r students trained by BDPA New York chapter to attend the Northeast Regional competition at Bowie State University in June 2009. The students (Kevin Castillo, Cazemba Richards and Alan Rosales) won 3rd place at the regional competition.
Louisiana-born composer Byron Christopher Mayes began his formal music training at the age of 10 on a ukelele given to him by his favorite aunt and culminated that training with studies in trombone and composition at Indiana University and the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music. Along the way he studied piano and mandolin, sang in church youth choir, did time in high school and college marching bands, played euphonium on the National Ellipse at TubaChristmas, performed professionally in orchestras and big bands, froze his arse caroling outdoors in period garb, and listened actively to music in all genres.
Exactly as I am now. Cerebral and a bit stand-offish. Very open to those allowed to get close however (that was difficult for most to do).
So many, I'll pick one each.
- Living - President Barack Obama, of course. He's my age and race, and has reached a level of accomplishment that many of my peers couldn't have imagined when we were younger.
- Deceased - Salvador Dalí. I'm an artist at heart and he was the epitome of an artistic genius.
Both men were their own men and inspiring in thier own ways.
Kyle Bady, one of my former student assistants here at Temple University. He's currently a first year law student at Northwestern in Chicago. While here he maintained a 4.0 and still had charisma and personality unlike the average nerd (my pet name for him was "nerd boy"). Look out for him. He will change the world.
Have a major concert of my musical works. Find my 'other.'
I was on the Internet in the early 1990s and learning it was part of my job responsibilities. Thus, my first Internet experiences were through the text-based protocols of gopher and FTP.
I volunteer blog for the BDPA Philadelphia chapter, updating the news blog with items of interest to the membership weekly. I chose to do this as part of my responsibilities as VP for Professional Development.
Ars Technica - Because it's current and "hip" without lapsing into snarkiness. Full coverage of Apple, Open Source, Government, and all that's important to IT today.
White House - Because as a citizen of the US and an unabashed fan of our President and the new transparency surrounding the administration, I feel that I should be in the know.
Hope to maintain its level of useful information. Will also add information about the chapter's events.
Most posts are not original, they simply refer the readers to other articles of importance. That said, I like that I got the 'Change has come to WhiteHouse.gov' up within the hour after the Inauguration.
None so far.
My name is Kevin Pace. I am currently attending Winona State University. I was involved with the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) in 2005 and 2006.
BDPA Twin Cities Chapter has been a great part of my life. I first started in BDPA spring training session when I was 14 years old. I thought to myself that information technology and computer technology were the hardest things in the world. The computer training was a very great experience that challenged me to work harder not only in high school itself, but also on Saturdays with BDPA.
With the hard work and determination, I was able to go to my first BDPA national conference and competition in Detroit. I had a lot fun networking with other students from other chapters during the 2005 national competition in Detroit. Some students had the same background in computers as I did (little to none) and I felt very welcomed. During the competition I remember getting the highest number right on the test part and we as a team did very good on the group test. I was the data base person that networked our webpage together in the website building competition. We finished in 17th place at the end of the 2005 national competition.
We did better the next year. We finished in 10th place at the 2006 national competition in Los Angeles.
BDPA did change my world perspective on my college approach. For instance, I wanted to go to Wartburg College as a Pre-Med mayor. After gaining knowledge from BDPA, I decided to major in Clinical Laboratory Science at Winona State University. I was able to build a bridge between my interests in both computer technology and medicine. I am very grateful to be in a life-changing organization like BDPA. I look forward giving back to BDPA has its giving me as a teenager.
Testimonial written in May 2009 by Kevin Pace, Clinical Laboratory Science Major, Winona State University
Our nonprofit foundation is impacted by the relentless drumbeat of lousy economic news. It is a challenge to deliver financial support for BDPA programs and services with the repercussions from the economic downturn in America.
It comes as no surprise, but two-thirds of U.S. foundations expect to reduce the number or size of the grants they award this year, according to new research by the Foundation Center. The recession's hit to their finances is causing them to try to give in other ways.The report is based on surveys of more than 1,200 U.S. foundations. Many said they will turn to other activities such as seeking out partnerships and collaboration, advocating on issues and providing technical assistance.
