As the most vulnerable in our community, children face many inequities in housing, education, health care, food security, transportation, and recreation.
Speakers for the fourth installment of PB&J Jam Sessions
Mark Douglas McCombs is a Jacksonville native, product of Duval County Public Schools, a mechanical engineer, ex-Sally Corporation robot builder, and founder of Renaissance Jax Inc. His nonprofit has moved the needle for STEM and STEAM education in North Florida by taking our region from roughly 100 annual competitive robotics participants to more than 4,000 students in less than five years. When he’s not trying to save the world, he plays guitar, dreams big ideas, plots new businesses that can add value to society, designs a botanical garden with his lady friend, and ponders deeply about how one can possibly quantify gnarliness.
Mark discusses re imagining what childhood development looks like.
John Louis Meeks Jr. has been teaching social studies in Duval County since 2002. He is a graduate of the University of North Florida and an Air Force veteran. He recently served on the Human Rights Committee at the American Federation of Teachers convention in Pittsburgh. Additionally, he has served on various state and local committees regarding public education. His work has been published by the Network for Public Education, The Florida Times-Union, Folio Weekly, and The Beaches Leader.
John discusses teaching and connecting through diversity.
Allison Galloway-Gonzalez serves the Cathedral Arts Project, Inc. as the chief program officer and executive director of Any Given Child Jacksonville. She sits on board of the Ritz Theatre and Museum andArts4All Florida as well as the Institutional Review Board for Jacksonville University. After earning her master’s degree from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, in 2003, she began her career at the University of Central Florida’s Department of Education. Allison then became the associate director of the Austin Museum of Art – The Art School. Allison joined CAP after serving as the director of education for MOCA Jacksonville and an adjunct faculty member at the University of North Florida. In 2018, Allison was honored as one of Jacksonville Business Journal‘s 40 Under 40.
At PB&J Jam Sessions: Children on Thursday, November 8, Allison discusses how adults debate the importance of the arts for children.
Recording artist, award-winning Jacksonville hip-hop/folk artist, educator, and documentarian, Mal Jones hosts The Lyricist LIVE at Downtown Vision, Inc.’s monthly Downtown Jacksonville Art Walk. A Bronx-born, 23-year resident of Duval County, Mal is a pioneer of the Jacksonville indie hip-hop scene and creator of education-based school programs that incorporate hip-hop culture. In 2013, Mal became the first hip-hop artist in Florida history labeled a “folk artist” by the Florida Folklife Program and Division of Historical Resources for the traditional skill of improvisational freestyle rapping. In addition to hosting myriad hip-hop workshops that focus on writing and literacy, Mal has run a number of state-funded apprenticeship programs which he created and was awarded by the Florida Folklife Program.
At PB&J Jam Sessions: Children on November 8, Mal will discuss his approach to hip-hop education from the street to the classroom.
Tessa Duvall has been a reporter at The Florida Times-Union since 2014, where she focuses on the issues that affect children living in Northeast Florida. Her latest obsession is covering juvenile justice, and she strives to always tell these stories in the full context of a child’s life. Tessa is a Kentucky native who took her first newspaper job in West Texas as an education reporter at The Midland Reporter-Telegram. Outside of work, Tessa is actively involved as a volunteer with TEDxJacksonville and a member of Leadership Jacksonville’s Class of 2019, and is the proud human of her adopted dog, Bear.
During her talk at PB&J Jam Sessions: Children on November 8, she will discuss how children who end up deepest in the criminal justice system almost always had the greatest unmet need.
PB&J Jam Sessions: Children
Thursday November 8, 2018
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
40 E Adams St, Ste 100
Jacksonville, Florida 32202
PB&J, which stands for Party, Benefit, & Jam, is a nonprofit that raises awareness and money for other nonprofits through events. PB&J Jam Sessions are a series of talks to address systemic issues that keep Jacksonville divided at the most fundamental levels.
The Jam Sessions cover four themes where disparities are felt perhaps the most intensely. The intersectionality of these four areas of discrimination underscores the ways racism, sexism, and other inequalities work together to undermine us all.
The first of the Jam Sessions on February 21 focused on race.
The second event about women took place on May 10.
The third event about immigrant took place July 19.
PB&J is partnering with the Jessie Ball duPont Center (40 E. Adams St.) on this series of talks by holding four Jam Sessions there in 2018. The talks will feature speakers from throughout the community as well as members of the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida.
Jam Sessions introduce and educate attendees about the disparities that exist in our community, then give participants the tools to change these inherent problems by inviting them to volunteer for or donate to organizations working in those areas. Jam Sessions are fast-paced presentations where each speaker gets 20 slides at 20 seconds each for a total of 6 minutes, 40 seconds. Five to eight speakers will be featured at each event.
PB&J is also partnering with The Florida Times-Union Editorial Page, which is publishing a story about each topic before the four quarterly events.
If you are interested in applying to speak at the Jam Sessions, please contact dreagan@brunetgarcia.com to receive a short questionnaire.