News You Ought to Know
Afeni Shakur Davis, Activist and Mother of Tupac, Dies at 69
Activist Afeni Shakur Davis, the mother of late rap artist Tupac Shakur, died Monday, officials said. She was 69. Davis died in a hospital Monday night after deputies responded to a report of possible cardiac arrest at her Sausalito, California, home at 9:30 p.m., the Marin County Sheriff’s Office said. The coroner’s office will lead the investigation into the cause of her death.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF HAMILTON PARK OPENS ANNIE PEARL FOSTER CENTER FOR YOUTH ENRICHMENT
Richardson, TX – In the 1950s when the late Rev. Dr. J. Lee Foster and his wife, Annie Pearl Foster started the historic First Baptist Church of Hamilton Park (FBCHP) in a dumping ground during the height of America’s segregation, little did they know that the church would become an historic landmark for religious ministry and outreach in the northern sector of Dallas. When Rev. Foster passed a little more than a decade ago, Mrs. Foster and her two sons, Reverends Gregory and Anthony Foster took the baton and forged the work of their father. Since pastor Foster’s demise, both Mrs. Foster and Reverend Anthony Foster have passed. Not without a challenge, Rev. Dr. Gregory Foster is pioneering a new vision for the church which is the ANNIE PEARL FOSTER CENTER FOR YOUTH ENRICHMENT. Named after his mother, the purpose of the center is to teach spiritual values and encourage a greater sense of drive and work ethics in youth by providing sustained support and growth opportunities with an emphasis on character development. Youth will benefit from the program services as a means of strategic intervention focusing on literacy as well as reading comprehension. With this strategic focus, as well as individual growth planning and progress monitoring, the aim is to fortify mastery of essential knowledge and skills outlined within the Center’s program.
As a part of the Center’s opening, there will be Reception and Tour of the Center on Sunday, May 8, 2016 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. located at First Baptist Church of Hamilton Park, 300 Phillips Street, West Wing 2nd floor.
PROGRAMS OFFERED from 3 to 19 years old will include:
ACADEMIC TUTORING: This after school program focus on assisting youth with their core academic subjects in Math, Reading, Social Studies, Science and English/Language Arts. Tutored one-on-one by qualified educational professionals, youth are individually evaluated and will have individualized sessions based upon academic needs. The objective is to identify their skill level and work to help improve their grades and overall academic performance. Specific attention is given to helping youth pass their classroom and state tests.
COUNSELING: This program is designed to help youth get through their day-to-day challenges in these troubled times. Youth ministers are available to listen and guide youth to problem-solve various and enormously complicated issues which they are confronted. Incorporating biblical principles in the counseling process, it is the desire to help youth overcome their challenges and put them on a solid path of emotional stability in a welcoming and supportive environment.
GROUP MENTORING: Following the academic public school calendar year, this program is designed to advise and assist high school students (grades 9-12) who wish to further their education with institutions of higher learning. Specific attention is given to assist students with the application process and help guide them to attain educational success based on their career goals and interest. The program follows the college/university application cycle and pre-enrollment process during August and June of any given year. Professionals are on hand to help youth seek financial aid and enable them to develop critical skills through application, feedback and experience.
SPANISH: Tailored for youth Pre K and Kindergarten children, this program uses the Harmonious Intervention through Language Opportunities (HILO) curriculum. The curriculum was developed with “the assumption that all kids can benefit from learning a second language.” Offering appropriate learning opportunities through songs, games, art and other activities by which language, specifically Spanish, can be developed and vocabulary practiced at an early age, this curriculum was developed through The Overton Group, Austin, Texas, in association with the Austin Independent School District.
Ages: 4-7
PUBLIC SPEAKING: From the podium to the audience, youth will learn how to overcome nervousness, anxiety and the fear of public speaking while learning how to make a formal and informal presentation in a clear, concise and persuasive manner. By understanding voice projection, articulation, pacing, fluency, body language, eye contact and gesturing, they will have an opportunity to practice designing and delivering an effective presentation in front of a live audience.
AWANA: Designed to help youth build a biblical foundation for life by utilizing songs and games as tools to memorize bible verses, youth are taught with age appropriate materials in a classroom style setting that AWANA means to do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
COMPUTER LAB: The Computer Lab will provide computer access and support for all youth involved in the Center’s enrichment programs. Using critical thinking skills and collaborative communication, the computer lab will help youth make educated choices, solve problems and make informed decisions using multiple processes to mange computer activities so they can develop, create, complete projects and perform tasks necessary to accomplish their goals. The lab will encourage youth to be independent and confident on the computer for research problem solving and instructional support, when applicable.
For more information, visit the church’s website @ www.fbchp.org,
email: youthenrichmentcenter@fbchp.or, or call (972) 235-4235.
