surrounding institutions please share this great news. We will notify members of information sessions for each collegiate chapter.
SITES & HSCC
Last year was an exciting year for our youth programs. We had over 40 high school students participate in HSCC, as well as a college student participate in the Mobile App Competition. Our HSCC team finished 2nd place for the coding competition. That makes two 1st and one 2nd place finish in the last three years. In addition, we won the 2017 Mobile Application Competition for High School participants. Overall, we have achieved a great deal.
This year, we have over 75 participants in HSCC. We are looking to maintain that count until the August competition. The students are very excited! We are also anticipating a significant increase in Mobile Application Competition participants.
Closing
As you can see, we have been doing a great deal in Atlanta, however, we know we can do more. From National competitions, our students have been awarded over $40K+ in the last three years because of the commitments we have made to them, “From the classroom to the boardroom”. As a member of BDPA Atlanta, you have contributed to that success.
I am committed to our students and I am committed to you. Please join me in making this a year that BDPA Atlanta will never forget.
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) worked closely with the officers of the BDPA Cincinnati chapter to submit a grant proposal to the Cincinnati Bell seeking $5,000 for the 2018 Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. We should get an answer within a couple of months.
BETF is willing to work with any of the 46 local BDPA chapters to obtain the funding that they need to successfully deliver their 2018 SITES program. Simply reach out to the BETF executive director if you have questions or wish to discuss further.
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) worked with BDPA Atlanta chapter (president, Victor Montgomery) to submit a $15,000 grant proposal to the Cisco Foundation. If approved, the grant would provide partial funding for the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program in Atlanta, GA.
Unfortunately, our grant proposal was declined. The declination letter read as follows:
Dear Wayne,
Thank you for submitting an Initial Information Form for your program titled "Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program" to Cisco for funding consideration.
We have carefully completed an evaluation of the Initial Information Form you submitted. While we recognize the value of your program and applaud your contributions, we are unable to invite you to submit a formal proposal for consideration.
We hope you will consider other Programs which may assist your organization:
2) For matching gifts and volunteer matching please contact volunteers at your organization that are Cisco employees to find out how you can qualify as well as http://csr.cisco.com/pages/employee-volunteers
3) Techsoup.org: The technology place for non-profits: www.techsoup.org
Broadly, our social investment strategy focuses on three areas where our products, services, and employees can make a lasting impact: Critical Human Needs and Disaster Relief, Education, and Economic Empowerment. Our approach encourages innovation to create technology-based solutions that are replicable, scalable, and sustainable. To achieve our objectives, we partner with organizations around the world that share our values and align with our focus areas. A list of our community partners can be found at http://csr.cisco.com/pages/community-partners.
Please accept our best wishes for success as you continue to provide your services.
Sincerely,
Cisco Public Benefit Investment Grant Evaluation Team
We encourage our Chicago-based supporters to check out program meetings offered by BDPA Chicago. We also invite you to support BDPA Chicago HSCC Scholarship Fund!
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) worked with BDPA Greater Tampa Bay chapter (president, Andrea Johnson) to submit a $2,500 grant proposal to the Walmart Community Grant Request. If approved, the grant would provide partial funding for the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program in Tampa, FL.
Unfortunately, our grant proposal was declined. The declination letter read as follows:
Thank you for submitting a request, Request ID 38527597, to facility #3197 for a grant through the Walmart Community Grant Program. Your grant request was not selected for funding at this time.
The Community Grant Program is a competitive application. On average, we receive more than 150,000 applications from more than 65,000 local organizations striving to improve their communities each year. A number of variables may influence each funding decision. Common reasons grants may be declined include lack of: alignment with our focus areas, local connection with the store, program timing, limited resources and clarity of programmatic work within the facility community.
Thank you again for your interest in the Walmart Community Grant Program. We appreciate your efforts to help people live better and wish you success in your future endeavors. If you would like to learn more about all of Walmart’s giving programs, we encourage you to visit http://giving.walmart.com.
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud of our effort to raise funds for National BDPA. We encourage you to follow the lead of Terry Morris by using our BDPA Future account. We're proud that Vincent Shorter supported BETF's efforts with his video:
I encourage BDPA supporters to make a secure online donation to the #BDPAFuture Crowdrise effort. We seek to raise $250,000 by the end of March and we need your help. Doable?
Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Walgreens joined National BDPA as
a diversity and inclusion sponsor with its basic corporate sponsorship package by BDPA Job Board (www.ITDiversityCareers.com),
corporate memberships and web banner and hosting the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) held in Chicago. Walgreens is
the second-largest American pharmacy store chain in all 50 states, the District
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A commitment to continuously improving diversity and inclusion has always been part of Walgreens DNA, and these values remain central to their cultural beliefs. By embracing and leveraging the rich diversity of Walgreens’ team members' backgrounds, experiences and insights, Walgreens is uniquely positioned to be the first choice for health and daily living for everyone.
