Education advocates Shirley Weber, Ph.D., professor of Africana Studies at San Diego State University, and James Cannon, vice president, Nick Cannon Youth Foundation (Santee), are among the speakers slated for UCSD’s second annual Dare to Dream College: The African American Experience event this weekend.

James Cannon

The yearly event, which emphasizes to African American families the importance of getting involved early in the college preparation process (including student academic readiness and active parental involvement), will take place Saturday, Nov. 15, from 7:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Price Center Ballroom East on the UCSD campus.

This weekend’s gathering, subtitled “Empowering Parents … Empowering the Community,” will focus entirely on what parents can do to become advocates for their children in preparing and motivating them toward college and the careers of tomorrow, says Loren Thompson, assistant vice chancellor of UCSD Student Educational Advancement (SEA), and Linda Doughty, director, California Student Opportunity & Access Program (Cal-SOAP) of San Diego and Imperial counties.

SEA and Cal-SOAP are sponsoring the event with a host of partners from UCSD and the community, including the Office of the UCSD Chancellor, San Diego Urban League, the UCSD Black Student Union, GEAR UP, Pathways to College, and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID).

“Building upon the tremendous success of last year’s Dare to Dream event which attracted more than 500 pre-college students, parents and other attendees, we are planning an even more focused look this weekend at empowering parents with the knowledge and information they need to help their children succeed academically on the road to college success,” says Doughty.

Speakers and workshop presenters such as Shirley Weber and James Cannon will communicate this message throughout the day.

Shirley Weber

Weber, known not only nationally and internationally as an educator and for her ground breaking work to establish the discipline of Africana Studies, is also recognized as a no-nonsense advocate of student achievement in low-income communities in San Diego. She will deliver the event’s keynote address.

Cannon, as vice president of Nick Cannon Youth Foundation, and founder and CEO of Cannon Publishing Company, devotes much of his energy to communicating with youths across the country to encourage and motivate them to achieve their highest potential through education and self-empowerment. Cannon is also the father of well-known television, film and music star Nick Cannon who was born in San Diego and established the Nick Cannon Youth Foundation to help inspire youths. James Cannon will serve as a presenter in the event’s “Parent 911” workshop.

Other scheduled workshops will provide timely information on: how to accelerate the academic achievement of African American children; understanding financial aid; helping children develop mental toughness to succeed; the politics of test prep; helping parents supervise their children’s online computer activities; and advice from UCSD African American undergraduates on how they dealt with the challenges of college preparation.

The event will conclude with a panel discussion with community and UCSD representatives, and the distribution of a special Dare to Dream Resource Guide for parents. The guide -- compiled by Cal-SOAP and SEA and which will be updated each year for the event --contains up-to-date information on action steps parents can take with their children, and a listing of college prep resources (including workshops, mentoring and tutoring services, scholarships, volunteer and internship opportunities, and college testing preparation) that they can take advantage of in the community.

“This weekend’s event promises to be both informative and exciting,” says Thompson, “and we welcome UCSD staff, faculty and students to attend.”

SEA in cooperation with Cal-SOAP and other partners also conducts a similar annual event for American Indian pre-college students and parents (known as “I’m Going to College”)which is held in late spring, and a yearly event for the Latino community (known as “Comienza con un Sueño—It Begins with a Dream”) held in early spring.

To register to attend Dare to Dream, visit: http://www.sandiegocalsoap.com/star/index.php, or call Cal-SOAP at (858) 569-1866.