U.S. Hispanics
Academy Of Special Dreams Foundation Features Virtual 3D Art Gallery & Live-Streaming Video
ACADEMY OF SPECIAL DREAMS FOUNDATION NOW FEATURES VIRTUAL 3-D ART GALLERY AND LIVE-STREAMING VIDEO AVAILABLE ONLINE
More community news, disability advocacy resources and job postings will also be featured.
Los Angeles, CA -- May 14, 2013
- The Academy of Special Dreams Foundation, in furtherance of its mission to increase public awareness of the creative talents of people with disabilities, today announced the launch of its newly redesigned online website featuring a virtual 3-D art gallery and live-streaming video together with other improvements making the website more navigable and fully searchable. As the principal way the Academy of Special Dreams Foundation fulfills its mission, the online website integrates links on the main menu and throughout the site to the Academy of Special Dream Foundation's Twitter and Facebook presence, an area in which the Academy of Special Dreams Foundation has become increasingly active over the past several years. In addition, the online website will support the growth and development of working artists in the special needs community around the world by providing online job postings in the arts for those seeking employment.
“This new online face of the Academy of Special Dreams Foundation represents another significant step in fulfilling our mission to increase public awareness of the creative talents of people with disabilities. Through our newly redesigned website, we have made it easier to showcase the artistic expressions our nearly 100 artists in residence, for example, by our virtual 3-D art gallery that will recreate the look, experience and enjoyment of seeing the art in a formal exhibition hall," said ASDF President Michael Dergar, CEO and Founder of the Academy of Special Dreams Foundation. "Now everyone can appreciate their creativity in a visual setting that is reminiscent of the finest art galleries in the world."
The redesigned website utilizes “containers” with both text and graphics to draw visitors to specific content. The website homepage will reflect the most current content while ensuring that a visitor can easily navigate and search for past featured artists, the virtual galleries for each of the artists in residence, upcoming events, scholarship and working artist grant applications and news items about the special needs community, and at the same time share critical information about legislative or international issues of interest to both artists and other audiences.
The site was designed and built by Harisvision, an independent web design and development firm which has been supporting the Academy of Special Dreams Foundation for several years. "We especially want to thank Angel Reyes of Harisvision, all of the Board Members, as well as all the volunteers and supporters of the Academy of Special Dreams Foundation for all their time and support in the launch of our redesigned website," said Mr. Dergar.
The Academy of Special Dreams Foundation believes that all persons, regardless of their disabilities, should have equal opportunities to express their talents and to be successful in the Arts. As a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, the Special Academy's mission is to increase public awareness, appreciation and recognition of the creative talents of people with disabilities by providing opportunities that encourage, promote and showcase their artistic expressions.
We appreciate your support of the Academy of Special Dreams. You can follow the work of the Special Academy by subscribing at http://www.specialacademy.org or became a Fan at facebook:
Special Academy http://www.facebook.com/specialacademy also by staying in touch with us on Twitter http://twitter.com/specialacademy
First Cuban-Born Judge on U.S. Appellate Court is Keynote Speaker at Law Symposium, Miami
Following a prestigious selection of members of the legal and judicial professions, 11th Circuit Court Judge Adalberto Gonzalez will speak at the 8th Annual Red Mass and Law Symposium at Archbishop Curley Notre Dame Prep on Saturday, April 20, 2013 with a Mass at 9:00 am. Symposium at 10:00 a.m. 4949 NE 2nd Avenue Miami, FL 33137. The Media and Community are welcome.
Also known as the Lawyer’s Mass, the term “Red Mass” refers to the red vestments worn by the celebrants to signify the Holy Spirit, where participants pray for wisdom as they endeavor to seek justice. The celebration was first held in the United States in 1928.
Judge Jordan, the first Cuban-born judge to serve on the Atlanta-based U.S. appellate court, was nominated by President Obama on August 2, 2011 and was confirmed by the Senate on February 15, 2012 by an overwhelming 94-5 vote.
Last year’s Law Symposium facilitator, John De Leon (who graduated from Archbishop Curley in 1980) suggested that his former high school friend and professional colleague lead this year’s event. De Leon is managing shareholder of the Law Offices of Chavez & De Leon, P.A. and President of the American Civil Liberties Union, Greater Miami Chapter
Past facilitators (all Archbishop Curley High School and Notre DameAcademy alumni) were: 2012 – John De Leon ‘AC ’80; 2011- Honorable Cecilia Maria Altonaga, J.D. NDA’80, Federal Judge Southern District of Florida; 2010 - Honorable Beatrice Avgherino Butchko, J.D. ,NDA’81, 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida; 2009 - Dennis Ward, Esq., AC’69 Monroe County State Attorney; 2008 - Thomas Valerius, Esq., AC ’58, Defense Attorney; 2007 - Edward O’Donnell, Esq. AC ’62, Defense Attorney; and 2006 - Honorable Rosemary Barkett, J.D. , NDA ‘57, United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit.
