[Archived] The Alexandria City Council and Alexandria City School Board Sponsor Student Forum on Race and Culture

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	March 29, 2006 PIO# 081-06/sjm	Steven J. Mason, Public Information Officer, or Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

The Alexandria City Council and Alexandria City School Board
Sponsor Student Forum on Race and Culture

The Alexandria City Council and Alexandria City School Board will sponsor the fifth annual Student Forum on Race and Culture on Wednesday, April 5, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. This year’s event will be hosted at the Episcopal High School Field House, 1200 North Quaker Lane.

Student representatives from T.C. Williams High School, George Washington and Francis C. Hammond Middle Schools, Minnie Howard Ninth Grade Center, Secondary Training and Education Program, Saint Stephen's and Saint Agnes, Bishop Ireton, and Episcopal High Schools will participate. Elizabeth Jones of Bishop Ireton High School and Sergio Romero of T.C. Williams will serve as dialogue facilitators. Student volunteers in grades 8-12 are taking part in planning the event, and identifying racial and cultural topics facing the Alexandria community.

"This program showcases our students’ ability to discuss maturely their concerns about race and culture, and gain knowledge and understanding along the way” said Mayor William D. Euille. “Also, this activity serves as a reminder that our youth are an intricate part of Alexandria’s future and need to be heard.” The Forum is a part of a series of school-wide programs and projects designed to foster better understanding and communication across racial and cultural lines.

There are 69 languages spoken and 88 countries represented among the City's 11,000 public school students, and according to the 2000 U.S. Census, Alexandria ranked first in the Nation among jurisdictions having the most diverse population.

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