POSTPONED: Bridging Continents: Empowering Youth and Reawakening Heritage

Nov. 13 update: We regret to inform you that the Africa at Noon talk scheduled for today has been canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. The talk will be rescheduled for a later date. Thank you for your understanding and see you next week.

media release: Every Wednesday at noon — since 1973! — African Studies Program faculty, students, and community members have gathered for AFRICA AT NOON, a one-hour weekly lecture series bringing diverse African research from scholars around the world to a campus and community audience.

You can view available recordings of past Africa at Noon speakers here and on the event page as well. Find the fall 2024 schedule here.

Fall 2024 Zoom link.

Speaker’s Bio

Roxie Hentz  has over 30 years of experience in the education field, including service as a state education consultant, culturally responsive teacher leader, district-wide teacher mentor, university teacher-in-residence, adjunct professor, and classroom teacher. Currently she is the Founding Executive Director of CEOs of Tomorrow, Inc., a non-profit organization offering interdisciplinary and experiential social entrepreneurship education to youth. CEOs of Tomorrow was recently awarded the 2021 Force for Positive Change Award, which recognizes leading businesses in social entrepreneurship as a model for solving social or environmental challenges in a way that is sustainable, just, and generates impactful change in Wisconsin.

Extending her commitment to social entrepreneurship education, she authored It’s My Business: Inspiring Students’ Ideas for a Better Community, a fully developed curriculum resource aligned to academic and entrepreneurship education standards developed for to guide their students in creating their own classroom business for social good. Additionally, in collaboration with a local credit union, she lead in the authoring of Youth Financial Wellness: A Resource Guide for Youth Organizations. This book is designed to help youth service professionals in Madison, Wisconsin incorporate financial education into their programming, particularly those who serve youth who are underserved and lack access to banking resources.

Among her many awards and recognitions for her dedication to urban education and community leadership are the Fulbright Distinguished Teacher Award, MOST (Madison Out-Of-School Time) Outstanding Youth Worker Award, Jammin’ 98.3 Black History Maker Award, V100 Radio’s Positively People, Wisconsin’s Economic Teacher of the Year, and being named one of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Black Leaders. She has been featured in BRAVA Magazine, Wisconsin State Journal, Madison Magazine, Madison365, The Cap Times, Capital City Hue, WisBusiness.com, WMTV– Channel 15 News, and The Morning Show on Botswana Television.

Dr. Hentz is the recent recipient of the internationally-recognized ATHENA Leadership Award established to honor the achievements of exceptional women leaders. Additionally, she was the recipient of YWCA Madison’s Women of Distinction Award, which recognizes women leaders whose community services, professional achievement, integrity, leadership, and dedication to the lives of others and to the quality of life for all reflect YWCA Madison’s mission and values.

Dr. Hentz earned her bachelor’s degree in education, her master’s degree in business administration, and her doctorate degree in education and leadership for the advancement of learning and service.