OPEN DOORS II: Awaking the Sleeping Giant

Thanks to Jane Rohrer and everyone at S.T.A.R. Roanoke for putting this series together. The first discussion group was a breath of fresh air and very enjoyable. I'm looking forward to this one.

Courtesy of Jane Roher:
What are Roanoke and New River Valley high school students saying about diversity, inclusion, and difference? Find out on Thursday, February 11, 2010, when S.T.A.R., the Spirit of Tolerance and Art in the Region, a subgroup of Creative Connectors, invites you to the second in a series of Open Doors events to discuss and examine the broad range of differences that can strengthen a community.

S.T.A.R. is one of four initiatives from the Creative Community Leadership Project (CCLP) in cooperation with the City of Roanoke and the Creative Class Group, founded by author and lecturer Richard Florida. The premise behind CCLP is that an area’s success is dependent upon how fully it values, engages, and includes the rich diversity of its population.

Our focused interactive discussion is aimed at pursuing the themes which emerged in our November conversation, while also engaging local youth in discussing difference.  The event will feature the winner of our recent youth writing competition, Seth Anderson, a junior at Patrick Henry High School and author of “The Village by the Hill.”  High school students in the Roanoke City school system were asked to submit literary pieces, ranging from poetry to essays, on the topic of inclusion, diversity, and difference.   The winners were chosen at the recent Roanoke Regional Writers Conference at Hollins University.  Emily Cilek, also a junior at Patrick Henry, received the second place award.  Both Anderson and Cilek captured the essence of the topic in their writings with compelling passion and creativity.  S.T.A.R. presented Anderson with a $100 cash prize and Cilek won $50.

Susanna Rinehart, a professor of theatre at Virginia Tech, will once again facilitate the conversation.  Rinehart has extensive experience in the development, coordination, and facilitation of a broad range of programs and initiatives aimed at creating diversity awareness and understanding.

Date: Thursday, February 11, 2010
Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Location: Claude Moore Educational Complex, 109 1st Street, NW, Roanoke, Virginia