Humanities Program Spotlight:

Ray Miller Institute for Change and Leadership

This fall the Department of African American and African Studies Community Extension Center, which is located in the heart of the historic Mount Vernon Avenue community, will team up with longtime politician and State Senator Ray Miller to sponsor a unique opportunity designed to cultivate the knowledge and skills necessary for effective leadership. Named in honor of the esteemed senator, "The Ray Miller Institute for Change & Leadership," says Judson L. Jeffries, professor of African American and African Studies and director of the Community Extension Center, "promises to be an exhilarating and challenging educational and practical experience. Participants will be able to apply what they learn in this particular classroom to real-world situations." Delighted that the Institute bears Miller’s name, Jeffries commented, “we here at the Community Extension Center are proud to be associated with someone who has built a reputation in Ohio as a strong advocate for the less fortunate, and as a person of honor and integrity.”

The Institute will feature a number of dynamic speakers who are highly regarded in their chosen fields of endeavor. The 10-week course will offer its participants training in such critical areas as: Ethics and Values; Grassroots Organizing; Fundraising; Media Relations; and Organizational & Business Development.

The program, which runs from October 9 to December 14, is open to anyone aged 21 and older who has a desire to become a change agent in his or her community.