As the nation's eleventh largest school district, Dallas Independent School District serves more than 160,000 students who come from homes where 58 different languages are spoken. Operating with a $1 billion dollar budget, DISD employs 18,613 employees including 10,000 teachers in 220 schools.
8 Nov 2000
Approximately 450 Dallas Independent School District sixth through twelfth grade Majority to Minority transfer students and others interested in the community college experience will be able to get a taste of higher education and various careers from 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. on two consecutive Fridays, November 10 and 17, at North Lake College, 5001 N. McArthur Blvd., in Irving and nearby sites.
The school district, the Dallas County Community College District, and North Lake College are sponsoring both events, Minds in Motion on the 10th for high school students and the 21st Century College for Young People on the 17th for elementary and middle school students and their parents.
Both programs will begin at Seagoville High School, 15920 Seagoville Rd., and Seagoville Middle School, 950 Woody Rd., on respective Fridays with motivational speaker Jimmy Cabrera of Success Through Excellence, Inc. From there, some students will go to North Lake to explore the fields of education, law, social services, the performing arts, computers, and the applied sciences.
Others will experience aviation careers firsthand when they go to DFW International Airport. Those interested in the construction trades will explore them at the newly opened DFW Education Center, a North Lake satellite campus. The ever-increasing opportunities in hi-tech communications will be the focus of a side excursion to Verizon Communications.
Students interested in pursuing careers in the hotel and food industry will experience firsthand the workings of a hotel and the restaurants within when they tour the Four Seasons in Las Colinas.
"These events offer students the opportunity to experience college for a day and hopefully get excited about a college career. Most of the students are a product of the district's M-M Transfer Program. After they graduate from high school, they will receive a scholarship to any one of the seven Dallas County Community Colleges. We want to let the students and their parents know that the district will pay for their tuition," said Judy Thomas, Student Transfer Coordinator. " Parents will receive orientation about financial aid, ways to motivate their children to stay in school, and how to help their children select courses that will be an advantage to them in the future."
The Majority to Minority Scholarship Program offers a scholarship of up to $1,040 to high school students from the Dallas Independent School District who participate in the program. For each year of participation, students receive a $260 scholarship—enough for one semester's tuition or 15 credit hours. The M-M Scholarship may be used for college during the regular or summer terms.
For more information on Minds in Motion, the 21st Century College for Young People, or the district's transfer programs, call Judy Thomas at (972) 925-3277.