High School Students Gather at Rice University for the Annual DiversityFirst™ Youth Leadership Program
The Texas Diversity Council held its annual DiversityFirst™ Youth Leadership Program at Rice University on June 4, 2012 through June 8, 2012 with 9th and 10th grade inner city students from around the Houston area. The focus for this year's program was to educate the students about several different careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic (STEM) fields. "The DiversityFirst™ Youth Leadership Program is a tremendous opportunity for students to grow in their knowledge of what will be expected of them in college and beyond," said Dennis Kennedy, Founder and CEO of the National Diversity Council. The format of the DiversityFirst™ Youth Leadership Program included varied learning environments such as classes, workshops, and small group discussions. This structure allowed students to acquire the peer leadership and conflict resolution skills necessary to succeed in a multicultural environment. Each day of the program, the students were divided into groups and attended two-hour writing workshops, which focused on crafting college admissions, essays, and resumes. They also had the opportunity to attend numerous sessions throughout the week, each focusing on a different developmental area. Topics ranged from "What High School/College Expects of You", "Interviews/Resumes/Dress", "Leadership Houston", "Microsoft Lab Activity", "PSAT Review and Testing", and "Financial Aid and College Admissions". In addition, students had the opportunity to listen to a panel of professionals from Fluor Daniel and National Oilwell Varco (NOV), who discussed careers focusing on STEM. Current students from Rice University were also on hand to share their personal stories with the program participants. The Texas Diversity Council would like to offer special thanks to the students, speakers, Rice University, and sponsors, Sysco, Andrews and Kurth, and BBVA Compass for helping make the DiversityFirst™ Youth Leadership Program a success.
