SACRAMENTO – NBA all-time leading scorer, New York Times best-selling author and California’s After School STEM Ambassador Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will discuss the importance of STEM – science, technology, engineering and math -  education with parents, educators and administrators at the 114th California State PTA Annual Convention in San Jose on Friday, May 3.

“Kareem is an inspirational leader and a passionate advocate for health and education, and we’re thrilled to have him take part in our annual convention,” said California State PTA President Carol Kocivar.

In 2012, Abdul-Jabbar was named California’s After School STEM Ambassador by California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. 

“PTA believes every child should have access to a quality education in science, technology, engineering and math as well as the arts,” continued Kocivar. “Parents and educators, in particular, need greater awareness about how important it is for students to advance their proficiency levels and become highly skilled in STEM fields.”

As the state’s largest parent-engagement event, thousands of parents, educators, administrators and advocates from across the state will converge in San Jose on May 2-5 for the annual convention to tackle key issues affecting California students such as school funding, Common Core Standards, family engagement, STEM and arts education, summer learning loss, campus safety, bullying prevention, healthy lifestyles and more.

With nearly 900,000 members throughout the state, PTA connects families and schools by advocating for the health, safety and education of all children. Additionally, as school districts continue to face major budget cuts, PTAs in every community are playing a more vital role than ever in helping schools keep or bring back programs that help enrich their student’s educational experience.

For more information about the 2013 California State PTA Annual Convention, visit www.capta.org. You can also get the latest convention news and updates by following @CAPTAConvention on Twitter, and liking the California State PTA on Facebook.

To learn more about the importance of STEM education and California State PTA’s resolution, visit http://www.capta.org/sections/programs/e-stem.cfm.

About California State PTA
The California State PTA has nearly 900,000 members throughout the state working on behalf of public schools, children and families, with the motto, “every child, one voice.” The PTA is the nation’s oldest, largest and highest profile volunteer association working to improve the education, health and welfare of all children and youth. The PTA also advocates at national, state and local levels for education and family issues. The PTA is nonprofit, nonsectarian and noncommercial. For more information: www.capta.org.

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Hear from exciting and powerful keynote speakers and special guests during the annual convention in all our action-packed general meetings including:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer, New York Times Best-Selling Author and Community Activist

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a global icon that changed the game of professional basketball and went on to become a New York Times best-selling author, award-winning filmmaker and ambassador of education. As one of the NBA’s all-time greatest players, the 7-foot-2 Hall of Fame center, famous for his indefensible skyhook, dominated the NBA for 20 years and is the NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer.

In 2012, Abdul-Jabbar was named California’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Afterschool Ambassador by California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. He is an inspirational leader and passionate advocate for health.

In addition to serving as a columnist for ESPN and Huffington Post, Abdul-Jabbar has written seven New York Times best-sellers including the children’s book, What Color is My World, which earned him two 2013 NAACP Image Awards. (more…)

Bruce Lipsky/The Times-Union
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hands an autographed copy of his book “What Color is My World” to Courtney Marsh, 12, on Monday at Wolfson Children’s Hospital.

By Garry Smits for The Florida Times-Union

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played professional basketball for 20 years and retired after the 1988-89 season as the NBA’s career scoring leader, a six-time MVP and member of six championship teams.

In recent years, he’s turned a corner in his life: he’s been an author, philanthropist, motivational speaker and actor for at least two years longer than he played basketball.

“It took me two or three years to find something to do,” Abdul-Jabbar said on Monday during a news conference at the Wolfson Children’s Hospital, before speaking at the Times-Union Center as part of the Florida Forum, sponsored by the Women’s Board at Wolfson. “I was in my early 40s. What do you do at that point? I figured it out and it’s been a lot of fun.”

Abdul-Jabbar also visited children at Wolfson and gave them autographed copies of one of his childrens’ books, “What Color is My World?”

He said speaking on behalf of the Women’s Board of Wolfson was “special to my family,” because his son recently graduated from medical school and has begun his residency in pediatrics.

“I’m very happy to give support for what the Women’s Board is trying to get done,” he said. “[The speaking engagement] was a good fit.”

Abdul-Jabbar, who turns 66 next month, has led a full and varied a life. He speaks around 100 times per year, ranging from corporate meetings to charity organizations. His seventh book is due to be published soon (a children’s book). He was named a U.S. Cultural Ambassador by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2012.

And, he created the Skyhook Foundation, named for his go-to shot when he starred for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers after leading UCLA to three NCAA national championships. The mission of the Skyhook Foundation is to connect at-need students with mentors to motivate them to pursue careers other than in sports or entertainment.

“I was fortunate to have been mentored while I was still in high school and knew what I wanted to do with my life,” he said. “A lot of kids don’t have that opportunity. [Skyhook] gives them some choices to make that are positive. Too many kids have a limited idea on what their potential is.”

Abdul-Jabbar doesn’t take everything serious. Next week, he will begin filming an ABC reality show, “Splash,” in which celebrities train and compete in platform and springboard diving. Among the other celebrities are Detroit Lions player Ndamukong Suh, comedian Louis Anderson, actress Keisha Knight Pulliam, former Playboy centerfold Kendra Wilkinson and Katherine Webb.

The tallest of the celebrities training for the show said he’s doing it as one more challenge.

“I’ve already broken a toe,” he said. “It feels like I might break my arm every other day. It’s about overcoming fear and showing people that at any age, you can be fit and healthy and learn things.”

Abdul-Jabbar said he doesn’t follow the NBA enough to offer an opinion on his former team this season. But he said the franchise and the NBA lost one of the all-time great owners in Jerry Buss, who died last week at the age of 80.

“The thing that makes the best owner is the fact that they understand how to delegate authority and power to the people who know what they’re doing,” he said. “With the Lakers, we had Jerry West [coach and general manager], Bill Sharman [team president] and Pete Newell [who was the Lakers’ GM who traded for Abdul-Jabbar in 1975], three really great basketball minds. Dr. Buss gave them the power to make the decisions. He didn’t second-guess them and that was the reason we were so successful.”