South Carolina State University News September 24, 2015 SC State University Celebrates 15 Years of Making the Dream Work with Call Me MISTER ORANGEBURG, S.C. - SC State University will host the celebration of a national innovative program recognized for producing quality minority male educators for the past 15 years. The university will welcome more than 200 teacher education majors, educational professionals and state political leaders who will join to celebrate "15 Years of Making the Dream Work" during the 15th annual Call Me MISTER Summit and Anniversary celebration. The summit will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26 in the Fine Arts Center and Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center, both located on the SC State campus. The successful and nationally recognized Call Me MISTER program, established at Clemson University in 2000 to increase the number of African-American males teaching in K-12 schools, combines the special strengths and resources of Clemson University with the individualized instructional programs offered by four historically black colleges in South Carolina: Benedict College, Claflin University, Morris College and South Carolina State. Dr. Roy Jones, executive director for the Eugene T. Moore School of Education's Call Me MISTER Program at Clemson, is excited to celebrate 15 years of broadening the diversity of role models in South Carolina classrooms. Over the last 15 years, Call Me MISTER has met a very real need for minority teachers, and we will continue to change the landscape of elementary education across the state of South Carolina and nationally. "The summit will celebrate MISTERs past, current and future that have paved the way for thousands of young students to bridge the divide in educational access in the state of South Carolina and the nation. We look forward to visiting the historic campus of South Carolina State University, which has a rich history of developing master teachers and leaders in education across the country," Jones said. SC State University Interim President Dr. W. Franklin Evans, who is a strong supporter of the Call Me MISTER program and has actively participated with the SC State University cohort, said he is honored that Call Me MISTER has selected SC State to host this historic event. "Call Me MISTER is a visionary program that continues to address the needs of diversity in education by providing opportunities to aspiring minority educators whose presence in the classroom certainly makes a difference," said Evans. "SC State University is delighted to host the 15-year celebration on campus and it looks forward to remaining a partner, integral in helping to continue the rich legacy that Call Me MISTER has established in the state of South Carolina." Currently 20 participating colleges and universities in South Carolina have active Call Me MISTER programs, and the program has expanded its reach into Mississippi with a cohort of MISTERs at Jackson State University. Nearly 100 students are enrolled in the program in six additional states: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Virginia. In recognition of the contributions of Call Me MISTER, the City of Orangeburg has declared<http://scsu.edu/files/Call%20Me%20MISTER%20Day%20Proclamation.pdf> Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, September 26, 2015 as "Call Me MISTER days." To commemorate the day, individual MISTERs from the SC State, Claflin and Clemson cohorts will conduct in-service exercises in Orangeburg County School districts 3, 4 and 5. These MISTERs will teach classes, conduct workshops, and observe classroom activities for hundreds of k-12 students during the entire school day. To learn more about the Call Me MISTER program, visit www.scsu.edu<http://www.scsu.edu/> for SC State University's program, or www.clemson.edu<http://www.clemson.edu/> for information about the statewide program. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.