Saturday, April 24, 2010,
8:30 – 11:45 a.m.
What it takes to increase and improve the achievement of boys of color is not a mystery. To those who don't know, culture remains a barrier. The most effective educators use culture as a bridge, not a barrier. They understand that culture is the key--the critical mediating factor that determines student achievement. This dynamic and interactive session provides concrete demonstrations, strategies and examples of how to create a climate of high achievement for boys of color as we re-imagine what education should look like and what's possible for our children.
Mr. Chike Akua is a leading authority on increasing the achievement of today's students, especially those labeled "at-risk." As recognized master teacher, Mr. Akua has been an invited keynote presenter at regional and national conferences, school systems, colleges and universities. With a culturally relevant approach toward closing the achievement gap, he is known for his dynamic, interactive presentations to teachers, parents, and students.
Mr. Akua has 14 years of teaching experience in Virginia and Georgia public school systems. In 1995, he was selected Teacher of the Year for Newport News Public Schools (VA) and was also selected as one of Ebony magazine’s “50 Leaders of Tomorrow.” A year later, in 1996, the Dekalb County Board of Education (Atlanta, Georgia) recognized him with the Excellence in Education Award for Service to Youth. Additionally, he has been an invited lecturer for undergraduate and graduate courses in teacher education at Georgia State University and Clark Atlanta University.
Deeply committed to culturally relevant pedagogy and the development of culturally relevant instructional materials, Mr. Akua has written and published several books and parent/teacher guides designed for today’s students. His book, A Treasure Within: Stories of Remembrance and Rediscovery was nominated for the NAACP Image Award. Reading Revolution is his most recent publication (co-authored with Tavares Stephens). The books have been adopted by the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice Regional Youth Detention Center and public schools around the country.
Mr. Akua earned the Master of Arts degree in education with a concentration in school counseling from Clark Atlanta University and is a cum laude graduate of Hampton University where he earned the bachelor of arts degree in education (concentration in English Education).
Mr. Akua is a committed volunteer with several youth mentoring and leadership academies and college preparatory camps for middle school and high school students. He has helped lead over 500 students and parents on trips throughout Egypt and Ghana through the D’Zert Club’s Teen Summit 1000 program. Mr. Akua is frequently called upon by education, civic, and social organizations to speak about educational excellence and cultural knowledge.
