On August 22, 2024, current and former students who completed the Hank & Billye Suber Aaron Young Scholars Summer Research Institute were honored by Durham Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education. This recognition celebrated the scholars’ dedication and hard work in completing the rigorous four-week summer program and presenting their research to the community at the capstone event earlier this month.
Alongside the students, program instructors and local educators Shamia Truitt and Jahara Davis were recognized for their work assisting students this summer. Program Alumni present to receive recognition included Catherine Kiplagat, Gabrielle Armstrong, Andrew Shan, Rachel Ruff, and Kennedy Ruff. Remarks were given by Co-Program Liaisons Iwinosa Idahor, the Student Equity, Engagement and Opportunity Coordinator for DPS, and Keaundra Robinson, the Equity Leadership and Strategy Coordinator for DPS. There were also remarks from Dr. Gwendolyn Wright, the Cook Center’s Director of Strategic Initiatives and Collaborations, and Kennedy Ruff, an Associate in Research at the Cook Center and the Aaron Young Scholars Program Coordinator.
The Hank & Billye Suber Aaron Young Scholars Summer Research Institute, sponsored by the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University in partnership with DPS, offers high school students the opportunity to enhance their writing, research, and presentation skills. Reflecting the Cook Center’s mission to explore the causes and consequences of inequality, the program’s curriculum focuses on the economic, social, and political dimensions of inequality, providing students with valuable insights and tools to navigate and address these issues in their communities.
See photos from the event here.
See the DPS Board of Education Monthly Meeting here.
Learn more about The Aaron Young Scholars Summer Research Institute.
