Join the Mayor’s
Office on African Affairs for our
8th Annual DC Africa Celebration
RSVP
Here
 Learn more
Mayor’s
Office on African Affairs Welcomes New Deputy Director
Originally from Ivory Coast, Soro Yah K. Kignaman, joins the Mayor’s
Office on African Affairs with over 8 years of international relations, project
management and implementation experience. Prior to joining the Mayor’s Office on African Affairs, Soro Yah worked as a Program Analyst for the United Nations Development Program in
West Africa and managed multiple projects focused on local and good governance,
capacity building, rule of law, public sector reform, gender equity, addressing
inequalities and improving the electoral process.
Soro Yah earned a Ph.D. in International Relations from
Institute of Diplomatic and Strategic Studies in France and is fluent in
French. As the new Deputy Director of the Mayor’s Office on African Affairs,
Soro-Yah looks forward to helping improve the quality of life of the District’s
African community and supporting Mayor’s Muriel Bowser’s vision for the city.
African Heritage Month Kick Off Hosted by the Commission on African Affairs
On Thursday, August 31, 2017, the Commission on African Affairs and the
entire team of the Mayor's Office on African Affairs hosted a Happy Hour to launch September as the month of celebration of African Heritage in the District. COAA and MOAA took advantage of the opportunity presented by the gathering to interact with members of the community and highlight the services provided by the advisory group and the agency.
The Mayor's Office on African Affairs and the
National Museum of African Art host
African Diaspora Heritage Talk Series
 On Wednesday, September 06, 2017, the Mayor's
Office on African Affairs, the National Museum of African Art and members of
the African diaspora community hosted African Diaspora Heritage Talk Series as we
celebrate African Heritage Month. Docent-led tours kicked off the
evening, followed by a community discussion featuring artists and cultural
entrepreneurs. The discussion revolved around the preservation and retention
of cultural heritage through arts and crafts, technology, language, visual
arts, and creative economies.
Mayor Bowser to Launch Five-Year Strategic Plan, Host DC Public Schools Back-to-School Block Party
On Saturday, September 9, at 11 am, Mayor Muriel Bowser will announce DC Public Schools (DCPS) five-year strategic plan to increase college and career readiness, accelerate early literacy, increase high school graduation rates, improve student experiences, and increase excellency in schools. The Mayor will also highlight the progress DCPS has made after ten years of education reform, including increases in graduation rates, enrollments, and student achievements. The plan is the first in the tenure of Chancellor Antwan Wilson who has instituted a focus on social emotional learning.
Learn
more
Mayor Bowser Launches
Apprenticeship DC
 On Wednesday, September 6,
2017, Mayor Bowser launched Apprenticeship DC, an expansion of the
already successful Department of Employment Services (DOES) Apprenticeship
Program. Through a unique collection of grants, customized programs, and
apprenticeship offerings, Apprenticeship DC will increase the number of
residents enrolled in apprenticeship programs. The Mayor was joined at the
launch by Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity Courtney R. Snowden and
Department of Employment Services Director Odie Donald II.
“Apprenticeship
DC will help us spread prosperity to every corner of DC by ensuring more
residents are prepared with the skills and knowledge they need to participate
in the District’s thriving economy,” said Mayor Bowser. “Apprenticeships
are a proven approach to preparing workers for in-demand jobs and meeting the
needs of businesses in hiring skilled workers. With Apprenticeship DC, we will
be able to create more apprenticeships that meet the specific training and
hiring needs that District businesses want and expect.”
Learn
more
Mayor Bowser Launches DC
Infrastructure Academy
On Tuesday, September 5,
2017, Mayor Bowser signed a memorandum of intent to formally launch the
DC Infrastructure Academy, a partnership between DC Government and utility,
union, university, and private sector partners that will create a pipeline to
in-demand infrastructure jobs for District residents.
“Through
the DC Infrastructure Academy, we will spread prosperity by getting more DC
residents trained for good-paying, long-term careers,” said Mayor
Bowser.
Learn
more
Statement on the Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals Program
On Tuesday, September 5,
2017, following President Trump’s announcement that he plans to end the
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Mayor Bowser released
the following statement:
“Last month, I joined leaders from around the country in urging President Trump to preserve DACA, a program that has opened thousands of doors of opportunity for young people who consider the United States home and who have done everything our country has asked of them. DACA has allowed young people – many who came to United States as very young children and know no other home – to get jobs, go to school, serve in the military, and become active members of their communities."
