Mark K. Shriver to Speak on Public Service Mar. 16
Embodying the Jesuit value of serving for others, Mark K. Shriver, president of Save the Children Action Network, will discuss his lengthy career in public service when he takes the stage at the Quick Center Open VISIONS Forum on Wednesday, March 16 at 8 p.m. In celebration of the Center for Faith In Public Lifeās (CFPL) 10 year anniversary, Shriver will speak on āFaith and Public Service,ā and will highlight his pursuit of social justice.
Shriver is currently the president of Save the Children Action Network, which strives to provide a fair start for all children in the United States, especially the one-in-five living in poverty. Through partnerships in over 160 schools across the United States, Shriver helped develop Save the Childrenās early childhood education program and revamped its literacy, nutrition and fitness work. These programs have since benefitted more than 70,000 children in 14 states, with studies showing that 64 percent of children showed substantial improvement as a result of participating in the literacy program.
After serving as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1994 to 2002 where he was the first chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Youth and Families, Shriver then spearheaded the Save the Childrenās domestic emergency response programs in 2005. He later led a national coalition that was successful in convincing Congress to create the National Commission on Children and Disasters, which aimed to ensure better protection of children before, during and after major domestic catastrophes. After the Commissionās creation, Senator Majority Harry Reid (D-NV) appointed Shiver to the Commission, and was eventually elected as its first chairperson.
Aside from his work in public service, Shriver, nephew of John F. Kennedy Jr.,, has been featured in The Huffington Post , Time Magazine and Newsweek , and his 2012 memoir, A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father, Sargent Shriver, earned him places on The New York Times ā and The Washington Post ās best-seller lists. In 2013, the memoir received a Christopher Award, which is presented to writers, producers, directors and illustrators whose work is infused with the human spirit.
Shriverās work and more will be discussed at the Open VISIONS Forum and he will be joined on stage by student panelists Jaimee Downes ā18, a Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Network (JUHAN) and Service Learning Student, and Ro-Anne Thomas '17, a JUHAN Student, as well as Professor Jocelyn Boryczka, associate professor and chair of the Politics department and the faculty chair of Service Learning.
āIām very excited to hear Mark Shriver speak and participate in the Open VISIONS Forum panel,ā said Downes. āThe Shriver family really inspires me because they are very involved in giving back to society through there many organizations. I'm really excited to learn about Save the Children and how I can get further involved.ā
Donāt miss an evening with Mark K. Shriver on stage at The Quick on March 16. are $45 for the general public and $5 for ¶¶Ņō»Ęʬapp students.
By Nicole Funaro '17