New organization provides academic resources to locals



By Josanta Gray
Associate Editor

SOLID USC, Students Organizing for Literacy, Inclusion and Diversity, is looking for youth to participate in their first annual conference on February 16, 2013. image

“The SOLID Steps to College Conference is an opportunity for me to provide my hometown community with resources that were missing from my educational career. It is my hope that this conference will not only empower the youth who attend but encourage them to purse education at vast levels of the university system,” said Jacqueline Jackson, the vice president of SOLID USC.

USC Students Rikiesha Pierce and Jackson created SOLID in response to the current state of education in the United States and with the intention of decreasing disparities in education amongst minorities.

The SOLID USC conference will be run by a large group of undergraduate and graduate students on Trousdale Parkway beginning at 8am. The event will include a host of workshops, panel discussions and cultural shows for youth in both junior high and high school to enjoy.

Representatives of SOLID USC are excited that the day long event will connect those with a recognized need for academic resources in South Los Angeles to the USC community.

Youth between the grades 7-12 grade are encouraged to preregister for the event using an online form at http://jaycalila.wix.com/solidusc#!form/cvls.