March 08, 2022
Twenty-five New York State colleges are sponsoring 31 primary and secondary schools to create one of the nation’s largest Women’s History Month collaborations. The program, entitled the Women’s Empowerment Draft uses a pro-sports theme to build enthusiasm for historic icons, specifically those with NYS schools named for them. The Women’s Empowerment Draft is a program of Alfred University’s Art Force 5. It was founded in 2020 to celebrate the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment. Each day in March, a different school and partnering college will be challenged to pay tribute to the women they drafted. Dan Napolitano, program director and associate dean at SUNY’s New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University shares, “This program demonstrates the power of collaboration between NYS colleges, K-12 schools, and hopefully professional sports organizations.”
Niagara Street Elementary School will be joining the draft to honor Bloneva Bond, the first Black woman elected to the Niagara Falls School Board and past president of the Niagara Falls Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Niagara Street School is sponsored by SUNY Niagara. Both will pay tribute to Bond on March 29th using the hashtag #WEdraft2022 on their social media pages. In addition, an the Bloneva Bond mosaic will be unveiled at SUNY Niagara’s Dining Commons on March 29th at 4 p.m. To culminate the celebration, as of September 1, 2022, Niagara Street School will be renamed to the Bloneva Bond Primary School.
“School naming is the highest honor the Niagara Falls City School District offers and I’m excited that we have selected such a deserving individual,” said NFCSD Board President Russell Petrozzi. “Bloneva Bond’s legacy is an exceptional example for our students to follow, demonstrating the importance of serving one’s community and supporting the education of our youth.”
The 31 names featured include well-known heroes such as Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Eleanor Roosevelt and lesser-known trailblazers such as pioneer Lady Deborah Moody, lawyer Jill Chaifetz, and Assemblywoman Cynthia Jenkins. For more information, please visit www.artforce5.com/wedraft.
Twenty-five New York State colleges are sponsoring 31 primary and secondary schools to create one of the nation’s largest Women’s History Month collaborations. The program, entitled the Women’s Empowerment Draft uses a pro-sports theme to build enthusiasm for historic icons, specifically those with NYS schools named for them. The Women’s Empowerment Draft is a program of Alfred University’s Art Force 5. It was founded in 2020 to celebrate the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment. Each day in March, a different school and partnering college will be challenged to pay tribute to the women they drafted. Dan Napolitano, program director and associate dean at SUNY’s New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University shares, “This program demonstrates the power of collaboration between NYS colleges, K-12 schools, and hopefully professional sports organizations.”
Niagara Street Elementary School will be joining the draft to honor Bloneva Bond, the first Black woman elected to the Niagara Falls School Board and past president of the Niagara Falls Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Niagara Street School is sponsored by SUNY Niagara. Both will pay tribute to Bond on March 29th using the hashtag #WEdraft2022 on their social media pages. In addition, an the Bloneva Bond mosaic will be unveiled at SUNY Niagara’s Dining Commons on March 29th at 4 p.m. To culminate the celebration, as of September 1, 2022, Niagara Street School will be renamed to the Bloneva Bond Primary School.
“School naming is the highest honor the Niagara Falls City School District offers and I’m excited that we have selected such a deserving individual,” said NFCSD Board President Russell Petrozzi. “Bloneva Bond’s legacy is an exceptional example for our students to follow, demonstrating the importance of serving one’s community and supporting the education of our youth.”
The 31 names featured include well-known heroes such as Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Eleanor Roosevelt and lesser-known trailblazers such as pioneer Lady Deborah Moody, lawyer Jill Chaifetz, and Assemblywoman Cynthia Jenkins. For more information, please visit www.artforce5.com/wedraft.
Media Contact Information
Denyel Beiter
Public Relations Assistant
Phone: 716-614-5974
Email: dbeiter@niagaracc.suny.edu