Durham talk

A brief report in the Durham, N.C., Herald Sun on my talk there in two weeks:

Paul Tough, author of “Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America,” will speak at Holton Career and Resource Center, 401 North Driver St., at 3 p.m. May 16. … Tough’s appearance is part of the efforts of the East Durham Children’s Initiative, which is modeled after the Harlem Children’s Zone.

Upcoming Speeches

I’ll be giving a number of speeches over the next month, including talks at:

– a conference on a “multicultural/multiracial future” this Sunday at my church: Middle Collegiate Church, in New York City

– a fundraising luncheon for Mainspring Schools in Austin on April 29.

– education conferences organized by my publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, next month in Atlanta and New Orleans.

– an event on May 16 at the Holton Career and Resource Center in Durham, N.C., organized by the East Durham Children’s Initiative.

– a school-readiness symposium in Baltimore on May 18, organized by Ready at Five.

Geoffrey Canada speeches

In Charlotte, N.C., last month, Geoffrey Canada spoke to “hundreds of Charlotte leaders,” according to a story in the Charlotte Observer, including “educators, agency heads and civic leaders [who] have been talking about whether Charlotte could follow” the Harlem Children’s Zone model.

And in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to a story in the Tulsa World, Canada visited schools and spoke to a symposium on education about many topics, including the prospects for something like a Zone in Tulsa:

“There are a lot of reasons for the city of Tulsa to be excited about the future. A lot of fundamentals exist in very high-quality levels here in Tulsa,” Canada said. “There has to be a clear plan drawn up about where we go from here.”

Loyola talk

From the Loyola Law School web site, a report on last week’s event:

The forum, which included a keynote address by author and former New York Times magazine editor Paul Tough (pictured left), explored the The Harlem Children’s Zone approach to inner city education, as well as addressed the recent plans by the Obama administration to offer new funding to replicate twenty “Promise Neighborhoods” throughout the country. …

Tough and the panel of Chicago experts discussed the potential impact of a Promise Neighborhood in Chicago, how to improve on the HCZ model, as well as addressed issues that distinguish Chicago from Harlem and other communities seeking to create a “Children’s Zone.” Expert panelists included Loyola law alumnus Azim Ramelize, Chicago Dept. of Children and Youth Services; Chris Brown, Local Initiatives Support Corporation; Dr. Bradley Stolbach, La Rabida Children’s Hospital; and Barbara Bowman, Chief Officer, Early Education, Chicago Public Schools.

Speech in Irvine

Next Thursday, February 18, I’ll be giving the keynote address at “STEM Summit 2010: Early Childhood Through Higher Education,” a conference at the University of California in Irvine. There’s some background here, and an agenda here.

Speech at Loyola

On Thursday, February 25, at 3:30 p.m., I’ll be speaking at Loyola University in Chicago, along with a panel of local leaders interested in bringing a Promise Neighborhood to Chicago. RSVPs are recommended. Details are here.

Canada in Charlotte

Geoffrey Canada will be giving a speech next month in Charlotte, N.C. According to this article in the Charlotte Observer,

He’ll find a well-versed audience. Dozens of leaders from Charlotte-area agencies, charities, schools, advocacy groups and businesses have attended “book club” discussions focusing on a book about Canada. His creation, the Harlem Children’s Zone, provides education for expectant parents, preschool, health care, charter schools and tutoring for families in a 100-block poverty-stricken area of New York City.

Foundation for the Carolinas President Michael Marsicano was among the first group to read “Whatever It Takes” and talk about how the ideas might translate to Charlotte.

Baltimore audio

The Baltimore Community Radio Coalition has posted audio of my talk last month at the Bolton Street Synagogue, organized by the Greater Homewood Interfaith Alliance. You can listen to the talk and the Q&A, along with the closing benediction, here.

Updates

More news on tomorrow’s talk in Baltimore and an awesome price on a used copy of “Whatever It Takes” (must be in Bay Area).

A Talk in Baltimore

Next Thursday, I’ll be giving a talk at the Bolton Street Synagogue in Baltimore. The topic: “The Harlem Children’s Zone: Can It Happen in Baltimore?” The event, which is free and open to the public, is being organized by the Greater Homewood Interfaith Alliance. There are more details here, and you can download a flyer here [pdf].

At noon on Thursday, before the talk, I’ll be a guest on Dan Rodrick’s “Midday” show on WYPR, the Baltimore public-radio station.