Terry Morris, BDPA newly elected National President stated, "Walgreens and BDPA emphasizes diversity, inclusion, and the commitment to improving our communities. BDPA thanks you for your partnership and your daily assurance that diversity matters."
BDPA was founded in 1975 by Earl Pace and David Wimberly to close the digital divide for underrepresented minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). BDPA has over 40 chapters nationwide with more than 2,500 STEM professional and student members. BDPA offers over $100,000 in scholarships annually to hundreds of high school and college students who wish to pursue STEM careers.
BDPA Chicago President Reggie Rush stated, "Walgreens diversity and inclusion efforts will continue to make room to support the technology community efforts BDPA has for 2018 and beyond!"
For more information on the 2018 National BDPA Technology Conference and Career Fair or a sponsorship, contact BDPA’s corporate sponsorship at (301) 584-3135 ext.108 or corpsales@bdpa.org. Also, please visit www.bdpa.org.
BDPA recently commended #1 ranked BlueCross BlueShield of Michigan (BCBSM) for their bronze-level sponsorship of the 2018 National BDPA Technology Conference and Career Fair to be held August 9-11 in New Orleans, Louisiana. BCBSM has been recognized for their commitment to diversity and inclusion on the DiversityInc Top 11 Regional Company List. The DiversityInc benchmarking survey assesses a company’s performance versus all competitors overall and in four key areas of diversity management – Talent Pipeline, Talent Development, Leadership Accountability and Supplier Diversity. This year, BCBSM is the proud recipient of esteemed recognition and prominent awards related to its Diversity & Inclusion efforts including the 2017 Corporate PACEsetter Award.
“2017 was a banner year for BlueCross BlueShield of Michigan’s Diversity & Inclusion programs. As a result of our initiatives and policies, partnerships across the company, employee and leader engagement, and BlueCross’ Employee Resource Networks in promoting an inclusive culture, BCBSM continues to make great strides in furthering a diverse and inclusive culture. BDPA continues to play a crucial role in developing STEM and IT professionals while providing a healthy pipeline of diverse candidates to address the growing demand for technology professionals,” said Angela Williams, Director of Information Security at Blue Cross BlueShield of Michigan. “BlueCross is proud to support an organization that has been a pioneer in leading the upward success of their members ‘from the classroom to the boardroom'.”
BDPA was founded in 1975 by Earl Pace and David Wimberly to close the digital divide for underrepresented minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). BDPA has over 40 chapters nationwide with more than 2,500 STEM professional and student members. BDPA offers over $100,000 in scholarships annually to hundreds of high school and college students who wish to pursue STEM careers.
Terry Morris, National BDPA President said, "Like BDPA, BlueCross BlueShield of Michigan is concerned with developing opportunities for a diverse and inclusive technology work environment. We thank you for your commitment to the BDPA partnership and your consistent effort to enable opportunities for diverse talent.”
For more information on the 2018 National BDPA Technology Conference or a sponsorship, contact BDPA’s corporate sponsorship at (301) 584-3135 ext.108 or corpsales@bdpa.org. Also, please visit www.bdpa.org.
BDPA is pleased to introduce Terry Morris as the BDPA National President! Terry Morris has been a leader in technology at Eli Lilly and Company and an Indianapolis community servant since arriving nearly 17 years ago. At Lilly, he has been a strong technology advocate and leader in transitional areas such as Next Generation Develop. In addition to his core responsibilities, he has been a champion and leader in the people development and diversity efforts of Information Technology.
Terry, a Florida A&M University graduate, has been very engaged in various civic entities, such as Mt. Zion Apostolic Church where he serves as a trustee and leader for strategy and operations. Terry has been a member of BDPA for a decade, and most recently served as the Indianapolis chapter president (2014-16), helping to raise over $100k for high school and college student scholarship and program sponsorship. Terry has also been helping to transform the Indianapolis community by servicing on the Board of Directors for the Center for Congregations and the IUPUI Informatics Diversity-Enhanced Workforce Advisory Board.
Terry’s plan and vision for BDPA in 2018 are geared to both strengthen and transform BDPA by reshaping the experience of its constituency.
BDPA’s priorities are all about new experiences, growth in our strategic partnerships, and a strengthened operations. These goals can only be accomplished by transforming the way that we engage. Terry’s new endeavors such as tech talks, leadership discussions, and career dialogue on the 2nd and 4th Friday’s of every month do just that. BDPA is excited for the growth and transformation that lie ahead under the leadership of its new National President.
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) worked closely with the officers of the BDPA Rhode Island chapter to submit a grant proposal to the Rhode Island Foundation seeking $10,000 for the 2018 Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. Our proposal was sent to the Providence Journal Charitable Legacy Fund. We should get an answer within three (3) months.
