A symposium on the education of boys and young men in Bermuda will be hosted by the local chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity this Thursday evening at CedarBridge Cafeteria.

Entitled "The Education Of Males On The Rock," the symposium aims to "provide resources and information for students, parents and educators on how they can effectively help Bermudian boys reach their full potential in education," said Alphi Phi Alpha Recruitment Coordinator Dwayne Caines.

A handful of local and international panellists with firsthand knowledge of Bermuda's school systems, male Bermudians and education in general will be featured at the free event to provide scholarly discourse about the education of males on the Island.

"According to recent statistics, the most critical issue we will face as a community in 2010 is education," said Mr. Caines. "There is a considerable challenge for educators to make education relevant, interesting and keep students in touch with global and local employment trends. And it is not just black students or public schools that are affected – it transcends all communities and walks of life."

He added: "What we want to do with this event is bring together some of the intellectual capital in Bermuda – men who have spent a lot of time educating themselves.

"This will not be a forum for people in the community to come and to articulate what is wrong, rather a learning environment where people can listen and learn also more importantly walk away with tools to better meet the needs of the boys, males and men in their environments."

Panellists for the event include: Dr. Lou Mathews, Dr. Llewellyn Simmons, Doctoral Candidate John Duncan, Educator Leyde St Leger, Educator Trace White and Educational Consultant Mason West.

Dr. Lou Mathews is Director of Educational Standards and Accountability Unit of the Bermuda Department of Education.

He and his team are responsible for ensuring that schools are held to the highest standards of student achievement.

Dr. Mathews is an active educational consultant, scholar and speaker and has been involved in education initiatives locally and abroad. He received his PhD in Mathematics Education from Illinois State University in 2002.

Dr. Llewellyn Simmons received his Doctorate in Philosophy from Miami University in Ohio in 2002.

He received a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies and a Masters of Education from Howard University and a Bachelor of Arts from Plymouth State University. Dr. Simmons is also a business owner and has received numerous teaching and academic awards throughout his career.

John Duncan has been an educator in Bermuda's Public Schools for 20 years teaching varied subjects including social studies, mathematics and English.

He was Deputy Principal of Heron Bay Primary School, is currently a Team Leader and English Language Arts teacher at T.N. Tatem Middle school and is a Third Year PhD candidate at Northern Caribbean University in Jamaica.

A former explosives expert and Sergeant with the U.S. Army, Leyde St-Leger graduated from Hofstra University with a Major in Mathematics and a Minor in Biomedical Engineering. He also graduated from Cambridge College with a masters in Mathematics Education and will pursue a Doctorate in Education.

He is currently a Team Leader, Math Teacher at Sandys Secondary Middle School. Since arriving in Bermuda in 2008, his students have displayed the highest increase in math scores and overall scores on the Island.

Educator Trace White is a graduate of Atlantic Union College and Andrews University. His disciplines of study include psychology, theology, religion and philosophy.

He is currently pursuing a PhD in Entrepreneurial Leadership at Christian Leadership University. Mr. White is Bermudian but has spent much of his life abroad working as everything from a pastor to college lecturer.

Educational Consultant Mason West earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology at Oakwood College. He later earned his Master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning and Community Development from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University.

Last year Alpha Phi Alpha held a symposium called 'Boys to Men'.

The aim of the 'Boys to Men' Symposium is to identify the most pressing issues affecting young men as well as provide solutions and resources to caretakers to help address those issues.

Mr. Caines said that over 500 people showed up for that event last year and he hopes to see at least as much at the CedarBridge cafeteria from 6 to 8 p.m. this Thursday.