Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Gwinnett County Public Schools Named Nation's Top School System!

Congratulations to Gwinnett County Public Schools and Superintendent Alvin Wilbanks for winning the nation's top education honor and largest education award in the country, the 2010 Broad Prize for Urban Education!

Broad officials chose Gwinnett County Public Schools as the nation's top urban school system based on student performance over a three-year period. Gwinnett was noted for achieving significant gains between 2005 and 2009.

Among them:

  • The average SAT score of 1526 in 2009 topped state and national averages.
  • Between 2006 and 2009 SAT participation for African-Americans rose by 9 percentage points.
  • Twelve Gwinnett high schools were named Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Schools for performance on exams that prepare students for the rigors of college.

In addition to Supt. Wilbanks unparalleled leadership, the Gwinnett Chamber would especially like to recognize the Gwinnett County Public School System's Board of Education (2010 Chair Dr. Mary Kay Murphy, District III; Vice Chair Dr. Robert McClure, District IV; Carole Boyce, District I; Louise Radloff, District V; and Daniel D. Seckinger, District II), as well as the entire administration, principals, and teachers that achieved such phenomenal success.

Jim Maran
President & CEO
Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

Finally – a chance to wear those old bridesmaids dresses!

California Dreaming to Host Rally for the Cure Event

California Dreaming will host a Rally for the Cure® 27 Dresses Style Party on October 22 at 7:00 pm at their location on Old Peachtree Road.

The evening's festivities will include a complimentary appetizer buffet with California Dreaming favorites, pink martinis, photographers, and prizes – not to mention the opportunity to wear that old bridesmaid's dress one more time! Guests will receive a goody bag filled with rally items, breast health information and subscriptions to Condé Nast magazines such as SELF, Golf Digest and Bon Appétit.

Rally for the Cure is a grassroots program to spread awareness about breast health and breast cancer in support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® through volunteer organized golf, tennis and social events. More than 1.65 million people have participated in Rally for the Cure events across the nation since its inception in 1996. This year marks the premier year California Dreaming has rallied against breast cancer.

"The success of Rally is attributed to volunteer ambassadors like, Meghan Anderson, who have said 'Yes we can have a Rally at our restaurant. It is their enthusiasm, energy and support we value in our commitment to support Susan G. Komen," says Diane Perillo, Program Manager, Rally for the Cure.

Since 1996 Komen has received over $50 million from Rally events to support their mission. Rally for the Cure® is based in Wilton, Connecticut. For further information about the California Dreaming Rally event, contact Meghan Anderson, 770-813-9240 or to host a Rally event of your own call 800.327.6811 or visit the website: www.rallyforthecure.com.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

He runs a hard-nosed defense, conservative offense, and there isn’t a weed to be found in his yard

Gwinnett Tech to Host Vince Dooley Book Signing and Workshops at Fall Plant Sale

Gardening enthusiasts and Bulldog fans alike will want to flock to Gwinnett Technical College on Friday, October 15. The college is hosting several gardening and horticulture events that day including:

Vince Dooley Book Signing – Avid gardener and former University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley will be signing and discussing his new book, Vince Dooley's Garden: A Horticultural Journey of a Football Coach at 10:00 a.m. Signing is free and books will be for sale.

Planting Workshops – The Continuing Education Division will host two gardening workshops immediately following Dooley's presentation. The workshops – Kitchen Gardens–Vegetables in the Landscape and Flower Show Blue Ribbons Made Easy – will be held at 12:30 and 1:30 p.m., respectively. The registration fee for the workshops is $10 per session.

Fall Plant Sale – The Environmental Horticulture program will host its annual Fall Plant Sale from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Gwinnett Tech Greenhouse, adjacent to Building 600.

Those interested in attending the book signing for Dooley or the gardening classes must register by visiting www.GwinnettTech.edu/ce and selecting the Hobbies and Personal Enrichment class schedule, or by calling 770-995-9697.

Dooley's engagement will be the auditorium of The Busbee Center, Building 700, on the Gwinnett Tech campus, at 5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville, GA 30043. Please use the north entrance to campus.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Gwinnett Student Leadership Team, Inc.: Creating a Legacy of Success

It seems as if every graduate of the Gwinnett Student Leadership Team, Inc. (GSLT) has a success story to tell. This should come as no surprise to anyone who is familiar with the caliber of students selected to take part in the two-year student leadership program for high school juniors and seniors in Gwinnett County Public Schools and Buford City Schools.

