A very different house party is headed for Delaware State’s campus this weekend.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Region III is looking to meet students where they are to share resources on preparing to buy a first home. There will be resources and success stories to share, as students across the state prepare to head to school, or move into dorms.
Also, more students in the First State have been recognized for achievements in sports, leadership and much more ahead of the 2023-24 school year.
In this roundup, we’ll try to catch you up on some education headlines you may have missed.
[ Did we miss another good story? Tell me about it: kepowers@gannett.com. ]
Last week ICYMI:Free classroom rug giveaway Saturday, new student safety app unveiled: Education Roundup
Can I own a home? HUD aims to host resource fair to tell you just that
HUD, alongside a list of partners, is bringing a “HUD Homeownership House Party” to the Dover campus’ Memorial Hall Gymnasium beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25. The pop-up is part of the Delaware State’s Hornet Street Fair, which will host local vendors for students from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This event is designed to engage young people early to consider planning a path to home ownership, according to HUD. Organizers will showcase available resources, share young success stories in Delaware and look to empower attendees to buy their own property one day.
HUD Regional Administrator Matthew Heckles will be joined by young homeowners, prepared to highlight federal resources and “dispel common misconceptions surrounding the homebuying journey.”
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Students take home awards at the Delaware State Fair
More than 400 Delaware FFA members convened at the Delaware State Fairgrounds last month.
Livestock exhibitions, food booths, horticulture and landscaping displays, leadership development — student members participated across genres. High school members competed in 15 career development events, while middle school members competed in 12. Delaware 4-H donated over 875 lbs. of produce to the Food Bank of Delaware. It was a busy State Fair.
Students and chapters also saw recognition throughout the annual Delaware FFA Fair Breakfast.
Delaware FFA presented its “coveted” Honorary State Degree to Gov. John Carney, Secretary of Education Mark Holodick, Indian River custodial staff member Chris Blackburn and Delaware Nursery and Landscape Association’s Valann Budishack, according to the Department of Education. The degree is presented to those who have continuously supported the association.
This year’s State Star Greenhand and the State Star Chapter recipients were Ava Gallo from the Lake Forest FFA Chapter and Taylor Wallace from the Smyrna FFA Chapter, respectively. More results are online.
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Students net athletic awards ahead of the next school year
The DIAA Board of Directors announced its 2023 DIAA/Harry Roberts-Senior Scholar Athlete awards on Aug. 16.
The award is named in memory of a former Caesar Rodney School District superintendent, Harry Roberts, who led the DIAA Sportsmanship Committee for years. It has celebrated students’ academic, athletic and leadership accomplishments since 1999, according to DDOE.
The 2022-2023 winners are:
Women:
- First ($2,000) — Abigail Cholewa, Caesar Rodney High School
- Second ($1,500) — Madeline Bissessar, Mount Pleasant High School
- Third ($1,000) — Lila Seiler, Newark Charter School
Men:
- First ($2,000) — Nathan Cho, Conrad School of Science
- Second ($1,500) — Isaac DeMaio, Delaware Military Academy
- Third ($1,000) — Cameron Lawson, Caesar Rodney High School
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“We are honored to award this year’s winners for their athletic leadership, service and dedication to their academics,” said Executive Director David Baylor in a statement. “The commitment our student athletes dedicate to their academic achievements as well as their athletic achievements is a testament to the outstanding young men and women participating in DIAA sports.”
When is move-in at UD and DSU?
Move-in weekend is upon us. University of Delaware is assigning each freshman a move-in appointment either Friday Aug. 25 or the following day, Saturday. Students check in at the Whitney Athletic Center before being directed to their dorms. More information is available online.
Upperclassmen will move in on Sunday, while freshman orientation is planned for Monday, Aug. 28. Classes begin Tuesday.
It’s a similar story down in Dover.
Welcome Days actually begin Wednesday. On Aug. 23 and 24, only new students will be moving in. That means halls Evers, Warren Franklin, Carpenter, Towers, Gooding and Tubman floors one, three and five, on Wednesday, while Thursday sees Jenkins, Tubman, Gooding, Williams, Carpenter, Commons and Tubman floors two, four and six.
Upperclassmen can move in Friday and Saturday. More details are available on DSU’s Welcome Days page, where students can also learn about what’s required to be “cleared” for moving in or getting your student ID. Students are asked to limit guests helping them move in to no more than two.
Have a story? Kelly Powers covers race, culture and equity for the USA TODAY Network’s Northeast Region and Delaware Online/The News Journal, with a focus on education. Contact her at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191, and follow her on Twitter @kpowers01.
