(NAME-MCE) Black Colleges 11-17-07 Portland OR

[Anselmo Villanueva]

Black Colleges Committee, Inc.
4134 N. Vancouver Ave.
Portland, Oregon 97217
(503) 249-7744

November 17, 2007
For Info Contact: Joyce Harris, 503-275-9603

Black Colleges: Believe in Them, Achieve in Them!

28th Annual Conference, Saturday, November 17, 2007

Portland's 28th Annual Black Colleges Conference will be held on
Saturday, November 17, 2007 at Portland Community College, 705 N.
Killingsworth from 8:00 am-1: 30 p.m. for high school and middle
school students from Oregon and Washington. Registration begins at
7:30 am. The theme of the conference is Black Colleges: Believe in
Them, Achieve in Them!

Alumni and representatives from Black colleges and universities will
inform students of opportunities available at Historically Black
Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) such as Lane College, Johnson C.
Smith, Southern University, Clark-Atlanta, Spelman,  Florida A&M and
others.  Students will have opportunities to interact with successful
local professionals from Oregon who have graduated from HBCUs.

The Thurston Group of Washington State will provide materials and
applications from the 36 United Negro College Fund schools. High
school seniors who would like to apply to colleges onsite and receive
application fee waivers to selected UNCF schools must bring a current
copy of their high school transcript, and a 500 word essay describing
their accomplishments, college goals, and career aspirations. During
the 2006 conference, students completed and submitted 155
applications.

The Black United Fund of Oregon will provide information on financial
aid and scholarships. Each student will receive a college planning
portfolio. Parents will attend a special session with representatives
from the colleges and are invited to participate in the college
spotlight sessions with students.

The conference is sponsored by the Black Colleges Committee and
co-sponsored by Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory Equity
Program and Portland Community College Cascade Campus.  The event is
supported by the Thurston Group of Washington State, the Black United
Fund of Oregon, and the African American Alliance.

Students should check with their school counseling office for
registration forms or call (503) 275-9603 for information.