About Judge Adalberto Jose Jordan (cited from University of Miami Law Review):
Judge Adalberto José Jordan left Havana with his family in the late 1960s, and began one of the most remarkable Cuban-American success stories in Miami history. In the course of a few decades, Judge Jordan went from an immigrant child to top-of-his-class student at Miami Law (and a UMLR member) to highly respected attorney to federal judge.
Judge Jordan began his US education at Santa Clara Elementary School in Allapattah, but his parents later transferred him to Corpus Christi.
At Corpus Christi, Judge Jordan met his future wife, Esther, in the second grade. He calls it love at first sight. Judge Jordan and Esther recalls how many life-long friends he made at Corpus Christi and, for the past 20 years, Judge Jordan and his group of friends get together every Thanksgiving and play softball.
In fact, Judge Jordan’s love of sports pre-dates his passion for the law. Judge Jordan began playing varsity baseball at Archbishop Curley High School. After his junior year of high school, though, Judge Jordan transferred to Saint Brendan solely because Curley closed down its baseball program.
As an undergraduate at the University of Miami, Judge Jordan pursued his two passions at the time—baseball and the law. UM gave Judge Jordan an academic scholarship and a walk-on position on the school’s baseball team. On the academic front, Judge Jordan took as much law as he could, studying constitutional and environmental law. Judge Jordan graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s in politics and public affairs, and a minor in philosophy.
Judge Jordan went on to UM Law, and excelled despite juggling school and a part-time job at Sun Bank, fixing ATMs that broke after-hours in the Coral Gables-South Miami area. After a semester of juggling work and school, Judge Jordan and Esther married and went on their honeymoon during the law school’s winter break. Appropriately enough, the newlyweds had their honeymoon in Washington D.C.
Photo:
MARLENE QUARONI | Florida Catholic Newspapers
Archbishop Thomas Wenski and his former altar server Adalberto Jordan, now a judge on the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, pose for a photo after the Archdiocese of Miami Red Mass reception held in June 2012, where Jordan received the "Lex Christi, Lex Amoris" award from the Miami Catholic Lawyers Guild.
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March 16: Latino Medical Student Association 8th Annual National Conference
For the first time, the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) will have their National Conference hosted at the largest and most diverse college in the nation, Miami Dade College on March 16th, 2013. Prior schools to host this auspicious national event include: the University of Illinois at Chicago, University of California - Irvine, and Harvard Medical School. This Conference will be in conjunction with the Southeast Regional Conference and is expected to have an estimated 300 health-oriented students and professionals froma round the United States in attendance. The theme for the event is Tomando Accion (Taking Action): Ensuring Health Equity for All, as part of the organization's mission is to advocate for the rights of Latinos in health care. Another important mission of LMSA is to actively promote the recruitment of Latino students at all levels of education, as Latinos continue to be underrepresented in the field of medicine. It is for this reason LMSA has invited not only medical students and residents to the event, but high school students, undergraduates, and allied health professionals as well. Dr. Marc Nivet, AAMC’s Chief Diversity Officer is one of the confirmed keynote speakers for the conference along with NHMA Chief Executive Officer- Elena Rios, MD, MSPH, and Onelia G Lage, MD- Florida Board of Medicine Chair. Besides remarkable speakers, there will be clinical instruction workshops, a research symposium, and opportunities to meet recruiters from various schools.
Although the main conference event will take place on Saturday, LMSA Southeast Region has organized a series of workshops directed towards high school students on Friday hosted by the University of Miami, Coral Gables Campus. The University of Miami has been a key financial supporter in the region’s development and this year’s conference.
Putting theory into practice, the third day of the event, a health fair will take place at the Miami Lakes United Methodist Church. Organized by medical students from Florida International University- this health fair will tackle major diseases prominent in minority and underserved communities. Therefore, there will be diabetes and hypertension screenings along with education on prevention. The keynote speaker for this day is Dr. Pedro José Greer, Jr, recipient of various honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
If you'd like more information about this event please email LMSA at contact@lmsa.net. Exact details are also available at www.lmsa.net.