OU/Pontiac Partners hip 
e-blast3
January 15, 2016


Happy New Year to all of our network members. The OU/Pontiac Initiative team has been working with several community partners to write grants and templates for future grants that feature the work being done collectively. In doing that, we realize we need your help. How would you or your organization answer the following: What is Pontiac's story? What is it's identity? It's point of pride? We have generated many good responses during our brainstorming meetings but we want to hear from you! Start with 'Pontiac Is..." Please email your response to: baldwin2@oakland.edu.

Happy Reading!
Pontiac High School partners with Oakland's Counseling Department to create Phoenix Male 
Scholars program

Angela Powell-Medlock is an at-risk social worker at Pontiac High School who has been attending the OU School of Education/PSD partnership meetings all fall; she is embracing all the new ideas and contacts she has made via these targeted meetings. She was excited to learn more about OU's Counseling department and to meet face to face with Dr. Terrance McClain, Special Instructor/Coordinator School Counseling Program when he attended the October meeting because she had a great new idea and wanted to see if it interested him--it did.

The idea was this: create a group of  10  th grade African American male students to work on five core concepts: 1.  Academics (including college/career readiness); 2.  Behavior; 3.  Character; 4.  Social Skills; 5.  Leadership. "Our purpose is to help our scholars reach their full academic potential, establish specific career and educational goals, develop a healthy and strong self-concept, and become responsible young men," said Powell-Medlock.  She cited research which shows that diverse males who have a scholar identity believe in themselves, show stronger resilience and are not distracted by challenges or setbacks (Whiting, 2006, p. 48).
 
Dr. McClain explained his vested interest in this way: "As an African American male who has earned a PhD, I believe that it is my responsibility to not only research and teach to empower future school counselors to help all students to succeed academically, and especially, African American adolescent males, but to go into the 'trenches' where the real battles are taking place, and assist those dedicated counselors, social workers, and educators like Angela Powell-Medlock and her colleagues at Pontiac High School, in nurturing the seed of greatness that exists in these young men.  Per my dissertation, I have the privilege to collaborate with these dedicated individuals, and to implement strategies that will equip these students to renegotiate their academic identities."

Dr. McClain has dedicated one day a week to work with this group of students, now called the Phoenix Male Scholars, where he will bring in other resources to enhance the program. They are looking forward to visits on campus, summer programs, speaking with college students with similar backgrounds and perhaps connecting with Pontiac School District Alumni that are attending OU as well as other enriching resources and activities.
 
Powell-Medlock gathers the group Monday - Friday. There is a focus on academics so that students are supported while completing assignments but they also have activities that focus on critical thinking skills and group dynamics as well as socialization and public speaking. 
Pontiac grads take on leadership role in OU's engineering program
By Paige Brockway
 
Oakland University's School of Engineering and Computer Science (SECS) welcomed four Pontiac graduates into teaching assistant positions this year.
 
Janelle Arnold, Jade Humphrey, Hector Sandoval and Rubi Rodriguez - all OU freshmen - help to host school field trips that visit the SECS. The field trips help to expose students to a college environment and spark their interest in engineering, science and math.
 
Arnold, Humphrey, Sandoval and Rodriguez also help out with events put on by the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program and work at summer camps held by the SECS. The camps, which vary in length, aim to give high school students exposure to the university and engage them in hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) activities.
 
"Hopefully we see more Pontiac students coming in for field trips and camps," said Marianne Donoghue, assistant director of outreach in the SECS and former Pontiac teacher.
 
For more information about scheduling field trips or participating in the STEM camps, teachers and parents can email secsoutreach@oakland.edu.
Pontiac Library partners with Oakland University library for Freedom To Read project
By Shaqela Chapman

An Oakland University/Pontiac Initiative poster for Freedom to Read is proudly hanging in Kresge Library. Oakland University and Pontiac have made great strides together and do not intend on slowing down in the upcoming year. The dean of university libraries, Stephen Weiter said this: "Having the projects on display at Kresge Library gives the entire OU community the opportunity to view the progress we have made with the OU/Pontiac Initiative. We are pleased to be provided the opportunity to showcase the work resulting from this important and dynamic collaboration." 
 
The Read-Aloud Event, which featured the novel "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, kicked off the month-long Freedom to Read celebration, which lasted from Sept. 26-Oct. 31, 2015. Oakland University and Pontiac Public Library hosted events surrounding the often-banned novel "Fahrenheit 451".  The movie was shown, followed by a discussion. A workshop was given with an opportunity to create a video related to the novel. Freedom to Read concluded with a Halloween party celebration where the participants were encouraged to dress up as characters from the novel.    

Posters displayed during the Gallery Walk at the November Town Hall meeting are on display at Kresge Library throughout January and feature partnership programs and accomplishments from 2015. Parking on campus is free. Call 248-370-2471 for hours.

Keeper of the Dream event open to the public
LeVar Burton, a world renowned actor, director, producer, writer and speaker will be this year's keynote speaker at Oakland University's Keeper of the Dream event that takes place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 18, from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.  This event is free and open to the public. RSVP to attend@oakland.edu. For questions, call 248-370-4915. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. A capacity crowd is expected so arrive early for a seat.

The Keeper of the Dream Scholarship Awards Celebration honors the legacy of the late civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and awards scholarships to students that best demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities through their involvement on campus and in the community by breaking down racial and cultural stereotypes and by promoting unity among all people to foster a campus environment rich in diversity and multiculturalism.


Mark your calendars for the next OU/Pontiac Initiative Town Hall meeting: 
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Contact us
OU/Pontiac Initiative contacts:
Bob Maxfield, maxfiel2@oakland.edu
Diane Baldwin, baldwin2@oakland.edu
Cassandra Barragan, barragan@oakland.edu
Tom Kimble, thomasekimble@aol.com
Jane Bais-DiSessa, jbais-disessa@pontiac.mi.us

Communication interns:
Paige Brockw ay,  prbrockw@oakland.edu
Shaqela Chapman, sgwenchapma@gmail.com