Tenth-Annual Senator Edward W. Brooke III Oratorical Scholarship Competition

Application Entry Deadline April 1, 2018

Oratorical Competition May 19, 2018
Sunday, June 10, 2018
​AMF Chicopee Lanes
291 Burnett Rd, Chicopee, MA 01020
(413) 592-9161
https://www.amf.com/location/amf-chicopee-lanes
On Saturday, May 19, 2018, at 4:00 pm at St. John’s Congregational Church in Springfield, the Theta Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and its Lee B. Revels Scholarship & Mentoring Foundation will host the Tenth Annual Senator Edward W. Brooke III Oratorical Competition.  The competition is open to young men of African or Latino descent currently attending high school in Western Massachusetts and interested in attending college.  The event is free and open to the public. 
Participation in the program provides the young men the opportunity to experience the art of public speaking while learning about a topic relevant to their lives. This year’s topic is:  Turned On, Tuned In, and Checked Out: What Effect Is Social Media Having on Today’s Youth? This theme raises an important question in a technologically-advanced age and presents an opportunity for our youth to understand the developmental benefits and/or risks of having self-controlled access to social media. Participants have group workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions to help prepare them for the competition.  The top three orators are awarded scholarships that they will receive upon enrollment in college.
First Place $1,500
Second Place $1,000
Third Place $750
For the past ten years, Theta Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity has gained the support of the Western Massachusetts community to identify young men to compete for these scholarships. This year is no different, so we ask for your help in identifying Black and Latino men in Western Massachusetts who would like to participate in this year’s competition.
Students may register by completing our online registration form, which is attached to this letter, along with a copy of the rules, entry requirements and judging criteria. The entry deadline is Monday, April 2, 2018. Online registration is on our web site at http://oratorical.springfieldalphas.com. After completing the online application, the registrant will be contacted with confirmation of his registration and provided with additional details regarding times, dates and locations of the mandatory workshops. 
Mandatory Meeting Schedule:
  • April 7, 2018 – Orientation – Location TBA 
  • May 5, 2018 - Workshop #1 – Location TBA
  • May 12, 2018 –  Workshop #2/Preliminary Competition - St. John's Congregational Church
  • May 19, 2018 Contest - St. John’s Congregational Church 
The Lee B. Revels Mentoring and Scholarship Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 organization and the non-profit corporation of Theta Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.  The Foundation is funded via grants from corporations, other foundations, civic groups, and faith-based institutions, as well as individual sponsorship by fraternity members and friends of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.  Contributions are 100% tax deductible.  A few initiatives of the foundation include Project Alpha (a teen pregnancy prevention program targeted to males ages 12-18), an Oratorical Scholarship competition, a Leadership Development Institute for rising junior and senior high school students and scholarships for graduating high school seniors and college students.  More information about Theta Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and its foundation is available on our website: www.springfieldalphas.net. 
James H.Lightfoot III, President, TIL Chapter 
Persons seeking additional information regarding the Oratorical Scholarship Competition should contact a committee member:
Kareem Nulan, Director of Education, TIL Chapter 
202-494-5275, kareem.nulan@gmail.com 

Arthur R. Shurn, Director Communications, TIL Chapter 
413-222-9601, arthur@shurn.com 
Vincent D. Jackson, President, Lee B. Revels Scholarship & Mentoring Foundation 
972-489-7191, vincent.jackson06@gmail.com 
Thank you for your support.