Date: Sept. 13, 2010
Contact: Carol Connelly, Director, Media & Communication Services, ext. 5267, cconnelly@pnc.edu

October 3 Sinai Forum Features Bill Strickland

Bill Strickland appears at the Sinai Forum on October 3 at 3:00 pm

The 57th season of the Purdue University North Central Sinai Forum will present “Make the Impossible Possible” with speaker Bill Strickland on Oct. 3 at 3 p.m. in the Elston Middle School Auditorium. The program is sponsored by the Duneland Health Council.

Strickland is one of today's most innovative social enterprise thinkers. His mission is to encourage others to dream bigger, push harder and achieve the extraordinary. He knows this is possible because he's done it himself. He was a child in Pittsburgh's ghetto when a teacher took the time to encourage him in an arts program and changed his life forever.

He presents a portrait of passion, challenge and triumph. His story is told in his book, “Make the Impossible Possible.”

Today, He is president and CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corp., an inner-city Pittsburgh program featuring arts activities for youngsters and job-training for adults. He believes that setting high expectations helps motivate people to achieve those expectations. Parents of children enrolled in his program say the youngsters attend school more regularly and their grades go up.

Strickland has lectured at Harvard University, is CEO of the nation's largest jazz subscription service, earned the MacArthur Foundation Genius Award and is a National Endowment for the Arts board member.

A book signing will follow Strickland's talk.

Forum subscription tickets are $75 for regular tickets, $125 for donor tickets and $150 for patron tickets. Any student with a valid ID will be admitted free.

Subscription tickets may be purchased in person at the door. For more information visit the Forum's website at www.sinaiforum.org.