The Blackburn Foundation

Harry Stone Presentation

Clinton Blackburn — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:14:03 +0000

On April 30, I presented to eighth graders at Harry Stone Montessori on the topic of “Get Out of Your Comfort Zone.” This bit of advice has literally carried me around the world so I felt it was the best advice to give to the students as they move on to high school and college. We also discussed giving back to the community and, in keeping in line with this message, the Foundation raffled four $50 gift cards…with a catch—the recipients had to spend at least half of the card on someone else. I drew this idea from a recent TED talk entitled How to Buy Happiness which basically says you buy happiness by giving the money away.

In addition to the gift cards, we gave away a single TI-84+ Silver Edition graphing calculator. By sheer coincidence the winner of the calculator was a student who had recently overcome struggles with a few concepts in math class that year. I was quite excited when I learned this after the presentation. Keep up the great work, Seth!

Here is video of the presentation:

Dallas Reads on 11-11-11

Lew Blackburn — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 22:53:42 +0000

On November 11, 2011, Dallas ISD will participate in 11.11.11, a literacy campaign conceived by Dr. Lew Blackburn, and initiated by the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees, designed to have every elementary student in the district spend 11 minutes reading a book or publication. On that day, at 11:11 a.m., district staff and high school students will join a host of volunteers from the business community, service organizations and others to read with and to elementary students throughout the district.

11.11.11 is part of Dallas Reads!, a larger citywide initiative to encourage everyone to read. Through Dallas Reads! the district is joining forces with the City of Dallas, local organizations and businesses, and parents and community members to emphasize the power of literacy.

Encourage your colleagues, family and friends to volunteer for 11-11-11, and to return as a volunteer on a regular basis. Register now. We’ll see you Friday, 11-11-11 at a school near you. Students will be waiting for you.

Learn More

Volunteer

Community Volunteer Information and Registration

A New Way to Support the Foundation

Clinton Blackburn — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 00:00:41 +0000

We have received numerous donations in support of last week’s academic pep rally; and, for these donations, I thank you all. We now have a new and exciting way for you to support our efforts via Amazon.com. Simply click the link and up to 10% of your purchase during your visit will be donated to the Blackburn Foundation. Don’t worry: the cost of your purchase will not increase!

Remember, you’ll have to use the link above every time you visit Amazon; so bookmark it.

Founder’s Message

Clinton Blackburn — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 03:52:47 +0000

I come from a family of educators including my grandmother, father, aunts, and an uncle. My family has always instilled the value of education. We earned our allowances by making good grades. I have fond memories of my grandfather rewarding my cousins and me with money for our good grades. As we grew older, we no longer needed cash incentives to excel academically because we were able to see for ourselves that education is the key to fulfilling our dreams, whatever they may be. We also learned that education is a life-long endeavor that does not stop with high school or even an undergraduate degree. To date, members of my family have earned a combined total of one Ph.D., four M.B.A. degrees, and expect to have another Ph.D. completed within the next few years.

Our education has helped us achieve great success; however, our success is a falsehood if we refuse to help our neighbors and surrounding communities. My father, Dr. Lew Blackburn, has served the Oak Cliff community for over ten years as the District 5 representative on the Dallas ISD School Board. My brother, Lew, Jr., and his wife, Tes, have served in the community as well, volunteering at churches and community centers for years. When I attended Science and Engineering Magnet, I volunteered everyday after school at the Eloise Lundy Recreation Center.

I started this organization so that I and my family can continue serving our community and to encourage others to do the same. Our goal is to provide programs and funding to ensure that our community is properly educated so that it might flourish. I encourage you to join us by donating to our foundation or joining our mailing list to learn of opportunities to volunteer in the Dallas community.

Never stop learning,
Clinton