In honor of President Lyndon. B. Johnson's War on Poverty Speech given 50 years ago, Ohio University and other local community organizations will be hosting an open conference to discuss and learn about the impact of the War on Poverty in the region. Linda Deeds, Director of Professional Development, and Joe Wakeman, Associate Provost of Curriculum and Instruction, will be participating on the panel.

Four topics will be discussed during this conference including Federal Trio Programs and Financial Aid, the Appalachian Community and Technical Colleges, Ohio University's Impact on Appalachian Ohio and Development of Recommendations for the Future.

Deeds and Wakeman, as well as a faculty member of Washington State Community College, will discuss the opportunities community and technical colleges provide in the war on poverty. Developing concurrently with LBJs war on poverty, community and technical colleges have offered low-cost, open door access for Appalachian residents who lacked the opportunity of higher education. Their presentation will trace the development of two-year colleges, examine their present impact and look at their future potential socioeconomic change.

The conference will take place in McCracken Hall Room 106 at Ohio University on April 4 from 10:30 to 3:30 p.m. A closing session will conclude the conference at 4 p.m. in McCracken Hall Room 214.

The conference is free, but registration is required.  For more information, visit http://lbjsoutheastohio.com/.