Learn more
This Week's District Minute
This week's District Minute features stories about the kickoff of the second annual
202Creates, Washington, DC being named the world's first LEED Platinum City,
and the launch of the new DC Infrastructure Academy.
Click on the image to view the full video.
African Art Museum
collaborates in Google’s “We Wear Culture” project
 Swahili family. A. Bayot lithograph after Charles Guillain daguerreotype 1846-48, published in Voyage a la Côte Orientale d’Afrique (1848) by Charles Guillain. Featured by the National Museum of African Art in the online exhibition “
The East Coast of Africa is a cross-cultural region that is a marvel to
traverse. Now, a special journey extending from Oman to Zanzibar is online
through Google’s Cultural & Art Institute platform, which tells the story
of the style and culture of the Omani, Somali and Zanzibari people. It is a
vivid virtual exhibition created by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of
African Art.
The exhibition is part of Google’s much larger “We Wear Culture” project, a
website featuring contributions from more than 180 cultural institutions from
New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, São Paulo and around the world (and including
the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture).
Learn more
Ilhan Omar, First Somali-American Muslim person to become a legislator
Omar, the first Somali-American Muslim to
become a legislator, is one of 46 influential women to break barriers. Minnesota legislator Ilhan Omar is on the cover of Time magazine and
listed alongside 45 other women who have broken barriers to change the world. In
the Sept. 18 issue that hits newsstands Friday, Omar, who is the first
Somali-American Muslim to become a legislator, is featured among 46 women in
Firsts — a multimedia special project that includes 12 different covers that
feature 12 different women.
Learn
more
Read
interview
DCCAH 202 Arts and Music Festival
The DC
Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) will proudly present the 202
Arts and Music Festival, a vibrant, family-friendly festival that celebrates DC
through visual arts, performance art, and interactive cultural experiences.
With over eleven hours of continuous activities on multiple stages, CAH
anticipates attendance of 10,000 residents and visitors enjoying this
multi-faceted event.
When: Saturday,
September 9, 2017 | 9: 00am - 9:00pm
Where: 4th Street and M Street, SW| Washington, DC (Metro Waterfront)
Learn more
DC Supply Schedule Workshop
Each month, the DC Office of Contracting and Procurement
(OCP) hosts a monthly workshop specifically for vendors interested
in the DC Supply Schedule, a set-aside market for registered Certified
Business Enterprises (CBEs) in the District. At these sessions,
contracting officers and contract specialist provide an overview of the DC
Supply Schedule and its application process.
When:
Thursday, September 14, 2017 | 10:00am - 12:00pm
Where: 4th Street and M Street, SW | One Judiciary Square Building | Washington,
DC
Learn more
DCHR Offers Free Job Skills Training to DC Residents
The District
Department of Human Resources is offering classes for DC residents. The Writing Resumes & Job Interview Techniques course
will help participants to construct a resume that makes an effective and dynamic
first impression. Participants will also gain insight into strategies
that today’s interviewers use when making their selection.
This course will also assist
participants in understanding how to avoid common interview errors, learn how
to answer typical interview questions, & discuss how to formulate
thoughtful interview questions.
This course will also assist
participants in understanding how to avoid common interview errors, learn how
to answer typical interview questions, & discuss how to formulate
thoughtful interview questions.
When: Tuesday, September 19, 2017 |10:00am - 12:30pm
Where: 441 4th Street, NW | Suite 330 South | Washington, DC |
20001
Learn
more
Serve
DC’s CERT Fall Training Sessions
Serve DC's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteer program trains
citizens to be better prepared to respond to emergencies in their communities.
When emergencies happen, CERT members can provide critical support to
first responders, immediate assistance to victims and can help organize
spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site. CERT members can also help with
non-emergency projects that help improve the community safety.
CERT training is free and open to anyone who
lives, works or congregates in the District of Columbia.
When: September 12, 14, 19, 21 (6:00pm - 9:00pm.) and September 23, 2017 (9:00am
-1:00pm)
Where: 2720 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE | Washington, DC |
20032
Click here to
register and learn more
Want Your Event Featured in the African Beat?
'The African Beat' is distributed to over 8,000 subscribers every other Friday. If you would like your event to be featured in our newsletter, please submit the following details: what, when & where, and provide a link to where readers can go for more information. Submission deadline for the next edition is Wednesday, September 6, 2017 by 5:00 pm. Send all materials, along with any questions, to oaa@dc.gov.
|
