RKLEF 2016 Annual Report

8 | RKLEF 2016 ANNUAL REPORT
RKLEF 2016 At A Glance
2016 Board Kick-off Meeting
January 26th of 2016 marked the kick-off of the 14th year in
operation of the RKL Education Foundation. During this meeting
the Board set its operating goals and rededicated themselves
to continuing to fulfill the mission of the organization.
6th Annual MLK Jr. Unity Breakfast
On February 27, 2016, community members and business owners
from across Gwinnett County and surrounding communities
came together to celebrate black history month. More than
fifty residents attended the event hosted by the RKL Education
Foundation, Inc. and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the
Rho Kappa Lambda Chapter whereas, community groups and
corporations were recognized for their continued emphasis
on promoting diversity through leadership, innovation, and
community volunteerism in several categories. The event also
featured a special keynote address by Gwinnett Commission
Chairman Charlotte J. Nash. The recipients of the 6th Annual
Diversity Awards were as follows; Diversity Community Service
Award was awarded to Bridges Peachtree Corners, Corporate
Social Responsibility Award was awarded to Stone Mountain
Community Center and Diversity Social Action Award was
awarded to Charlotte J. Nash.
4th Annual Mother Son Dance
On May 1, 2016 RKLEF presented its annual “Evening of Elegance”
Mother-Son Dinner and Dance. The program originated by
members coming together and discussing the need to honor
the most important person in a young man’s development. After
our discussion, it was evident that we MUST pay tribute to the
mothers of our community. While the father-son relationship
is instrumental in the development of our sons, a mother’s
love and nurturing is what allows our sons to develop into
men. With this spirit in mind, we engaged the boys from our
enrichment program, The Future Men of Distinction, to lead
the way in helping to promote the event. We knew that it was
important for our young men to experience an evening in
which they would be an active participant in paying tribute
to their mothers.
RKLEF Inaugural Scholarship Dinner
On July 31, 2016 the inaugural RKLEF Scholarship Dinner was
held at the Sugarloaf Country Club. During the event 4 young
men received scholarships to attend 4-year college institutions.
Three of the young men receiving scholarships participated in
the Future Men of Distinction (FMOD) Mentoring program.
Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation Partnership
On September 9, 2016 RKLEF and the Gwinnett Parks and
Recreation entered into a partnership agreement to house
our programs and support their programming throughout
the year.
Gwinnett County Juvenile Court Partnership
On October 19, 2016 RKLEF and the Gwinnett County Juvenile
Court entered into a partnership agreement to mentor young
men through newly established Alpha Youth Academy. The
overall program objective includes promoting self-awareness,
decision making, life skills, and academic achievement of our
young men.