Fremont: The Multicultural Advisory Committee at Terra Community College will host an educational forum Feb. 19, 2007, to address issues relative to the area’s students of color.

“Student Preparedness and Readiness” will include a panel of educational and health experts including:  

• Anthony Houston of the Ohio Board of Regents;
• Dr. Alvin Jackson, Medical Director of Community Health Services and the new Director of the Ohio Department of Health;
• Dr. Gayle Jackson, African American College Club and A.C.E. Mentoring Program
• Linda Anderson, Fostoria Community Schools and Terra Community College  trustee;
• Dr. Traci McCaudy, Fremont City Schools Superintendent;
• José Salinas, Ohio Migrant Education; and
• Dr. Marsha S. Bordner, Terra Community College President.

Houston and Dr. Alvin Jackson will be the featured speakers giving their personal perspectives on the topic of Student Readiness.

The Drs. Alvin and Gayle Jackson will present their final report on the community response to the findings of a two-year research project, “The Correlation Between Low Academic Achievement and Health Disparities in the African-American Population of Fremont, Ohio.”

“Alvin and I see this report and discussions like we will have at this forum as closing the loop with our earlier work on the disparities in health and education in Fremont,” Dr. Gayle Jackson said.

She is also expecting to talk about the Assisting Children to Excel (A.C.E.) mentoring program that is now operating in the Fremont City Schools.

 “A.C.E. is a product of community discussion revolving around the research,” she said. “Students in the program over the past two years have shown improvements in grades, attendance and self-esteem.”

The forum, which is free and open to the public, will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Feb. 19 at Terra’s Student Activities Center, 2830 Napoleon Road, Fremont.

Registration and refreshments will be from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. For more information or to register for the community forum, contact Kimberly Williams at 419-559-2326 or via email at [email protected].