Nationally Recognized Children’s Advocate
Marian Wright Edelman
to speak in Beaumont
Marian Wright
Edelman Bio
The Ben Rogers/Lamar University/BISD “I Have A Dream” Program (IHAD) is pleased to announce that nationally recognized children’s advocate, Marian Wright Edelman, will be in Beaumont on Wednesday, March 8 at 7:00 p.m at the Jefferson Theatre to honor the “I Have A Dream” Program’s 5th Class of high school graduates, and to recognize the organization’s 18th year of serving young people in Southeast Texas.
Edelman, Founder and President of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), has been an advocate for disadvantaged Americans for her entire professional life. Under her leadership, CDF has become the nation’s strongest voice for children and families. The mission of the Children's Defense Fund is to Leave No Child Behind® and to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.
The event, underwritten by the Ben Rogers family, is free of charge and open to the public. Tickets are required for entry and may be picked up at the Jefferson Theatre beginning on Monday, February 13 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., or they can be mailed by calling 409.832.1999 or emailing rsvp@ihadbmt.org by Friday, March 3.
The Ben Rogers/Lamar University/BISD "I Have A Dream" Program (IHAD) represents a unique coalition of a university, a school district and the private sector. IHAD’s mission is to provide academically talented students who face obstacles to completing their education with encouragement and support to graduate from high school and pursue a higher education. Each student is paired with a “dream” partner mentor and, upon completion of high school and enrollment in Lamar University, receives a $3,000 scholarship - $2,000 of which has been provided by the Ben Rogers family and various other individuals, businesses, churches and organizations locally and throughout the country, and an additional $1,000 made available by Regina Rogers. To date, nearly 400 young people have been impacted by the program.
For more information, contact Kari Dolan Fenner at 409.832.1999 or at kdolan@ihadbmt.org.