Lower Richland High School to host Dress for Success Student Showcase April 4, 2014, 2:30pm
April 4, 2014
Results from the Business Etiquette Initiative at Lower Richland’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Program
COLUMBIA, SC – April 4, 2014 – How should you dressfor an interview? What is proper dining etiquette for a businessluncheon? How should you address your colleagues in a professionalsetting? At the innovative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering andMath) program at Lower Richland High School, these questions and moreare addressed as part of a year-long soft skills training initiative.Students may be learning civil engineering and digital design, butthey’re also learning how to navigate the business world successfully.
The school will host a Dress for Success Student Showcase, hosted by emcee Alicia Barnes, Anchor at ABC Columbia, on April 4, 2014 from 2:30 – 3:10 p.m. in the Lower Richland High School auditorium. As part of the afternoon event, a select group of Lower Richlandstudents will display appropriate professional attire, and mentors PaulSmith and Roslyn Bird Melvin will give commentary share videos, andmore.
These mentors are longtime veterans of soft skills training. Roslyn Bird Melvin is CEO of Total Image, an image consulting, coaching and mediation firm, and she is active in the Toastmasters International organization. Paul Smith, Founder of BEST Carolina, leads an after-school program at Lower Richland providing small grouptraining, soft skills development, stress and financial management,entrepreneurship training and more to students. Smith employs theNetwork for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) curriculum, endorsed byU.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, as the best program forteaching entrepreneurship in the country.
Prior to the April 4 event, participating students will receivewardrobe consultations from local mentors as well as a presentation andconsultation services from JC Penney’s own Dress for Success program.
Students will also be treated to professional salon and cosmetic services from Verve Hair and Body Spa, courtesy of owner Joy McLaughlin and her team, as well as Tyrus M. Williams, professional barber with Cut By Ty. Style mentoring will be provided by makeover specialist, marketing consultant, and motivational speaker Ebony Looney, owner of Make Me Over, Eb. Dining etiquette lessons will be given by Roslyn Bird Melvin at a special luncheon at Rosso Trattoria, owned by local chef Kristian Niemi.
Principal Kelvin Wymbs and Lower Richland STEM program leaders, like teachers Constantina Green, Latasha Henry-Pugh and Elvionna Belin-White, are passionate about preparing our young people for success inhigh-paying, skilled careers at our state’s most innovative companies.
About the Lower Richland STEM Program
In addition to coursework in fields like marine science, civilengineering and environmental science, the Lower Richland STEM programincludes a full year of programming. The 2013-2014 school year hasincluded such happenings as the Year of STEM Kick-Off Celebration, theSTEM Career Fair, Teacher Discovery Days, student site visits to localcompanies, Parent University events and student discovery days likeMetric Olympics, College Q&A Day, Engineers Week, Pi Day and Shark Tank business pitch contest. The goal of the STEM initiativeis to build a rich network and solid platform for collaboration thatwill prepare today’s students for success and eventual leadership in the new global marketplace.
EngenuitySC, the local public/private economic developmentorganization, is serving as the project management entity forimplementing a federal STEM grant at Lower Richland. Learn more: http://www.engenuitysc.com.
STEM Program partners:
· EngenuitySC
· Richland County
· University of South Carolina (USC)
· Midlands Technical College (MTC)
· Midlands Education & Business Alliance (MEBA)
· American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE)
· BEST Carolina (Business and Entrepreneurial Students Together, LLC)
· IT-oLogy
· Microburst Learning
About Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education
The goal of STEM-related professional learning is to supportteachers with pedagogical-content knowledge that translates intoeffective classroom practices which integrates the four domains ofscience, technology, engineering and mathematics. As a result, studentsin effective STEM classrooms learn how to identify, apply and integrateconcepts from those four domains in order to understand complex problems and to solve problems using innovative approaches.
About EngenuitySC
Headquartered in Columbia, EngenuitySC is a public/privatepartnership formed to develop and grow the South Carolina Midlands’knowledge-based economy by fostering an environment whereentrepreneurship, innovation, and the creation of knowledge arefundamental elements of the region’s culture, identity, and economicdevelopment strategy. Through collaboration with business, government,and higher education, EngenuitySC leads initiatives that supportresearch development, promote commercialization, and leverage theregion’s assets. For more information, visit http://www.engenuitysc.com.