Story after story tells of students like Catalina Colvin Kreider, a 2006 graduate of Dacula High School and a 2010 graduate of the University of Georgia, who is now a first-year teacher at Jones Middle School. Kreider's leadership skills are so developed that her principal tapped her to teach the student leadership academy at Jones. There are other stories like that of Collin Jones who graduated from North Gwinnett High School and is currently attending Harvard University. Jones, a religion major and psychology minor, juggles maintaining a 3.79 GPA, conducting tours for the Harvard Tour Company, and interning at an orphanage in the Dominican Republic.

Additionally, both Kreider and Jones are the only two former GSLT students who have been invited by GSLT Executive Director Nancy Ward to teach alongside renowned leadership gurus from across the nation at the GSLT Summit attended by over 800 students and adults.

The success stories continue with Norcross High School and University of Pennsylvania graduate Lindsay Eierman. With a passion for women's rights, Eierman currently works as an innovation associate for the social enterprise, Source for Change, in India. The rural business process outsourcing organization trains women in technology and employs them for outsourcing services such as data entry and image editing. As the innovation associate, Eierman will work to investigate how and where to replicate their business model.

As a Robertson Scholar at UNC Chapel Hill, Grayson High School graduate Jeremy Knight spent his first summer internship teaching and exploring leadership principles with middle school students. Knight's work does not end with his summer internship, as he is as a counselor for Carolina Kickoff, a summer camp for 150 incoming freshman and a committee chair for the First-Year Focus Council, a committee on the Executive Branch of Student Government.

And then there is Ariel Ford, a 2009 graduate of Peachtree Ridge High School and a sophomore at the University of Florida where she is on a full four-year Gates Millennium Scholarship that will also cover graduate school. During her freshman year, Ford was one of 50 students chosen out of 500 applicants to serve on the Freshman Leadership Council at the University of Florida.

Football fans may be interested in knowing about Drew Butler who is a punter in his junior year for the Georgia Bulldogs. Butler, the son of Kevin and Kathy Butler, led the nation in punting average for the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. He is also the winner of the 2009 College Football Performance Awards Punter Trophy and the 2009 Ray Guy Award. As well as excelling on the football field, Butler also excels in the classroom making the 2009 Dean's List, the 2008 SEC Academic Roll, and the 2008 Athletic Director's Roll.

Whether breaking records on the football field, teaching future leaders, attending acclaimed universities, fighting for women's rights, volunteering at orphanages in third-world countries, each person's story has a common denominator – they attribute their success to GSLT.

Jeremy Knight credits his ability to receive a scholarship to his involvement with GSLT. "I know that without GSLT, I would not have been awarded the scholarship, which has been life-changing for me."

Like Knight, Ariel Ford gives credit to GSLT for helping her to win a spot on the Freshman Leadership Council at the University of Florida. "Without GLST, I would have never been able to make this council. The competition was stiff, but GSLT truly allowed me to be a stand-out leader."

These stories serve as a reminder that as an investor in GSLT and thus Gwinnett's future leaders, the Gwinnett Chamber is helping to create a legacy of success and leadership for Gwinnett County and beyond. For more information on how you can support and get involved with the Gwinnett Student Leadership Team, contact Gail Macrenaris, director of leadership and education, Gwinnett Chamber at 770-232-8803 or
gail@gwinnettchamber.org.

IT’S GWINNETT CHAMBER NIGHT AT THE GLADIATORS GAME!

Help Celebrate the Start of their 8th Season in Gwinnett!
GLADIATORS vs. FLORIDA – Saturday, October 23 – 7:05 p.m.

Group Benefits:

  • Great seats, Great Arena. Best available seats at a discount off the gate price in the top minor league arena in the country as voted by minorleaguenews.com.
  • Cheer together. Sit together and have fun together in block seating.
  • Your name in lights. Your group's name will be on the Arena video board and we'll make an in-arena PA announcement during the game welcoming your group.
  • Someone in your group will win! There will be a prize raffle for all attendees in your group.
  • Get a deal on Gladiators gear. Each of your group's attendees will get a 10% discount on a merchandise purchase when they attend the game.

Group Tickets: $13 (normal game day walk-up of $18)
Group Name: Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce
Group Contact: Vince DaSilva
Gladiators Contact: Jim Hall: (770) 497-5109
jhall@gwinnettgladiators.com
Copy and Paste this link to order your Tickets:
http://www.gwinnettgladiators.com/shop/dboffers.asp?code=CHAM1023