Tag Archives: Johnnie Smith

TSU to expand its online digital, STEM literacy program across Africa; four new countries show interest

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is continuing to bridge the digital divide through a dual enrollment partnership for underserved students in Africa. The university is expanding the program to include four new countries on the continent that have expressed interest. 

Monrovia College (high school) students take online classes in coding and creating concepts taught by TSU professors. The school, located in Monrovia, Liberia, is one of three locations in Africa participating in the TSU digital literacy program. (submitted photo)

TSU officials say Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, and Zambia want to join Liberia and South Africa, where students are taking online courses in coding and creating concepts taught by TSU professors. The program is part of a STEM literacy partnership with the African Methodist Episcopal Church that gives students digital resources to develop their technology skills. All participating students receive an iPad, supplied by Apple, Inc.

“This program has been so successful in just the delivery and the opportunities that we are bringing that these four countries have asked us to duplicate our model to include them,” says Dr. Robbie Melton, vice president of the Smart Technology Innovation Center at TSU. 

Dr. Robbie Melton

Melton says the programs for the new countries are in the works and will start this fall. “We have the capacity to handle those requests, because we have trained teachers on our side, but we are also using the train-the-trainer model, so the teachers over there are being trained to expand the program,” she says. 

 Initiated a year ago, the TSU digital literacy program is serving more than 300 high school and college students in three different locations in Liberia and South Africa: Monrovia College (high school); AME University in Monrovia, Liberia; and Wilberforce Community College in Evaton, South Africa.

The students are thankful for the opportunity. Here are few comments:

“I am very excited about the program. I have always had an interest in technology and am looking forward to advancing my knowledge. The teacher is very good and makes understanding very easy. My goal is to one day study in the US, expand my knowledge, and come back home and start my own firm.” Jacques Monbo, Senior, AME University 

Dr. Johnnie Smith (picture not shown), Head of the TSU Africa Project, interacts with students at Wilberforce Community College in Evaton, South Africa, during a virtual presentation. (Submitted photo)


“I am very excited about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am doing everything possible to do well in this program. It is my dream to come to the US and study, receive a master’s degree, come back to my country to give back and make my people proud.” Mohamed Sheriffi, Jr., Sophomore, AME University 

“I love this program and I love the challenge. The professor is very encouraging. I want to go to college to gain more knowledge. I want to become an air hostess.” Jewel Paye, 12th Grade, Monrovia College 

“Firstly, I am excited about learning new technology, as technology keeps changing and evolving.  We are excited to have this opportunity firsthand and free of charge for us and our students.  Apple coding has been more advanced in learning and designing App.” Sandile Maxwell Vilakazi, Lecturer, Wilberforce Community College 

With the time difference, Prof. Ramona Whitworth, who teaches coding and creating concepts, wakes up at 4:30 a.m. (Central Standard Time) to teach her 10:30 a.m. Saturday class for students at AME University in Monrovia, Liberia. (Submitted photo)

In the program, eligible high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, and college students can earn both university and high school graduation credits that will start them on the pathway to degrees in STEM. Other related courses will be available provided students’ desire to continue with their educational studies through TSU.

“With these three locations, we are able to provide coding and creativity skills – basically computational basic literacy,” says Melton. “This is a major empowerment for these countries. So, with the support of Apple in donating the iPad, and with our partners here, from the AME Church, Tennessee State University, and other community partners, we have been able to launch this program to enable these students to jumpstart their knowledge and skills in technology.” 

Dr. Johnnie C. Smith, executive director of the Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment Partnership and head of the Africa project at TSU, says the addition of the four countries shows that there is certainly a great need abroad. 

“I think it brings a whole lot of opportunities and energies for the institution and that we are definitely headed in the right direction,” says Smith, adding that nations in other parts of the world, including the Caribbean, have also expressed interest. “We have been having multiple conversations with all of these different groups, just to try to see what their interest is and what TSU can provide.” 

Ramona Whitworth, a TSU adjunct professor, who’s one of the instructors in the program, says the students’ enthusiasm about learning the new technology makes teaching them “so much easier,” even with the six-hour time difference. For instance, she is up at 4:30 a.m. to teach her 10:30 a.m. Saturday class for students in Monrovia. 

“I am teaching them coding and creating concepts, something that is new to them, but they are always ready for the challenge,” says Whitworth, who is also director of graduate admissions at TSU. “Our mission is to teach them these coding concepts, with the goal of them coming up with ideas to develop apps to benefit their community.” 

For more information on TSU’s SMART Technology Innovation Center, visit https://tsu-smartinnovationtech.netlify.app/

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

TSU crossing international waters to bridge digital divide, offers STEM course to underserved high school students in Africa

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University announced Wednesday a dual enrollment partnership that gives students in west and southern Africa access to digital resources to develop their technology skills.

The partnership with the African Methodist Episcopal Church will allow high school students to take a coding course at TSU to introduce or expand digital literacy on the continent. Eligible high school sophomores, juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to earn both university and high school graduation credits that will start them on the pathway to degrees in STEM.

