The Indiana University East Office of Multicultural Affairs and School of Education is hosting a presentation series by Brandon Cosby, senior fellow for High School Transformation at the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL), on Thursday, April 10. The Hip-Hop Culture presentation on using hip-hop as a teaching tool will be at 4 p.m. and the presentation on Raising Academic Achievement will be at 6:30 p.m. Dinner is at 5:30 p.m. in the Whitewater Hall lobby. Reservations are due Monday, April 7.

The event is free and open to the public.

“Brandon’s presentations are ideas to consider in reaching our common goal of addressing and enhancing the education of youth in our area,” said Tim Williams, director of Multicultural Affairs.

Cosby is working directly with Indianapolis Public Schools on its conversion of its five comprehensive high schools to 21 small schools. Cosby joined CELL at the University of Indianapolis in June 2004 after serving for nine years in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, where he worked as a principal, assistant principal and high school teacher. Additionally, Cosby travels the country working as an anti-racist activist and educator. A New Castle, Ind. native, Cosby is pursuing his Ed.D. in Education Administration at Oakland City University. He holds an M.A. in Education Administration from Oakland City University and a B.S. in Speech Communication and Theatre Teaching from the University of Indianapolis.

 For reservations or for more information, call Tim Williams, director of Multicultural Affairs, at (765) 973-8320 or call Marilyn Watkins, chair and professor of Education, at 973-211.