Sunday, October 19, 2008

Project ENRICH Gives Students A Leg Up


Scholarship is a primary focus at Gamma Pi chapter and that was never more evident than Saturday, October 18, when the chapter held the opening ceremony for its fast-growing Project ENRICH program. A near-full auditorium of parents and 9-12 graders from Prince George’s County gathered on the campus of Bowie State University to kick off the 2008-09 version of the program that the chapter restarted a few years ago after a long hiatus. The venerable Bro. Roland Byrd, who runs the program, led the way with his usual professorial demeanor, challenging students and their parents to full participation and nothing less than unbridled enthusiasm. “It’s an investment in your life - an investment in your future.”

If you have never attended the Project ENRICH opening ceremony, it is very much like Opening Convocation at college. Everyone has their favorite memories of a professor or administrator who "tells it like it is" and doesn't mince any words at the podium. Gamma Pi's stalwart brother Roland Byrd is that man. Students love him and "fear" his strict policies. Parents know that in their absence during the Saturday sessions, Brother Byrd and his band of dedicated Omega men will "keep them in line" and there won't be any mess. Brother Byrd is a throwback to HBCU college professors and administrators from "back in the day." If you missed the opening program Saturday, you really missed something special.

Bowie State University President and Omega man Dr. Mickey L. Burnim joined Basileus Teddy Taylor and Gamma Pi's Joseph Carpenter onstage to start this year's program.

Project ENRICH meets one Saturday monthly for a three-hour session where students are taught academic, social and personal responsibility skills that lead to their college matriculation.

Learn more about Project ENRICH at the Gamma Pi Web site. Read this blog to follow project ENRICH throughout the school year. See video below from Saturday's ceremony.

1 comment:

  1. I am so glad to see the fraternity take an interest in young people. We need more of this througout the community. Our young people have been forgotten. Anything we can do to help get and keep them on the right track is welcome.

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