Partnership Supports Equitable Access to Learning

September 5th, 2014

In a new partnership, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Zeta Alpha Sigma Alumni Chapter will collaborate with the Howard County Public School System to help students enhance their academic skills, social development and personal responsibility. The partnership will be formalized with an official signing on Sept. 8 at Jeffers Hill Community Center, 6030 Tamar Drive.

Under the terms of the agreement, fraternity members will provide backpacks and school supplies for eligible students, donate books for classroom libraries and support philanthropic events at Bryant Woods Elementary and Stevens Forest Elementary Schools.

The fraternity also will provide opportunities for students to apply for the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity James E. Blackwell Scholarship, which is available for graduating seniors at all HCPSS high schools who have demonstrated academic excellence and interest in community service. In line with Vision 2018, this partnership provides support to families impacted by poverty so students have equitable access to learning.

Howard County Board of Education Chairman Ellen Flynn Giles, Board Vice Chairman Ann De Lacy, Bryant Woods Elementary School Principal Kelley Hough, and Stevens Forest Elementary School Principal Ernesto Diaz will join Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Zeta Alpha Sigma Alumni Chapter President Jason Bladen, Immediate Past President Rogers Barnes and Education Chair Nyronn Bryant to sign the formal partnership agreement at the September 8 event.

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated (www.zas1914.org/) was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders, Honorable A. Langston Taylor, Honorable Leonard F. Morse, and Honorable Charles I. Brown, wanted to organize a Greek letter fraternity that would truly exemplify the ideals of brotherhood, scholarship, and service.

The Howard County Public School System’s Partnerships Office 
(www.hcpss.org/about-us/partnerships) unites businesses and community organizations with schools to enhance the educational experience. Partnerships benefit schools, businesses, and the entire community by leveraging the resources of all participants. Partners may commit human or financial resources or other support.

For more information, contact Partnerships Office Manager Mary Schiller at 410-313-6655 or mary_schiller@hcpss.org.