Blog

• Wilmer Mayor's Back to School Extravaganza 2019

  Join us for the Wilmer Mayor’s Back to School Extravaganza Saturday August 17, beginning at 9:00. You can donate funds online through the Blackburn Foundation.
  https://blackburnfoundation.org/

• Celebrating African American Educators

  On February 25th, Blackburn Foundation Vice President, and Dallas ISD Trustee, Dr. Lew Blackburn, hosted a reception to celebrate the work of African American Educators in Dallas ISD. The guest performer was Dallas ISD student, Skye Turner, recently seen on the Steve Harvey television show with Pattie LaBelle. The speakers were Shirley Ison-Newsome, former Dallas ISD Associate Superintendent, and Cora Garner, a first-year DeSoto ISD teacher.

• Applying to College 101: The Waiting Game

  One of the mot challenging parts of the college application process is the waiting. It can seem like an eternity in the time between submitting your applications and when you hear back from your top-choice schools. Here’s are five things you can do to keep yourself busy and better prepare you for the Fall.

• Applying to College 101: Campus Visits

  A successful college career not only depends upon your academic abilities, but on whether or not your school is a good “fit” for you The only way to truly address fit is by visiting campus.

• Applying to College 101: Admission Essays

  Your admission essay serves as the cover letter to your college application. In 500-750 words, you will tell the admissions officer who you are beyond your resume and transcript. However, it’s easy to make many mistakes in so few words. Below are recommendations on how to write a admission essay that will stand out from the crowd—or stack, really.

• Applying to College 101: Letters of Recommendation

  You are going to need at least one letter of recommendation as part of your college application. While it is your recommender’s job to write and submit the letter, you have the responsibility of seeking out the best person to give you a reference and providing them the information or material they will need to offer a strong recommendation.

• Applying to College 101: Early Admissions

  While it’s never too early to start thinking about college, applying for admission requires timing. Traditional students (that’s what colleges call those who go to college right out of high school) apply for admissions in December or January. Some schools even let you apply as late as mid-Spring. However, those who want to increase their chances at getting into an institution with a low acceptance rate often work hard to meet the early admissions deadline.

• Applying to College 101: The FAFSA

  You know you need to apply to college, but did you know you also need to apply for financial aid? The good news is that you don’t need to complete a separate financial aid request for each school you apply to (unless they ask you to do so). All you need to do is submit the FAFSA. 

• Let’s Do It Big, Back To School Rally

  We’ve partnered with the City of Wilmer, Texas AD-HOC Committee to host the Let’s Do It Big, Back To School Rally! This epic rally will be held Saturday, August 19, 2017 starting at 9 AM. This will be a family-friendly event open to all residents of Wilmer, Texas.

• Supporting the ACLU

  Last month, I saw the film Loving, based on the events that lead to the decision in Loving v. Virginia, which invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage. I learned the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) played a pivotal role in righting this injustice.

• Harry Stone Presentation

  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.

• Dallas Reads on 11-11-11

  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.

• A New Way to Support the Foundation

  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!

• Founder's Message

  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.

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