The University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) will host its first fall Boys Academy on Tuesday, October 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Coordinated by the UHV Letting Education Achieve Dreams (LEAD) initiative, Boys Academy is designed to encourage eighth-grade boys in the development of leadership skills, personal talents, positive self-esteem and educational goal-setting.

Approximately 70 boys from seven counties�Aransas, Bee, Colorado, Gonzales, Karnes, Matagorda and Wharton�will participate in the event, which will feature community and business leaders, including Dale Fowler, president of the Victoria Economic Development Corporation; Oscar Ortiz, mayor of Port Arthur; and Omar Rachid, vice president of marketing for Speedy Stop stores. The daylong activities will begin with a welcome from Dr. Deidra Hudson, wife of UHV President Tim Hudson.

�We are pleased to be building upon the success of our annual Girls Academy by offering this opportunity to boys from the surrounding area,� said Deidra Hudson. �They will interact with community leaders from our region who have achieved success through pursuing higher education and who believe in the boys� potential to do the same.�

After the general assembly, students will participate in group sessions focused on career planning and personal skills, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Dan Jaeckle, professor of English at UHV. Following lunch, the boys will participate in a �True Colors� activity. Presented by Cheryl Shamburger and Gerianne Newman of the Region III Educational Service Center, �True Colors� is designed to build students� interpersonal skills. Finally, Les Blanchett, an engineer at Dow Chemical Co., will give a science presentation.

The UHV Boys Academy is funded by a grant from the Alcoa Foundation. For more information, contact Rachel Trevino-Garcia in the UHV LEAD office at (361) 570-4146.