“I am honored to be recognized by ITEP on a night when we will celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of some of our best and brightest local high school students,” said 4th District Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe
Los Angeles, CA —International Trade Education Programs (ITEP) will honor 4th District Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe at its 11th Annual Scholarship Dinner, “Visualizing Tomorrow,” to be held at the World Cruise Center, Berth 93, Port of Los Angeles, San Pedro, CA on March 23rd. The event also recognizes outstanding high school students from eight ITEP academies where students are introduced to careers in international trade, transportation and logistics.
“We are thrilled to honor Supervisor Knabe and recognize his long-standing support of ITEP as an organization,” said CEO Amy Grat, of ITEP in announcing Supervisor Knabe’s selection for the “Keeper of the Flame” Award.”
“He has a passion and commitment to jobs and education for the region, and his stalwart leadership of the communities in his district.”
Previous honorees have included both industry and civic leaders, including Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, former Port of Long Beach Commissioner Jim Hankla, and CEO of Nautilus International Holding Corporation James Callahan.
“In a time of declining budgets and expanding needs, high schools are challenged to produce a strong class of graduates with the skill sets needed to fill future job openings in the transportation and logistics industries,” explained Grat. “They’re disconnected from international trade – and that’s where ITEP steps in.”
ITEP produces job-ready, college-prepared high school graduates by offering the financial, social and intellectual resources of trade, transportation and logistics industries to create career-focused learning academies in economically disadvantaged areas.
“I am honored to be recognized by ITEP on a night when we will celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of some of our best and brightest local high school students,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe. “In these challenging economic times, ITEP’s work is so critical, that we must train and prepare our young people for the important jobs that will fuel our region’s growth in the decades ahead.”
Scholarships are the main highlight of the evening. American President Lines (APL), part of The NOL Group, has donated $40,000 in scholarships to be allocated among each of the ITEP Academies. Scholarships from Sempra and the Foreign Trade Association, along with ITEP monies, will be awarded to deserving students throughout the evening including the announcement of the “180 Degree Award,” the “Rising Star Award” and “Teacher of the Year.”
“Through the work at our eight high school academies, ITEP helps meet the needs of the international trade community while providing exceptional opportunities to ITEP graduates,” said Tom Good, director of Sales and Marketing Southwest Region for Matson Navigation Company and this year’s chairman of the ITEP Scholarship Dinner.
The sponsors and guests will have a chance to meet and network with the students as they showcase their academy’s accomplishments. The Global Business Academy at Carson High School is the “Host” academy and will prepare the décor for the evening’s festivities. The entire meal will be prepared and served by the students of the MATCH Academy from Banning High School.
Launched 11 years ago as a nonprofit educational organization, ITEP’s vision is to introduce high school students to careers in international trade, transportation and logistics. ITEP believes it is important to unite business leaders, educators and parents to prepare students for a meaningful place in the world of tomorrow. ITEP is concentrating its efforts on three critical problems – the alarming high school dropout rate, and scarcity of skilled entry-level workers for trade-related jobs, and high school students with little or no awareness of global issues. For More about ITEP visit www.itepinc.org. For updates visit the ITEP blog: http://itepinc.org.
The eight ITEP Academies are: Banning High School’s International Trade Academy (ITA), Global Environmental Sciences Academy (GESA), Global Safety and Security Academy (GSS), and the Maritime, Agriculture, Tourism, Cuisine & Hospitality Academy (MATCH), Barstow High School’s Mojave XP Logistics Academy, Carson High School’s Global Business Academy (GBAC), Gardena High School’s Global Leadership Academy (GGLA), and San Pedro High School’s Earth Alert Academy (SPEA).
Sponsorship and Ticket Information
Table sponsorships and tickets are available. All dinner guests must be pre-registered before March 1, 2011. Call 818/249-6281 or visit www.itepinc.org for details. Tickets will not be sold on-site.