CITY OF AURORA
Thomas J. Weisner, Mayor
AFRICAN-AMERICAN
HERITAGE ADVISORY BOARD
AFRICAN-AMERICAN ACHIEVERS’ ACADEMY OF AURORA (A 5)
SUMMER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
I, TOO, AM AURORA
Friday, July 25 – Sunday, July 27, 2008
Hampton Inn & Suites ● Aurora, IL
Featuring a very
powerful & positive
message to the youth
by the phenomenal
PASTOR
KATRINA SMITH
Family & Faith
Christian Church
INFORMATION
& APPLICATION
GUIDE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN ACHIEVERS’ ACADEMY OF AURORA
A5
The African-American Achievers’ Academy of Aurora
(A5) is a youth leadership training institute designed for
African-American students in the greater Aurora area.
Sponsored by the City of Aurora’s African-American
Heritage Advisory Board (AAHAB), the purpose of the
A5 is to train youth to meet the challenges that are faced
by our community in general and the African-American
community in particular.
MISSION
The mission of the A5 is to educate, empower, inspire,
and invigorate our youth by providing leadership skills
that will promote and enhance the quality of life for themselves, the African-American community, and the
greater Aurora area.
OBJECTIVES
The A5 will enable African-American youth who aspire to lead learn skills common to effective leaders. A5
participants will:
• learn to develop a clear vision for their lives
• establish standards of personal excellence
• improve verbal and written communication skills
• shadow African-American leaders in diverse fields
• develop a community service initiative for Aurora
SPECIAL PROJECTS
The participants in the A5 in focus on special projects throughout the year and time will be devoted in each
meeting to strengthen these projects:
•
Achievers’ Hall of Fame –African-American students from the surrounding schools will be honored for
academic success through an induction ceremony, the Achiever’s Hall of Fame. This is an opportunity
to highlight all of the academically success youth in our community and really highlight the need for
academic achievement. Students from the A5 will be featured presenters and hosts for the program.
•
A5 Speakers’ Bureau – As the participants grow and enhance their lives, they can do the same for
others. The development of an A5 Speaker’s Bureau will provide our community with a talented pool of
youth speakers who can motivate and inspire others. Churches, schools, youth groups and the like can
tap into the Speaker’s Bureau for events.
•
A5 Community Service Initiative – We all can be great, because we call can serve. Each school year,
the A5 will select a community service initiative that will complement the goals of the organization and
offer critical insight and solutions to a particular issue pertaining to the African-American community
•
A5 Annual Summer Leadership Conference – Prior to the beginning of each school year, the A5 will
host a Youth Leadership Conference to set the tone for the upcoming year, to empower the leadership
team to design and fulfill their goals, and to connect the youth with African-American leaders in the
community
African-American Achievers’ Academy of Aurora
2008 SUMMER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
I, TOO, AM AURORA
The A5 Summer Leadership Conference will be held at the classy Hampton Inn and Suites on
Aurora’s west side from July 25 - 27, 2008. The conference theme, I, too, am Aurora, is based on
the historical Langston Hughes poem, I, too, Sing America and will address how African American
students in Aurora are a critical part of the present and future success of this city and why a
personal commitment must be given by them to provide a firmer foundation for future generations.
I, TOO, SING AMERICA
By Langston Hughes
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the
kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
This historic gathering will be the inaugural event for A5 and the
first time African-American achievers from Aurora school districts
and post-secondary education institutions will come together for
leadership development and to form a student union!
The focus and intent of this conference is:
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Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
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Nobody will dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.
Besides,
They'll see how beautiful
I am and be ashamed—
I, too, am America!
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To broaden each student’s perspective regarding
leadership and service;
To provide students with the opportunity to bond with
each other in intellectually and emotionally energizing
events;
To enhance the student’s vision and value to the greater
Aurora area
To introduce the students to an array of Aurora’s finest
African-American mobilizers;
To stimulate a year-long focus on service and success by
choosing a service topic that will benefit the AfricanAmerican community of Aurora ;
To lay the groundwork to gain insight into the lives of
African-American students to provide local schools,
agencies, etc. with relevant statistics and views for
program planning
The 2008 Summer Leadership Conference will feature such highlights as:
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An Opening Student Session presented by AAHAB Chairman and
Aurora Township Clerk, Juan Thomas
A Legislative Breakfast that will bring some of the Aurora area
politicians together to network with students
A special Rock the Vote Seminar focusing on the 2008 Presidential
Election with local Black Politicians
A panel of Successful Black College Students to offer insight into the
college preparation process!
An Elders’ Panel to pass the baton between generations!
A special look at the power of unity and business by visiting the
Aurora Puerto Rican Cultural Celebration….Blacks in the Diaspora!
An inspirational Sunday morning youth and family church service!
A powerful Family Sunday Service with Pastor Katrina Smith!
12 SESSIONS OF PURPOSE AND POWER – For Free!
A5 SUMMER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
AGENDA
Friday, July 25, 2008 – Sunday, July 27, 2008
FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2008
4:00 p.m.
Check In
5:30 p.m.
Session I:
Welcome/Parent’s Meeting
6:30 p.m.
Session II:
Young, Gifted, and Black!
Guest Presenter:
Juan Thomas – Aurora Township Clerk
8:30 p.m.
Session III:
I, Too, Am Aurora!
10:00 p.m.
Session IV:
A Service Project!
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12:00 a.m.
Lights-Out
Students can check-in at the Hampton Inn and Suites
beginning at 4:00 p.m.
An overview for parents and students. The weekend’s
activities and expectations will be clearly outlined and
defined. The Leadership Conference will begin and end
with sessions with parents and students.
