"The BTG students bring a heightened level of enthusiasm, creativity, and professionalism to the participants that we serve ... Without a doubt, the BTG students have enriched the lives of those around them ..."
Representatives from the programs in Erie, Lehigh Valley, New Jersey and Pittsburgh also presented posters at the Philadelphia Symposium. One of the goals of the Symposium is to provide an opportunity for attendees to network and to exchange information about resources throughout the city.
A plenary session followed the poster presentations. Executive Director Lucy Wolf Tuton kicked off the session, welcoming attendees and thanking all those who help sustain this collaborative program. Small groups of 2012 BTG CHIP interns presented vignettes illustrating perspectives on their BTG CHIP experience. These included one videos and two oral presentations.
The 2011 BTG award was presented to plenary session keynote speaker Sonja Sohn. Best known for her role as Detective Kima Greggs on the critically acclaimed HBO series "The Wire," Sohn worked with fellow cast members in 2008 on a voter empowerment tour in Philadelphia and through Virginia and North Carolina. She witnessed firsthand how celebrity could be used responsibly to inspire underserved populations. That same year she founded ReWired for Change to empower at-risk youth and families through education, media and social advocacy, and intergenerational programs.
BTG 20th Anniversary Tribute
At the 2008 Symposium, two of the student coordinators entertained the crowd with their performance of an educational rap, “Circulatory System,” by Rhythm, Rhymes, Results, with the addition of some of the students’ own lyrics.
