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AIDS Awareness Events This Week

Liz Tausner

The D-E AIDS Awareness Club kicks-off a weeklong series of important educational, motivating seminars and speeches beginning Monday, February 6,  through Friday, February 10,  all of which are designed to enhance understanding of AIDS, its impact, and strategies for addressing the many complex issues that exist because of it. The week will culminate on Friday evening with a special dinner featuring honored guest and D-E Parent Dr. Jennifer Ashton, followed by a live concert by D-E students (see below).

Dr. Sherronda Brown, faculty advisor to the club, notes, "The Club is committed to helping its peers not only understand the larger epidemic in our country and around the world, but also the importance of the choices they can make in the protection of their own lives.  They know that teenagers remain a vulnerable group when it comes to incidents of contracting HIV/AIDS. As such, we have adopted the World AIDS theme of Getting to Zero, which reflects our concern about those who are now affected by HIV/AIDS as well as preventing future infections: "Zero Discrimination" and "Zero New HIV Infections.“

The following events are scheduled:

Monday, February 6 – Dr. Joyce Hunter, Research Scientist – Columbia University
Joyce Hunter, D.S.W., is a Research Scientist at the HIV Center and Assistant Professor of Sociomedical Sciences and Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatric Social Work (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University. She is also Principal Investigator of the Working It Out Project, a community-based HIV prevention research project for gay, lesbian, and bisexual adolescents that utilizes an award-winning video and an intervention curriculum. This program, which Dr. Hunter co-developed with community members, addresses coming out, stigma, development of coping strategies to address stressful life events, and personal identity development.

Tuesday, February 7 – Carolyn Engle, Volunteer and Community Coordinator, New Jersey AIDS Services

Wednesday, February 8 – Ryan Mion, Outreach Coordinator for the Ryan White Program at Bergen Family Center

Thursday, February 9 – Dawn Breedon, Motivational Speaker and Author
Dawn Breedon,  author of "Remember to Breathe" will speak during the weekly Upper School Assembly and share her story. In 1991 while she was five months pregnant, she was diagnosed as being HIV positive. A year after her son was born, a two-year custody battle with her son’s father began and ended with a vicious attack on her and the murder of her son. Dawn Breedon not only inspires audiences with her personal triumph over tragedy, she educates young people about HIV/AIDS prevention. Ms. Breedon will stay on campus after the assembly to speak with students one-to-one and will have her book available for purchase and signing.

Friday, February 10 – 2012 AIDS Awareness Club Award Dinner (6:30 PM, Hajjar Auditorium) honoring Dr. Jennifer Ashton, health expert, co-host of ABC's The Revolution, and author of "Your Body Beautiful" and "The Body Scoop for Girls". Dr. Ashton will later lead a small group chat and do a book signing after the dinner, from 7:30 – 8:00 PM in D-E'S Leggett Hall Ethics Department Suite.

Friday, February 10 – 2012 AIDS Awareness Live Concert featuring the Talents of D-E Students (8:00 PM, Hajjar Auditorium)

>  For a copy of the Friday, Feb. 10 AIDS Awareness Club Award Dinner invitation (PDF) please click here.


>  To RSVP for the Dinner please Email: parkj1@d-e.org

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Mailing Address: 315 East Palisade Avenue Englewood, NJ 07631
gps: 81 Lincoln Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-9500 Email: d-e@d-e.org
Located in Englewood, New Jersey, Dwight-Englewood is a greater New York City area private school with a rigorous college prep curriculum for boys and girls in preschool through grade 12.