BETF is willing to work with any of the 46 local BDPA chapters to obtain the funding that they need to successfully deliver their 2018 SITES program. Simply reach out to the BETF executive director if you have questions or wish to discuss further.
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) works hard to seek out grant funds to support BDPA programs on a local and national level. Sometimes we are successful, however, more often than not we get turned down. We share the information with you in either case. It is part of our commitment to be transparent to our donors and supporters.
Your request to support the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program of the New York Chapter has been received by L Brands Foundation. Because the level of community need far exceeds the funds available for grant-making, the Foundation faces many difficult choices. Unfortunately, your request was not fulfilled because it was not competitive against the other applications received or did not fit within our philanthropic focus outlined on our website. Thank you for your interest in L Brands Foundation and thank you for your efforts to improve your community. Sincerely, Janelle N. Coleman President
BETF will continue to seek out funding sources that will smile favorably on our request for funds. Let us know if you have any thoughts or suggestions...
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) works hard to seek out grant funds to support BDPA programs on a local and national level. Sometimes we are successful, however, more often than not we get turned down. We share the information with you in either case. It is part of our commitment to be transparent to our donors and supporters.
BETF and BDPA New York worked together on a $5,000 grant proposal that we submitted late last year to the New York Life Foundation. We were disappointed to learn that our request has been turned down.
Here is the declination message that we received:
Dear Mr. Hicks, Your organization does not fit the Foundation's focus or geographical area.
Furthermore, we don’t accept unsolicited requests. However, there may be an opportunity for funding through the Educational Grant Program "Aim High," which the Foundation funds. Click here for details of the program, application and contact info for questions: https://www.newyorklife.com/foundation/afterschool-alliance. I've also included a FAQ sheet for your information. Best of luck in finding the funding you're seeking. Denise Zayas, Office Manager New York Life Foundation
BETF will continue to seek out funding sources that will smile favorably on our request for funds. Let us know if you have any thoughts or suggestions...
BDPA’s Future is now present. #BDPAFuture is our national platform and how we will be presenting our 2018 goals: Create New Experiences, Grow Strategic Partnerships, and Build a Stronger Operational Foundation.
Terry Morris
The Digital economy is here and BDPA and its membership will play a key role in how tech is developed around the world. To make this real, we must increase exposure of high tech innovations and real-world applications. We must also empower our membership and friends with the leadership skills and career passion necessary to thrive in this vibrant landscape.
We are introducing BDPA Digital as our capability to articulate the evolution of IT and Business Trends occurring in the Digital Landscape. These trends include Artificial Intelligence, Analytics, Robotic Automation, Wearables, Internet of Things, and Blockchain. These digital trends are built on an IT foundation of Security, User Experience, Operations, and Solution Delivery.
In addition to the BDPA Digital capability, we are launching a new focus on Leadership and Career Development. Many of our members have great skills and knowledge that need to be leveraged to the extreme of their potential. To aid your ability to reach your potential we are creating some focused attention on building your leadership foundation, including communication, influence, political awareness, performance management, etc...In addition, we are bringing a focus on career development to help our members chart and navigate the roadmap of their future whether they have corporate, non-profit, or entrepreneurial aspirations.
Our National Technology Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 9-11. We have also created two new channels to develop and expose our member to the tools and resources they need.
Leadership/Career Talks - On the Second Friday of each month from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm we will have leadership skills or career development talk aimed at helping you reach your full potential. This content will also be delivered by a strategic partner or experienced BDPA member.
Tech Talks - On the Fourth Friday of each month from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm we will have a tech talk from the High Tech industry or one of our BDPA members with deep experience in one of the BDPA Digital areas of focus.
In addition to what has already been shared, we are launching communities of practice in entrepreneurship, analytics, Security, and others over time. Stay tuned for additional press releases and posting about these new areas of focus.
For your youth and college students, we are looking to build upon the successes of our “Classroom to Boardroom” motto by enriching our current experiences (ie Mobile App Showcase, IT Showcase, HSCC, and YTC) using the BDPA Digital framework. We will be leveraging strategic partners in High Tech and Academia to created a modern and standardized experienced around the country. We are also reinvesting in our college chapter construct to create more continuity and opportunities for students, schools, and corporations alike.
BDPA is a great organization with a rich and profound legacy. We appreciate the sacrifices, investments, and efforts of our founders (David Wimberly and Earl Pace), previous national and local leadership, sponsorship, and of course the many members and students around the country.
BDPA has been primarily a membership and volunteer-based organization. This construct has made it difficult to always deliver consistently at optimal levels. However, with the increased focus on value to membership and stakeholders, the organization is poised and ready to experience #BDPAFuture now. The time to get engaged and stay engaged with BDPA is NOW!
