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To see a video capturing the excitement of the 2007 Youth Symposium, please click on the video link below.
(Video by Kathy Wittman)

2007 Youth Symposium

Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu joined Wheelock College in 2007 to welcome 400 middle- and high-school students from the Boston area as part of a two-day event focused on reconciliation and unity.

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For immediate release

WHEELOCK COLLEGE
OCTOBER 25 YOUTH SYMPOSIUM ON LEADERSHIP BRINGS TOGETHER 500 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
CSI:NY actor and author Hill Harper to address students with Harvard's Charles J. Ogletree, JR. - Focus is Leadership, Mentoring, Self Respect

(BOSTON, MA) On Monday, October 25, 2010, award-winning actor and bestselling author Hill Harper will be the keynote speaker as Wheelock College convenes its second Youth Symposium. Entitled "Bridges to Our Future: The Next Generation of Leaders," the event will convene 500 middle and high school students from Boston, Brookline and Cambridge - public, private, pilot and charter - to listen, learn, and discuss topics including leadership, mentoring and self respect.

All of the students have committed to a companion three-week curriculum created specifically for the symposium, to be completed before the event. The goal is to engage young people in becoming leaders, combating negative messages, as well as matriculating into and completing college.

A focal point for the symposium will be Harper's two bestselling books, Letters to a Young Brother, and Letters to a Young Sister. The event will be convened by Harvard Law School Professor Charles J. Ogletree, Jr., a mentor of Hill Harper's when he attended Harvard Law School. Harper portrays Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on the CBS television series CSI: NY.

"The mission of Wheelock College is to improve the lives of children and families," said Wheelock president Jackie Jenkins-Scott. "Several years ago, as a part of our mission, we established an office of Pre-Collegiate and College Access Programs to assist urban youth with achieving college access and success. Our work is part of a national movement toward widening college access, and more importantly, ensuring that students who enter college also graduate - prepared for both further study and fulfilling careers."

Wheelock College presented its first Youth Symposium in 2007. The symposium featured Bishop Desmond Tutu, and focused on Forgiveness and Reconciliation. After the event, a number of participants started a group called SPARK the Truth, dedicated to nonviolent, peaceful coexistence for young people in Boston. With the help of that group and the Pre-Collegiate Office, nearly 5000 young people have attended subsequent events on the Wheelock campus focused on leadership development, mentoring, social justice, academic support, coursework and college success planning.

According to Measuring Up 2008: The National Report Card on Education issued by The National Center For Public Policy and Higher Education, Massachusetts performs well in preparing its young people for college, but there are large gaps by ethnicity. Massachusetts is a top state in the performance of 8th graders in math, science, reading, and writing. However, only 80% of Hispanics have a high school credential, compared with 94% of whites. Among young adults, 28% of Hispanics and 39% of blacks are are enrolled in college, compared with 49% of whites.

The event is timely as the College Board this week released their Education Pays 2010 report (http://www.collegeboard.com/press/releases/213393.html) on September 21 showing the long term advantages of a college education. People with college degrees earn more and are far less likely than others to experience unemployment. College Board officials emphasized that the widening gap between college graduates and those without a college degree makes efforts to increase educational attainment even more important.

While unemployment has risen for both groups during the economic downturn, from 2005 to 2009 the difference between the unemployment rates for those with a bachelor's degree and those with a high school diploma increased from 2.3 to 5.1 percentage points. In 2008, four-year college graduates earned nearly $22,000 more than those with just a high school diploma ($55,700 vs. $33,800). The report also establishes a correlation between education and health outcomes, community involvement, and other life patterns.

Following the symposium, Professor Ogletree will receive an honorary degree from Wheelock College at a 3 p.m. convocation. All activities will take place at the Wheelock Family Theatre, The Riverway, Boston.
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Wheelock College - Inspire a World of Good
Founded in 1888 and located in Boston, Massachusetts, Wheelock College is a private institution with the public mission of improving the quality of life for children and their families. The College fulfills this mission by providing a strong education in the arts and sciences and in its professional fields - child and family studies, social work, and education - for which its undergraduate and graduate programs are nationally and internationally recognized. Through its academic programs and student experience, the College reflects the multicultural dimensions of the countries in which it operates and fosters diverse learning communities - all of which inspires a world of good. For more information visit testweb.wheelock.edu.