| Today: Mostly Clear 90° / 65° |
|---|
Home
Fayetteville, NC Global HeadlinesAbout Us Art Business Contact Us Employment Events Music Sports - E.E. Smith - South View - Terry Sanford Technology Weather
PRIDE PACT
P.R.I.D.E. P.A.C.T.
Leadership Academy for Girls
Fayetteville, NC – Nearly 100 parents of third-, fourth-, or fifth-grade girls had an opportunity to see how an all-female leadership academy has impacted the lives of their daughters.
The end-of-the-year celebration for P.R.I.D.E. P.A.C.T. (Personal Responsibility for Intellectual Development and Excellence – Positive Action to Change My Tomorrow) took place on Saturday, June 7, 2008, in the Rudolph Jones Student Center on the campus of Fayetteville State University. The 65 girls participated in their monthly small group sessions with their mentors from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Afterward, their parents joined them to attend a special luncheon in the Student Center from 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. where the girls shared personal accounts of how P.R.I.D.E. P.A.C.T. has influenced their lives. There were special recognitions and an appearance by Miss FSU 2008 Brittany Jackson.
P.R.I.D.E. P.A.C.T., which was established in the Fall of 2007, caters to the academic, personal, and social needs of girls from 13 elementary schools in the Cumberland County School system. The first Saturday morning of every month, the girls join their nearly 30 mentors, who are current or retired educators, to engage in book discussions about valuable life lessons, participate in etiquette, character education, and career exploration sessions, or attend community events.
“We have found that this program has impacted student outcomes as evidenced by the recent End of Grade (EOG) tests,” said Dr. Mary W. Black, co-director of P.R.I.D.E. P.A.C.T and a director of Elementary Education in the CCS. “As mentors, we’ve seen that not only has enthusiasm increased over this year among our girls, but their parents have overwhelmingly expressed their excitement about how P.R.I.D.E. P.A.C.T. has made a difference in the lives of their daughters. That’s what this effort is all about.”
During the 2008-2009 school year, once the girls have been promoted, program mentors will recruit a new set of third graders, but continue their work with the current fifth graders, who will be attending middle school.
Fayetteville State University, the Cumberland Community Foundation, the Junior League of Fayetteville, and JEB Designs have helped sponsor the work of P.R.I.D.E. P.A.C.T.