Students participate in program at TSU’s national coding center. (TSU Media Relations)

“Tennessee State University is proud to be a part of this initiative that seeks to reach across international borders and give students an opportunity to expand their knowledge, and gain important career development skills,” said President Glenda Glover. “Coding and app design are a large part of the global workforce, and we want to help make sure people of color, everywhere, are equipped with the knowledge and skills to be competitive, and successful. These are largely high school students that have the potential to become a part of the TSU student body.”

Bishop E. Earl McCloud, Jr., of the 14th and 19th Episcopal Districts of the AME Church, presides over the partnering institutions in Africa: African Methodist Episcopal University and Monrovia College, both in Monrovia, Liberia, and Wilberforce Community College in Evaton, South Africa.

Bishop McCloud said the partnership brings hope to students and their families that see education as a better way of life, and most importantly for those with the greatest need.

“Years ago, the late President of the Republic of South Africa (The Honorable Nelson Mandela) said in his autobiography, ‘for Africans it is not a lack of ability, rather a lack of opportunity,’ when addressing the needs of African students,” said McCloud. “Tennessee State University has answered our clarion call to help provide more opportunities globally. This learning extension provides hope. It awakens the eyes of those often left out and left behind.”

President Glover and Bishop McCloud’s message of hope and the importance of access to digital literacy immediately resonated with families. In a collective statement, the partners described the reaction of one of the parents during the recruiting process.

“She walked in our office, with tear-filled eyes, telling us of how her son has always wanted to learn the computer and that his dream is to become a computer specialist, but she had never thought it would be possible because she is just a petite trader selling in one of our local markets. But she now sees it will be a dream come true. This is just one of the many dreams this program will make a reality. This is just one of the many lives this partnership has impacted.”

Participating students must be at least a sophomore in high school or in college. The online coding course is scheduled to start in the fall. Other related courses will be available provided students’ desire to continue with their educational studies through TSU.

“This partnership acknowledges TSU as a global education leader in empowering underserved populations around the world with education opportunities, the knowledge of digital literacies, the basic technical concepts and skills of coding, and the inspiration to innovate in order to be international competitors in the digital workplace,” said Dr. Robbie Melton, Vice President of the Smart Technology Innovation Center at TSU.

Dr. Johnnie C. Smith is executive director of Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment Partnerships at TSU and head of the Africa project. She said students will be provided with learning equipment and resources to ensure success.

“This is a great opportunity for international students to study at Tennessee State University,” said Smith. “I am pleased that President Glover and Bishop McCloud agreed to make this happen, and I am looking forward to expanding the TSU Dual Enrollment experience in other countries as well.”

The TSU-Africa partnership is part of the Smart Technology Innovation Center’s growing dual enrollment coding program that offers high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors the opportunity to earn college credits while enrolled in high school.

Tennessee school districts currently participating in the program include: Clarksville-Montgomery County, Cheatham County, Hamilton County, Haywood County, Jackson-Madison County, Lauderdale County, Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS), and Shelby County. Students also come from the states of Georgia, Maryland, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

The coding class is available to anyone interested in this field of study or as a one-time course. All high school students are welcome to be a part of the TSU Dual Enrollment program with course offerings from the Language Arts, STEM, and Liberal Arts. Please visit (https://bit.ly/3vnMFoO) for more information and to sign up for a class during the 2021 fall semester.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

TSU Assistant Athletic Director Selected for NAACP Image Awards Committee

NAACP_Image_AwardNASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU Sports Information) – After being a nominee for an NAACP award in 2012, Tennessee State University’s Assistant Athletic Director for Academic Services, will once again be involved in the awards program, only this time as a member of this year’s nominating committee.

Dr. Johnnie Smith
Dr. Johnnie Smith

Dr. Johnnie Smith, who works closely with TSU’s student-athletes and their academic development, will be a part of the NAACP’s awards to honor great achievements in many areas.

“I am humbly appreciative of this prestigious honor and grateful to the NAACP Image Award Executive Board for inviting me to participate and share my expertise,” said Smith of her selection.

Nominating committee and sub-committees are comprised of individuals within the entertainment industry such as studio and network executives, actors, artists, managers, agents, publicists, journalist, literary agents and others, as well as NAACP board members, executives and staff.

Smith will participate as a member of the nominating committee in the Instructional Literary category. As a member of the committee, Smith’s will read a number of book selections to determine the finalists in the category.

In 2012, Smith was honored by NAACP as a nominee for the Instructional Literary category for her book “Succeed Indeed featuring Academic Boot Camp.” With her achievements in academics, Smith believes her success will allow current student-athletes to achieve even more at Tennessee State and beyond.

“By being a part of this committee, it will allow me to inspire student-athletes to excel in the classroom and on the field so that they may reach an outstanding level in their respective careers,” said Dr. Smith.

The NAACP Image Awards is the nation’s premier multi-cultural awards show. The event celebrates the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts, as well as those individuals or groups who promote social justice through their creative endeavors.

 

 

 

 

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

 

 

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.