Teach the People…!

“If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.”  By Confucius

I am back! Well, actually I have not been anywhere except extremely busy and occupied with a couple other major projects requiring my full attention and time.

The Copey Learning Center is alive and well. Classes both on-line and on-site are underway. We have two of our best “Dream Team” members working the on-line education program.

Sonya Boyko (left) lives near Toronto, Canada and Jane Rutledge (right) resides in North Carolina. Both are wonderful volunteer teachers.

Jane and Sonya are Copey Learning Center education veterans. Jane is now a four term veteran and Sonya is now in her third term. There is no substitute for continuity and being familiar with the program and the students. The program is stronger than ever. I call them “Dream Team IV”.

Fundraising Results..!

My fundraising records indicate we had our most successful results ever…! Twenty donors accounted for just over $5,000.00. This is our highest level of donations for scholarships and salary support since we began.

The specific numbers to date are:

The Anne G. Broady Scholarship Fund

Goal: $1,300.00     Achieved: $2,300.00

The Executive Directors Salary Support

Goal: $1,700.00   Achieved: $2,075.00

We have $750.00 on hold since we have some new developments to consider.

Pathway Project 2022

The “Pathway Project” was suspended in 2020 and 2021. Inviting and hosting students from the Copey Learning Center to the United States was not permitted due to Covid-19. That ended our fourth consecutive year having Copey students journey to the United States and visiting our Emory & Henry College campus.Recently, discussions with Emory & Henry College representatives indicate we have the potential for renewing the “Pathway Project” in June 2022. This is “great news”. We welcome this unique opportunity to gather again with “Friends of Copey”, the college, and the Copey representatives in southwest Virginia…God’s country.

There is much work to do before this all gets finalized. This is one reason we have the $750.00 on hold from our fundraisers. If the “Pathway Project” decision is finalized, we will have additional financial challenges to make this all work out.

Katherine G. Johnson…More Recognition..!

Outside the Virginia Air & Space Science Center at the Langley Research Center, an historical marker was dedicated in honor of Katherine Johnson. Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan were also honored with similar markers because of their combined groundbreaking work at the NASA Langley Research Center as portrayed in the movie “Hidden Figures”.

The event, sponsored by the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, drew a crowd of more than two hundred people. Members of the Johnson, Jackson and Vaughan families spoke, as did Margot Lee Shetterley, author of “Hidden Figures.”

Congratulations…!