The opening student session will be presented by
AAHAB Chairman and Aurora Township Clerk, Juan
Thomas. Thomas, an attorney and a graduate of
Morehouse College in Atlanta, will set the tone for what
it means to be Young, Gifted and Black!
What is the state of Black youth in Aurora? This session
will be led by local community leaders and will provide
an opportunity for the participants to offer their views
and insights into the lives of Black youth!
One of the main purposes of the conference is to use the
talents of the youth to focus on one service project that
will meet the needs of the Black community of Aurora.
Each evening the team will be broken down into groups
to outline a plan of action for service and present the
plan at the last session on Sunday morning.
All students will be secured in their hotel rooms.
SATURDAY, JULY 26, 2008
8:30 a.m.
9:00 a.m.
Student Review
Session V:
The Art of Leadership!
10:30 a.m.
Session VI:
Rock the Vote!
12:30 p.m.
Session VII:
What Makes the Great Great?
Guest Presenter:
Clayton Muhammad – Boys II Men
Students will meet in to review the day’s agenda.
The AAHAB will present the plan for the upcoming year,
which includes the African Festival of the Arts, the AAHAB
Annual Dinner, and the AAHAB Scholarship Program.
In Our Lifetime? That was the cover headline in recent edition
of Ebony Magazine with Barack Obama on the cover. We will
dialogue with our students about local and national politics
and how important their voice is in the political process.
What qualities do great people have? Why are some people
destined to beat the odds and other are consumed by them?
This session will tell the stories of Black people who were
able to answer the question, What Makes the Great Great, and
achieve greatness in their lives. A special focus will be placed
on local Black college achievers from the Aurora area.
SATURDAY, JULY 26, 2008 (continued)
2:00 p.m.
Session VIII:
The Real Deal!
4:00 p.m.
Session IX:
Passing the Baton!
6:00 p.m.
Session X:
Making It Rain!
8:00 p.m.
Cultural Connections:
Lessons in Black and Brown!
11:00 p.m.
Session XI:
A Service Project!
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1:00 a.m.
Lights-Out
Live and in living color, the college students featured in
Session VII will be on hand to give the real deal about college
life and what needs to be done before and during college to be
successful. Some of the most dynamic college students in the
area will be in attendance to inspire the next generation!
From the youth to the elders, we must close the generation
gap and prepare to run the next leg of the race. There are
many Blacks in Aurora who have labored for years to build a
better world. Some of those elders will join us so that the
students can sit at their feet and learn from their wisdom. It’s
time that we come together and pass the baton!
What happens when you merge education, energy, and the
entrepreneurial spirit? Pure magic. Local black business
owners will offer tips on Business Etiquette and how to
succeed in a business world where the most important color is
green!
What is education recreation? It’s the fine line between having
fun and still learning valuable life lessons. It’s time to take a
break and have a little fun by experiencing the pride and
passion of a people during the Puerto Rican Pride Celebration
in Aurora. See firsthand how other minority groups are
uniting for change in their communities and how we too can
do the same! This is a clear lesson in Black and Brown!
Tired yet? With the lessons learned today and the experience
with our diasporic friends in the Puerto Rican Festivities, how
can you finalize your plan for African-American youth in
Aurora? Tonight will be an open-ended session to finalize the
basis of the A5 Service Project based on the principles learned
today!
All students will be secured in their hotel rooms.
SUNDAY, JULY 27, 2008
8:00 a.m.
Student Review and Breakfast
It’s Bigger Than Me!
The Hampton Inn and Suites will provide a complimentary
breakfast to all student participants in the conference. Students
are to come dressed in their Sunday best to break bread with
the team, discuss service projects, and prepare for a powerful
conclusion to an amazing weekend!
It’s Family Time! Let’s do it right on a Sunday morning in the
best way that we know how! The conference will conclude
with a family spiritual service with a special message by:
9:30 a.m.
Session XII:
Special Guest Presenter:
Pastor Katrina Smith of Family & Faith Church
Pastor Katrina Smith
Family & Faith
Christian Church
All family & friends
are invited!
11:00 a.m.
Check-Out
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Students will share their experiences from the weekend
and provide a framework for the A5 Service Project that
will take place throughout the 2008—2009 School year
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The 2008-2009 Schedule of Activities will also be
presented to the parents and students
We will see you at the Quarterly Meetings!
CONFERENCE LODGING
The A5 Summer Leadership Conference will
be held at the award-winning Hampton Inn
and Suites located at 2423 Bushwood Drive
on
Aurora’s
west
side.
The
hotel
is
accessible from Orchard Road between I-88
and Indian Trail Road.
Each participant will share a quad-occupancy room with
same-gender roommates. The spacious room features
two queen beds, 25" color television, easy to operate
alarm clock/radio and large work desk. You'll also enjoy
the convenience of having a coffee maker and
iron/ironing board in your room.
PLEASE NOTE: Adult chaperones from the African-American Heritage Advisory Board will monitor
the overnight lodging and adult college aides will assist with in-room monitoring. Male and female
participants will be housed in separated sections of the hotel.
CONFERENCE ATTIRE & NECESSITIES
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The attire for this program is business casual. Slacks, skirts, sport shirts with collar, blouses and
sweaters are appropriate for each session, dining engagements and the Sunday family service. Attire
such as t-shirts, jeans, sneakers and sandals are only appropriate to wear during the cultural outing on
Saturday and during the late-night Service Project Preparation Sessions. Please use your best judgment
and discretion with casual clothes. Always keep in mind that you are representing your family, school,
and the African-American Achievers Academy of Aurora.
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Electronic equipment (i.e. cell phones, I-pods, game systems, etc.) will not be used during sessions
and dining engagements.
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Student participants should bring all necessary materials that will suffice for two-nights of lodging (i.e.
personal toiletries, etc.). Please contact the Conference Coordinator for specifics, if necessary.