North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center
Rural Roundtable: Staying in School, Preparing for Life, Dropout Prevention

Rural Roundtable: June 6, 2008

What: A Rural Roundtable discussion with state leaders on dropout prevention. Find out what North Carolinians can do at the community and state levels to confront this crisis and help our children stay in school and succeed.

To view an agenda of the day's events, please click here.
Why: For every 100 students entering ninth grade in North Carolina, only 70 graduate four years later. That means 30 lack what state Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee calls "the bare minimum for economic survival." Rural communities, whose resources are already stretched thin, need creative, practical strategies to help students reach their potential and survive in the global economy.
Speakers Joe Hackney, Speaker of the House
Howard Lee, North Carolina State Board of Education
Billy Ray Hall, North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center
Valeria Lee, Golden LEAF
Marvin Pittman, North Carolina Public Schools
Van Wilson, North Carolina Community Colleges
Linda Harrill, Communities in Schools of North Carolina
Bill Farmer, Legislative Dropout Prevention Committee
John Dornan, Public School Forum of North Carolina
Angella Dunston, North Carolina Justice Center

Hosts Greenville: Curtis Wynn, Chief Executive Officer, Roanoke Electric Cooperative
Waynesville: Scott Hamilton, Executive Vice President, Advantage West Economic Group
Co–Sponsors North Carolina State Board of Education
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
North Carolina Commission on Workforce Development
Communities in Schools of North Carolina
When: Friday, June 6, 2008
8:45 a.m. - Noon
Where:
Site 1: N.C. Rural Economic Development Center's Training & Conference Facility
4021 Carya Drive, Raleigh
For directions to the Rural Center, click here
For the convenience of individuals in the east and west, we are offering two additional video conference sites. Please note that audience members at all three sites are free to participate in the open discussion session.
Site 2: Videoconference Center at the Brody School of Medicine
600 Moye Boulevard, 1S-10 Moye, Greenville
For directions to the Brody School of Medicine, click here
Site 3: Videoconference Center at Haywood Community College
112 Industrial Park Drive, Waynesville
For directions to Haywood Community College, click here


Web cast: The Roundtable also will be available through online streaming. If you are interested in viewing the Roundtable online, please e-mail Courtney Tieman for more information.
Contact: All individuals who plan to attend the Rural Roundtable at one of the three sites must register by Wednesday, June 4, at noon. Please state which site you will be attending. There is no cost for attending the Roundtable, but light refreshments will be served and seating is limited.

You may register by completing the form below. Please submit separate, completed forms for each person attending to Courtney Tieman at The Rural Center, 4021 Carya Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610, fax 919-250-4325 or e-mail ctieman@ncruralcenter.org.

Your name:

Your organization:

Your address:

Your telephone number:

Your e-mail address:

I will be attending the Roundtable at the following sites:
N.C. Rural Economic Development Center's Training & Conference Facility, 4021 Carya Drive, Raleigh, NC
Teleconference Center at the Brody School of Medicine, 600 Moye Boulevard, 1S-10 Moye, Greenville, NC
Teleconference Center at Haywood Community College, 112 Industrial Park Drive, Waynesville, NC
I am interested in viewing the Roundtable online.