Date: May 5, 2009
Contact: Lindsay Gladstone
Governors State University
Phone: (708) 534-7090
Fax: (708) 534-8399
Email: l-gladstone@govst.edu
For Immediate Release
University Park, IL, May 5, 2009 – Noted author, journalist, and educator, Alex Kotlowicz will be the keynote speaker at the Creating Safe Schools Symposium. The Symposium is free and open to the public. People who work with youth in the home, in school, or in the community are invited to join this important discussion. Educators, public safety officers, local government officials, and community members are welcome.
This event is designed to focus public attention on the interaction between safety issues in the community and similar issues within the schools. Creating safe schools and communities hinges on addressing the safety issues facing students once they leave the building.
The symposium will be held on May 20, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., in the Thornridge High School auditorium, 15000 Cottage Grove Avenue, Dolton, Illinois. It is sponsored by the Metropolitan Institute for Leadership in Education (MILE) and the Criminal Justice Program, both of Governors State University.
Kotlowicz is the author of numerous books on urban affairs and social policy including “There Are No Children Here” and “The Other Side of the River.” His candid portrayal of life in the America, particularly in its racially divided communities, have garnered excellent reviews and incited public conversation on social issues.
In addition to Kotlowicz, Dr. James R. Coldren, Jr., Coordinator of the Criminal Justice Program at GSU, will moderate a panel discussion on strategies for controlling and eliminating violence in public schools. The panel includes student members of Thornton Township High School’s SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) teams and representatives of restorative justice and peer jury groups from the south suburbs.
Refreshments will be served. For more information or to register, call (708) 534-4024.
