St. Petersburg College's Dr. Johnnie Ruth Clarke (JRC) Chapter is an official body of the National Council on Black American Affairs (NCBAA), an affiliate council of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The chapter was founded in 1999, and received an NCBAA Southern Region Charter in October 2000.
Our chapter is one of the largest in the Southern Region of the NCBAA (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia).
We work to implement the mission and goals of the NCBAA, and to help St. Petersburg College achieve its goals, especially those related to student retention and success. Our chapter is open to all St. Petersburg College employees who subscribe to the mission and goals of the NCBAA. The highlight of our activities is the Dr. Johnnie Ruth Clarke scholars program.
What we do
St. Petersburg College established the Dr. Johnnie Ruth Clarke scholarship to honor Dr. Clarke and her commitment to student success and the community. As a result our chapter focuses on three areas of commitment: scholar engagement and success, community activities and professional engagement.
Scholar engagement and success
Our goal is to support the retention and academic achievement of Dr. Johnnie Ruth Clarke scholarship recipients. We encourage student success by sponsoring a yearly scholarship award ceremony and regular mentoring sessions on each campus for scholarship recipients.
Community activities
We continue Dr. Clarke's commitment to the community by participating in Pinellas County community events and working with community organizations. Throughout the year we take part in community events such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, African-American Heritage Festival, and holiday giving drives. We are also regular participants in Habitat for Humanity building activities.
Professional engagement
Chapter members are encouraged to participate in a number of networking and leadership development opportunities at St. Petersburg College, AACC, and in the community. Leadership development opportunities are also provided through the Thomas Lakin Institute for Mentored Leadership and the NCBAA Leadership Development Institute.
In addition, members plan and participate in Dr. Mac J. Williams Academic Excellence Awards ceremonies, African-American History Month, and mentoring scholarship students.