Did you know that 47 students have participated in the PMP Exam Prep course offered by the BDPA IT Institute?Fifteen of those students have been employees of Merck & Company.
BDPA IT Institute also offers certifications for professionals in the IT industry that confirm your skillset as an IT associate, IT professional or IT master. This certification could make the difference for you in today's tough economic environment.
Twitter received a spike in attention as a result of he recent election protests in Iran. BDPA chapters in Columbus, New York, Northern Delaware and Orlando have brought social networks, like Twitter into the discussion. It seems clear that this microblogging service is gaining popularity as a real-time communication platform.
I encourage all BETF-Blog readers to take a look at the BEYA Call for Nominations on Modern Day Technology Leaders in the areas of education, entrepreneurism and students.
The Obama Administration budget contains several programs of crucial importance for nonprofits, but it's not all peaches and cream. Some of the budget lines expressly dedicated to nonprofits are "bubkis," Yiddish slang for "nothing." Nonprofits should not get lost fighting over next to nothing while the big dollars slide by their radar screens.
If you haven't checked out our auction catalog recently, it's worth another look. Here's why...
BETF and the National BDPA Vice President (Member Services) submitted a joint letter of inquiry to Fluor Foundation on behalf of the BDPA IT Corps program.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation turned down our grant proposal on behalf of BDPA Middle Tennessee chapter. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation considers opportunities to learn from innovation, to help catalyze work in other places in the US, and to also bring that learning back to the places where they are geographically-focused on moving that indicator needle on behalf of children.Dear Mr. Hicks:
We received your request for funding and want to thank you for sharing your ideas with us.
Within our mission to "propel vulnerable children to achieve success", the Kellogg Foundation provides funding to programs that fit within specific areas of focus: Family Income and Assets; Community Assets; Education and Learning; Food, Health and Wellbeing; and Civic and Philanthropic Engagement and /or the essential approaches of Racial Equity; Place; Leadership; Policy; and Success by Third Grade. We also provide additional programming in our hometown of Battle Creek, Michigan.
Unfortunately, we cannot encourage you to continue with the proposal process at this time, as our program staff have given your request a thorough review and determined that it does not fall within our realigned program priorities.
Again, we commend you in pursuing your idea and wish you much success in attaining your goal.
Sincerely,
Deborah A. Rey
Supervisor, Proposals Processing
Office of the President
the way that such grants are inextricably linked to the donor's self-image.
"The biggest challenge for nonprofits is going to be successfully identifying and applying for this money at the same time that they are trying to do their day jobs, in an environment where there is increased demand for the important work that they do and reduced support for it," said Susan Ross, president and CEO of Fairfield County Community Foundation.Read the full article here.
for Angel Network funding. Organizations can submit letters of inquiry. This funding source awards grants to organizations within the United States that focus on one of our four program areas — education, leadership, basic rights or communities.
Nonprofits across the country - more than 85 percent use social media, according to a new survey - want to replicate that success. In an economy where purse strings are triple-knotted, the strategy has particular appeal.
Read the full article here.
As I sat down to write this newsletter, the blank computer screen kept staring back at me. It wasn't a very friendly look either!! No thoughts were coming easily. My attention kept drifting to the window outside. I could see my neighbors in their yard planting flowers, cutting grass, pruning hedges, flowers popping out of the ground, some already past their prime, and the trees full of leaves instead of bare branches. The change of season was bringing a new start to everything around me.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is never to late to start changing the direction of your career or to set career goals. Attending Chapter meetings or helping a fellow IT professional get involved in the Chapter can help you and help the Chapter realize the goal of retaining and increasing membership!
Volunteer for one of the many opportunities we offer to get involved in the local community. Advance in your profession by attending the National BDPA Technology Conference in Raleigh this August. The Conference will be a good source of information for some, a good refresher for others and great networking for everyone. We hope everyone attends!
The rest of the newsletter is full of good information, so I won't keep you any longer. Enjoy the nice weather and the longer days!
