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KERA-TV And PBS Profiles 'Champions' Who Keep Kids On Track To Graduate

KERA News
Betsy Price (L), Nakia Douglas (C), and Jasmine Africawala (R) are just a few of many who work to keep kids in school.

As part of American Graduate Day on Saturday, Sept. 27, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., KERA TV is airing a live national broadcast focusing on the people who are keeping kids on track to high school graduation.

North Texas is also home to a few 'champions' of education -- people like Jasmine Africawala, librarian at the Dallas Public Library; Nakia Douglas, principal of Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy; and Betsy Price, mayor of Fort Worth.

Betsy Price, Mayor of Fort Worth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUPlo7wvr7I

Fort Worth mayor Betsy Price promotes active lifestyles for kids through the FitWorth Healthy City Initiative. FitWorth works with schools to encourage better nutrition and increased physical activity for students.

“Kids spend more time out of school than in school,” Price says. “Educators will tell you that kids who are healthier and fitter learn better.”

Jasmine Africawala, Librarian at the Dallas Public Library

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDKnO8IKx84

Jasmine Africawala is a librarian at the Dallas Public Library and serves as the community engagement coordinator. She oversees programs that help non-English speaking adults and children and those without a high school diploma – in Dallas County, that’s 25 percent of the population. Africawala is a first generation American and her mother taught herself English.

“Parents want to provide for their children and children want to make their parents proud,” she says.

Nakia Douglas, Principal of Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdwe1q_7uMs

As principal of Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy, Nakia Douglas doesn’t just focus on academics. “What we really look at in success is how our students are becoming better sons, better siblings, what type of stewards they are to the community,” he says.

This special is part of KERA’s American Graduate Initiative.  

Former KERA staffer Krystina Martinez was an assistant producer. She produced local content for Morning Edition and KERANews.org. She also produced The Friday Conversation, a weekly series of conversations with North Texas newsmakers. Krystina was also the backup newscaster for the Texas Standard.