TALK OF GREENWOOD
Dr. Jerry Goodwin
Lydia Childers (l) from Norman completes a project with Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Kevin Randall II at a Transition STEM Camp offered by the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services in 2023. Photo provided
Several scholarships are available for students continuing their education and for the summer. Below is a partial listing of scholarships.
Deadline: May 15, 2024
The American Association of Blacks in Energy, Oklahoma Chapter has released information about its 2024-2025 scholarship.
Graduating high school seniors are encouraged to apply. The applicant must have a 3.0GPA, has plans to major in business, physical sciences, technology, engineering, or a mathematics field (STEM) in preparation for a career in the energy sector. Thousands of dollars are available for recipients of the financial awards.
Officers are Joe McCormick, president; Ieashia McReynolds, vice president; Johnnetta Johnson, treasurer; and Amber Boyd, secretary.
The Oklahoma Chapter of AABE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to increasing awareness of energy-related issues, student outreach, educational programming, and professional development.
For more information, contact aabeok2023@gmail.com
Deadline: May 20, 2024
Black Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Accelerator Fall 2024 program has announced its annual professional development opportunity sponsored by Babson College. Applications are now open for the Cohort 6 class.
The BWEL program was designed by and for Black women seeking to hone their entrepreneurial leadership skills, grow their network, and gain resources to propel their businesses and professional growth. The program will provide participants with practical insights and tools to navigate procurement, financing, business growth, and other untapped opportunities for professional development.
Applicants will join a group of 20 Black women entrepreneurs and get access to vital business expertise and a supportive community of mentors and fellow women founders. Interested business professionals are encouraged to apply to Babson’s Black Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (BWEL) program, created for Black women founders by a leading school for entrepreneurship education in the world.
The seven-week accelerator will provide participants with practical insights and tools to navigate procurement and other untapped opportunities for growth.
For more information, visit www.babson.edu/BWEL.
Deadline: See specific programs for deadlines
Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services has programs for students with disabilities. The programs will provide free summer job training and paid internships for students.
More than 400 youth with disabilities are expected to start free summer training and employment programs offered in 24 rural and urban communities by ODRS’s Transition program.
“What an exciting time in Oklahoma for students to have opportunities to help students make decisions about their future careers,” said DRS Transition Coordinator Renee Sansom Briscoe.
The following programs are offered by ODRS:
BEST STEP – Building Employment Skills for Today and Summer Transition Employment Program
BEST STEP (Building Employment Skills for Today and Summer Transition Employment Program) is a five-week, two-part career planning and paid on-the-job training program for students with disabilities, ages 16 and older. Participants must be returning to high school in August 2024.
For more information on the BEST STEP program, visit the link above or contact Renee Briscoe, rsansom@okdrs.gov or (405) 212-7789.
STEM Camps are open to Oklahoma students, ages 14-21, with documented physical, mental, or cognitive disabilities. Students learn to effectively use computers, software, and related technologies to design and create Power Racer dragsters, High Tech (HT) powered racers, shirts, hats, mouse pads, bracelets, and pin-back buttons.
For more information on the STEM camps program, visit the link above or contact Renee Briscoe, rsansom@okdrs.gov or (405) 212-7789.
Transition VIBE (Visually Impaired and Blindness Empowerment) offers assessment and career or higher education exploration for students with visual disabilities. Students strengthen skills through customized training in independent living, interviewing, communication, technology use, team building, and travel and transportation. VIBE takes place June 23 through 28 at DRS’ Oklahoma School for the Blind in Muskogee.
For more information, visit the link above or contact Dietra Woody at (405) 522-3410 or Magan Rowan (405) 522-3380.
DRS Transition serves more than 3,000 students, 16-21 year olds, during the school year through employment programs offered by DRS’ Vocational Rehabilitation and Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
For additional information about other ODRS services, visit http://www.okdrs.gov or phone (800) 845-8476.
###
