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UCA Partners With New Tech Companies For Students
Achievements
Chicks For Children Foundation Received Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Award
Doctor Mark Cooper, professor in the Department of Early Childhood and Special Education at the University of Central Arkansas, Licensed Professional Counselor, Director of the Mashburn Center for Learning and co-founder of Chicks for Children Foundation, Inc. the founder of the Chicks for Children Foundation, was happy to announce that Chicks for Children Foundation is a recipient of the Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Award. The foundation expectation is to support an effort for an education team to develop educational activities designed to help kids make a difference in the lives of kids at the local and global levels.
The True Inspiration Awards, which range in amounts from $10,000 to $100,000, were granted to 25 organizations across the country based on local community impact in three categories:
· Emerging Leader Development: Organizations focused on character development, positive community and cultural involvement and effective civic engagement
· Youth Entrepreneurship: Organizations committed to developing business knowledge, entrepreneurial skills and financial literacy
· Innovative Education: Organizations dedicated to improving teaching and learning through ground-breaking practices and visionary leadership
Organizations either applied or were nominated by Chick-fil-A restaurant franchisees based on the organization’s local work in the three categories. The Chick-fil-A Foundation evaluated the caliber of each organization’s work in these categories as well as their operational health, financial stability and transparency. The 25 inaugural award winners will be honored at a celebratory event in Atlanta this fall.
“Every 26 seconds a student drops out of high school in the United States,” said Rodney Bullard, executive director of the Chick-fil-A Foundation. “We want to invest in youth at an early age as well as the organizations that are empowering students to dream big and ensure lifelong success,” he said. “This is just one way that we are honoring the legacy of our founder, S. Truett Cathy, who dedicated his life to serving his community and helping young people.”
In addition to these categories, one winning organization was recognized as a True Inspiration Honoree, a special honor reserved for an organization or individual that embodies the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of Truett Cathy. The recipient of this inaugural award is the Keith Boyd Foundation. Boyd, a 10-year-old small business owner with nonverbal cerebral palsy and no use of his arms, legs, or mouth, is using his Tulsa-based lemonade stands to raise awareness and resources for his tuition-free special needs alma mater.
To learn more about the True Inspiration Awards and view a complete list of recipients, visit their website.
“I simply wanted those who I work closest with and who I work for to know about this exciting opportunity to build our circle of influence,” founder Mark Cooper said, “I champion the effort to champion struggling learners first and foremost as a faculty member in the Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education and more importantly as the Director of the Mashburn Center for Learning. It just so happens I founded Chicks for Children Foundation. They all work in harmony and enhance one another. ” Cooper asks for everyone to visit his website to review their mission goals.
The Chick-fil-A® Foundation is the corporate foundation of Chick-fil-A, Inc. A not-for-profit organization, the Foundation’s purpose is to lead the company’s commitment to support youth and education in Chick-fil-A’s local communities. The Foundation’s work is focused on developing and educating young people so they can build a positive legacy and become all they were created to be. For more information, visit www.chick-fil-afoundation.org
Chicks for Children is also as strong as the team of project partners. A foundational principle of Chicks for Children involves the identification of partnerships that value giving funds to support our efforts to reduce hunger and poverty and build lasting relationships.
The partners in the states include public schools, parochial schools, churches, businesses, corporations, organizations, and individuals. At the present time, our global partner includes the Seeds mission ministry operated by Pastor Richard and Hellen Makani. Local partners are determined by the local efforts initiative and instituted across the country. At the present time, there have been efforts in a variety of states, including Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Colorado.
UCA Volleyball Team Tournament Competed In Arlington
UCA’s first ever men’s volleyball team competed in their first tournament last weekend at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Two UCA Students Awarded Undergraduate Order of Omega Scholarships
The Iota Zeta chapter of Order of Omega at the University of Central Arkansas is proud to announce two scholarship recipients. John Patterson, a member of Beta Upsilon Chi, has received the Parker F. Enright scholarship in the amount of $750. Jacob Wickliffe, a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, received the Patrick W. Halloran scholarship in the amount of $500. These scholarships are given to students with outstanding achievements in their organizations/councils, communities, and classroom.
John is a junior from Jonesboro, Arkansas and majors in Biology/Pre-Med. He is the President of Independent Greek Council, a member of the President’s Leadership Fellows, a UCA Presidential Scholar and currently conducts undergraduate biology research. In the past, he has been a member of IDEAL Freshman Leadership team, Student Government Association, and Student Orientation Staff.
Jacob is a junior from North Little Rock, Arkansas majoring in Business Management with an emphasis in supply chains. Currently, Jacob serves as the President of UCA’s Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and as Vice President of Public Relations for UCA’s spirit organization, The Bear Den. In the past, Jacob has served as both Executive Vice President of Recruitment and the Balanced Man Banquet/Scholarship Director within Sigma Phi Epsilon. He has also been a member of Student Orientation Staff, Student Government Association, and the Debate Club. During the spring semester of 2013, he was awarded the title of Greek Rookie of the Year.
Order of Omega is an honor society for men and women within the Greek community that show exemplary service to their organizations, council, and university. They are recognized for their service, inter-fraternity activities, and academic achievement. These men and women are part of the top three percent of the fraternity/sorority community on UCA’s campus. The Iota Zeta chapter was rechartered in spring 2014 and currently boasts 58 active members from all fraternity/sorority councils at UCA. Order of Omega plans to induct 15 more in during the spring 2015 semester. Applications are available now through February 20, 2015. Any sorority or fraternity member can apply that has a 3.0 or greater GPA, is an active member in their organization, and has completed at least 60 credit hours.
UCA English Department Produced McNally’s Works From Grove Press
The English department engaged to produce three volumes of the works of playwright Terrence McNally have completed the first volume, which will appear later this year from Grove Press.
In 2013, Dr. Frontain received the first installment of what would come to a $24,000 grant from McNally’s publisher, which has supported the work of three graduate students over two years. Selected Plays will contain eight plays with introductions by McNally, while Vol. 3 of McNally’s Collected Plays will be published by Smith and Kraus. Dr. Frontain and his current graduate assistant Darby Burdine expect to complete the remaining volume, which is an edition of McNally’s essays on the theater, in summer.
UCA graduate student Eliza Killey (right) chats backstage with four-time Tony Award winning playwright Terrence McNally (center) and six-time Emmy Award winning actor Tyne Daly (left) following a preview performance of McNally’s new play, Mothers and Sons. The production, which stars Daly, is McNally’s twentieth Broadway play. While pursuing her M. A. in English at UCA, Killey has worked on the team producing three volumes of McNally’s plays and prose.
McNally is one of America’s most honored playwrights. The winner of four Tony Awards (Kiss of the Spider Woman, Ragtime, Master Class and Love! Valour! Compassion!), he has most recently been represented on Broadway by the Tony Award-nominated Mothers and Sons, and by the record-breaking revival of It’s Only a Play. Previews will begin in March for his new musical with John Kander and Fred Ebb titled The Visit and starring Chita Rivera, which opens April 23.