FIU Honors College and Sweetwater Elementary present artistic evening

WHAT: The Florida International University Honors College has joined with the City of Sweetwater and Sweetwater Elementary for an event that will showcase artistic works from both schools.  The leadership class taught by FIU Professor Cecile Houry from the Honors College and the art and music teachers at Sweetwater Elementary are combining their students efforts for an evening that will include art exhibitions, musical performances, and speeches. Paintings by students from the Honors College and four student musical groups from the college will take part. A reception will follow. 

Speakers at the event will include the Mayor of Sweetwater, Manuel L. Maroño, Sweetwater Elementary Principal Janet Olivera, Interim Dean of the Honors College Lesley A. Northup, and various others.

WHO: The FIU Honors College and the City of Sweetwater announced their plan to partner in October of 2009 in an effort to provide Honors students with an opportunity to engage in a variety of projects that could improve the quality of life for Sweetwater residents. The partnership provides Honors students with opportunities to develop leadership skills, practice civic engagement, and learn about the management and governance of a small city. It also seeks to help integrate FIU more fully into the Sweetwater community to create a model that is worlds ahead for future town-gown partnerships.

As a result of the partnership, five honors students volunteer their time for sports-and-health and educational activities, six students provide tutoring services to Sweetwater students, eight students currently hold internships in the city government, and three to four students visit the Sweetwater Senior Activity Center every Friday for lunch.

WHEN AND WHERE: April 7^th, 2010 at 7 p.m. at the Jorge Mas Canosa Youth Center, 250 S.W. 114^th Avenue in Sweetwater. The event is free and open to the public.  Parking is also free.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please contact Cecile Houry at choury@fiu.edu. RSVP for the event at http://honors.fiu.edu/artnight. 

Media Contact:  Lissette Lanza at 305-348-2232.

-FIU- 

About the Honors College:
The Honors College at Florida International University is a center of excellence dedicated to the education of a special community of exceptional students representing all majors. The College prepares some of FIU’s best and brightest to become well-rounded individuals and leaders in their fields and communities through a broad interdisciplinary curriculum focused on critical thinking, along with leadership training, research and extracurricular programs and real-world career opportunities.

About FIU:
Florida International University was founded in 1965 and is Miami’s only public research university. With a student body of more than 38,000, its 12 colleges and schools offer more than 200 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations and law. More than 100,000 FIU alumni live and work in South Florida. FIU has been classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a “High Research Activity University”. In August 2009, FIU welcomed the inaugural class of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu.