| |
|
Press release from the Tuskegee Airmen Fund:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Kitty Terry
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Fund
205-238-0133
kitty.ktconsulting@gmail.com
Jane Longshore
205-821-1416
jane.longshore@gmail.com
Ripple Effects partners with Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Fund to create
Tuskegee Airmen Virtual Memorial
Tuskegee Airmen Virtual Memorial Launches at Official Grand Opening
Ceremony this Weekend
Online memorial and educational website debuts at Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site Museum; local, state, and national dignitaries scheduled to attend
Tuskegee, AL - On Friday, October 10, an historic gathering will take place at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama. Present on this day will be the remaining 100 pilots who participated in the landmark Tuskegee Airmen Experience from 1941 to 1946, as well as approximately 300 engineers, mechanics, cooks, and others who supported their monumental effort on the ground. In addition to these heroic men and their families, numerous state, local, and national dignitaries will be in attendance, all gathered to celebrate the official launch of the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Fund's Tuskegee Airmen Virtual Memorial and the grand opening of the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site Museum. Then-Congressman, Governor Bob Riley introduced the original legislation to establish the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site; Governor Riley and several members of our Alabama delegation will be present for the grand opening ceremony. On November 6, 1998, President Clinton signed into law Public Law 105-355, which established the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, and President George W. Bush honored the Tuskegee Airmen with the Congressional Medal of Honor in March 2007. Presidents Clinton and Bush, as well as former Secretary of State General Colin Powell, are among the dignitaries scheduled to attend the grand opening. Celebrations will continue throughout the weekend, including an evening gala at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel on Saturday, October 11, featuring a live performance by Tuskegee native Lionel Richie.
About the Tuskegee Airmen Virtual Memorial
This educational component of the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Fund (tamfund.org) was created by Ripple Effects, a company with more than 10 years of experience in creating effective software applications to improve academic, social, and emotional outcomes for children and youth. Using the model of the Tuskegee Airmen Experience, Ripple Effects created an interactive character education module that will inspire young people to understand that success and leadership can be achieved through perseverance, courage, and respect while demonstrating what it means to be part of something greater than one's self. Ripple Effects software is currently used in hundreds of school districts, so this character education module will also serve as a "living legacy" to the Tuskegee Airmen in school systems all over the country, while letting young people know that they too can soar to the heights of achievement. In addition to being included in Ripple Effects character education programming, the module is also accessible at www.tamfund.org, by clicking the "Interact" link. To sample the character education module, visit http://tamfund.org/includes/tuskegeeprofile.swf.
Data on the effectiveness of Ripple Effects programs:
- Multiple studies have shown this program works to reduce problem behavior and improve educational outcomes.
- An NIH-funded study showed that grades went up, and suspensions, absences, and tardies went down
- Ripple Effects has won 27 software and education awards endorsed by experts, educators, and teens and is currently used in hundreds of school districts.
- Ripple Effects research-based software applications can be used effectively for three levels of programming:
1. Individualized intervention for specific problems
2. Comprehensive prevention to address risk factors
3. Universal promotion of positive youth development
About the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Fund
The Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Fund (TAMF) was created as a 501(c) (3) organization to oversee the construction of a national memorial to honor the Tuskegee Airmen's valor, technical precision, and exceptional performance that set them apart in a way that even segregation could not overshadow. Their example clearly reveals that when you meet adversity with courage, perseverance, integrity, and dignity, there is no limit to the heights you can reach.
Phase I of their mission was the development and implementation of the online Virtual Tuskegee Memorial that will be easily accessible to millions of people around the globe, including children who may never have the opportunity to visit the National Historic Site Museum in Tuskegee, Alabama. Phase II involves the construction of the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial, designed by Alabama-based architectural firm Brown Chambliss, and architect Steven Bingler of Concordia Corporation, designer of the acclaimed Contemporary Arts Center and the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans. This outdoor permanent memorial will one day serve as a physical reminder of the African-Americans who participated in air crew, ground crew, and operations support training in the Army Air Corps during World War II.
Grand Opening Weekend Schedule of Events
Friday, October 10, 2008 (all events take place at Moton Field, Tuskegee, AL, unless otherwise noted)
9:00 a.m. - Static Aircraft Display (civilian and military)
1:30 p.m. - National Historic Site Museum ribbon-cutting ceremony, Museum Entrance
2:30-4:30 p.m. - National Historic Site Museum open to the public and guided tours
3:30 p.m. - Tuskegee Airmen Virtual Memorial official launch Reception, Tuskegee 4:00 p.m. - "Ladies Must Swing" 18-piece band performance
Airmen National Historic Site Museum
7:00-9:30 p.m. - Lonely Eagles theatrical production, Tuskegee Municipal Complex
Saturday, October 11, 2008
9:00 a.m. - Static Aircraft Display (civilian and military), Moton Field, Tuskegee, AL
9:00 a.m. - National Historic Site Museum open to the public, Moton Field tours, panel discussions, Tuskegee, AL
10 a.m.-3 p.m. - Airplane Rides, Moton Field, Tuskegee, AL
6:00 p.m. - Evening Gala honoring the Tuskegee Airmen (ticketed event) featuring Lionel Richie, Renaissance Montgomery Hotel, Montgomery, AL
Sunday, October 12, 2008
9:30 a.m. - "Tuskegee University Day," special recognition service at Tuskegee University Chapel (hosted by Dr. Benjamin F. Payton)
Brunch immediately following the service (invitation only) at the Tuskegee University Kellogg Conference Center
Guided tours of Tuskegee University; the George Washington Carver Museum and the Daniel "Chappie" James Center are open to the public
|
