Media Advisory: Meet the faces of the Buffalo Partnership Project

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Whether it is the 16-year-old girl from Eritrea who hid under a burlap bag while riding to safety with her mother on a camel or the Burmese teenager using her newfound language skills to fight through adolescent hepatitis, the Buffalo Partnership Project is about personal stories of academic success for refugee children who have endured what their teachers call “frightening, heartbreaking” adversity.

Now the public will get the chance to talk to some of these students and watch how a combination of old-fashioned teacher guidance and cyberspace tools makes a real difference. An open house organized by the University at Buffalo and the Buffalo Public Schools will demonstrate how these children are making real progress learning basic skills essential for a successful and happy transition to adult life.

“My hope is that the iPad exhibition gives Lafayette’s teachers and students an opportunity to show the community that they are creative, imaginative and strong,” says Fenice Boyd, principal investigator of the Buffalo Partnership Project Collaborative and associate professor of literacy at UB. “With the right efforts and supports, they have what it takes to be college and career ready.” 

What: The “Voices of Lafayette High School’s Community” iPad expo will showcase the work being done by students and teachers in one of the most challenging academic environments in the area.

When: from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, June 7.

Where: The corridor outside the Apple Store on the lower level of the Walden Galleria, Cheektowaga.

Who: Students, teachers and administrators invested in the program will be on hand to demonstrate their new skills and show how the latest technology has led to concrete accomplishments, academic progress and personal confidence.

Why: Educators are working to “reverse the narrative” about Lafayette High School, a high school identified as a “failing school” and known for its low test scores. The expo at the mall is a real, specific example of how the university and the public school system can work together to improve individual students’ lives.

For More Information: Read the full story at http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2014/05/044.html or visit the Partnership’s website at http://www.bppcollaborative.blogspot.com/.