MIAMI GARDENS — The popular 5000 Role Models of Excellence started by now Congresswoman Frederica Wilson when she was an educator will get a close look from the White House this week.
Wilson said the program, which pairs successful males with boys to help them navigate their early lives, will be discussed by David Johns, executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans. President Barack Obama unveiled this initiative in February under the label “My Brother’s Keeper.” At the time, he acknowledged Wilson’s work with her Role Models program and its impact at hundreds of schools in Miami-Dade.
Johns is responsible for identifying the best practices to improve student achievement and use those findings to dramatically improve outcomes across the country through the integrated powers of the federal government.
Wilson said other White House officials will also participate in the roundtable discussion, which will form part of a session called “Mentorship: Supporting the Holistic Development of Boys and Men of Color: A 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project Case Study.”
The roundtable discussion, part of a series being conducted by the White House, will coincide locally with the Role Models Annual Senior High and Middle School Conference from 8:30 a.m. to noon, Thursday, May 15, at Sun Life Stadium, 2269 NW 199th St., Miami Gardens.
The Miami Dolphins Foundation will host the annual “Finished High School… Now What? Senior High School Conference” for students in the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project.
Miami Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium personnel will provide an overview of the business of sports. Wilson is expecting nearly 1,000 high school seniors and middle school students to attend workshops on topics such as career development, college preparation and the consequences of being arrested.
On Sunday, the program will hold its annual graduation ceremonies at the Historic St. Agnes Episcopal Church at 1750 NW Third Ave., in Miami’s Overtown community.
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