Monique Berry, President
BDPA Philadelphia Chapter
ist and we are counting on you to let us know about any Black-owned and Black-operated blog that should be added to the BBR.
st. In fact, Vibe.com recently named Nah Right as the 'The Best Rap Blog'. I'm still waiting on some villager to give me the 411 on his blog logo!?! I was born and raised on St. Andrews Place in Los Angeles so the irony intrigues me every time I log onto Nah Right. This blog was BBR #4 at this time last year.
ly 2005. This 27-year old nubian from Alexandria, VA was called a blogger to watch by Newsweek. She also has a popular site on MySpace. This blog was BBR #6 a year ago.
hat RiPPa is making a run for that title. This practicing attorney was born in Jamaica, however, he considers himself a citizen of the world. His blog is revolutionary in nature with no-holds barred commentary on the worlds of entertainment, sports, and politics. He operates on a blogspot.com platform and refuses to cross-promote on any other social network. This blog was BBR #14 in June 2008.
BETF and BDPA Atlanta chapter learned that Sprint Foundation turned down our grant proposal on behalf of the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. The declination letter was sent to BDPA Atlanta chapter president Teresa Williams:Dear Ms. Williams:
Thank you for submitting your grant proposal for the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. After careful consideration, we regret to inform you we are unable to provide the funding you seek.
The Sprint Foundation prioritizes its grant awards to programs that support youth initiatives, specifically K-12 public education, youth development (leadership, mentoring and community service), and arts and culture outreach programs designed to bring arts to at-risk and diverse children. Once an opportunity is identified as being eligible and in scope, it is evaluated for its ability to support the Sprint Foundation's philanthropic and community objectives within our budgetary restrictions.
Unfortunately, not all in-scope opportunities can be funded. By carefully selecting which projects to fund, we are able to have a greater impact on the opportunities we do choose to pursue.
We appreciate your consideration of the Sprint Foundation and hope you will understand that our response is in no way a reflection on the fine work accomplished through the BDPA Education And Technology Foundation. Although we are unable to provide funding, we wish you success with the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program.
Sincerely,
Ralph Reid, Executive Director
Sprint Foundation
The Gates Foundation has pledged $40 million to independent think tanks in developing countries, starting with a 24 institutions in Africa. [SOURCE]
Can you keep a secret? Raleigh, NC area is one of the technology capitals in the country with intellectual capital supplied by IBM, telecommunications companies, application develop organizations, project management organizations and middleware companies. Great companies will be at the conference -
Also, the seminars sharpen my technology and managerial 'game'. Here are 13 reasons that I will be at the upcoming BDPA conference:I may fly, drive, ride with others, or catch the bus but I WILL get to the BDPA Conference!
- I can talk there to local Columbus hiring managers directly, freely in a one-on-one manner for long periods
- I find out more about what is going on in companies in Columbus and other cities
- I develop MEANINGFUL relationships with others in a true network sense
- I learn from key vendors the new products that will be released
- I develop that 'back up', in case my current employment situation suddenly severs
- I pick up consulting contracts and consulting contacts
- I talk with some of the best in technology in the country
- I have a non-threatening environment where I get my skills assessed and
help with career goals- It is great to be in an environment where hundreds of Black IT professionals are on top of their 'game'
- The social activities are great! Who said tech folks can't party?
- I develop a national network
- I talk with the IT Senior Management Forum to get mentors; I don't ask
them, I just start communicating regularly and the rest follows naturally- I contribute to a great national organization and network
Please attend the National conference, for your sake. In this economy, it is MORE important than ever!
Click here to register for the conference.
Cecil Jones, past president
BDPA Columbus Chapter
Nonprofits seem always to be looking for money. The panic of making budget seems to make raising money impossible without knowing someone rich and famous such as Bill Gates or Warren Buffet. But fundraising isn't impossible. It can be an incredibly exciting adventure. Here is a simple plan to get your fundraising off to a good start and that you can use for years to come.
By Charles Benton, The Benton Foundation
There are 51 BDPA chapters in the nation. Each chapter averages 53 members (down 2 from last month).The first eight (8) chapters on this list are in the BDPA Century Club with at least 100 members.
BDPA Education & Technology Foundation provides funding to support the programs and services carried out by these chapters at local level. Our hope is that you will consider making a donation to BETF this year. You can securely donate online or you can give BETF a call on (513) 284-4968 to discuss your pledge offline.
What say u?
