Clay Aiken
Makes the Rounds in Washington D.C.
Aiken
lobbies on behalf of special needs
children
and the Bubel-Aiken Foundation.
Clay
Aiken ventured to America's capital Tuesday to emphasize his other passion
beyond singing -- education, reports PEOPLE MAGAZINE.
And he was one busy
guy. After a closed-door meeting with officials at the U.S. Department
of Education (including Education Undersecretary Eugene Hickok and Assistant
Secretary for Special Education Bob Pasternack), Aiken said: "Since I've
had to put my own work with special needs kids on hold for now, I am excited
to do what I can to support worthwhile educational efforts, particularly
those which reach kids who might otherwise fall through the cracks."
The 24-year-old
crooner later went up to the Capitol with members of the American Film
Institute to discuss the institute's K-12 Screen Education Center program.
Aiken,who was
completing his studies to become a special education teacher before entering
the AMERICAN IDOL competition and enjoying an astonishing rise to super-stardom,
supports AFI’s efforts to expand the K-12 AFI Screen Education Centerprogram
nationwide. AFI's Screen Education Center empowers teachers to use
filmmaking and media production to engage students in the study of traditional
subject matter, get them excited about what they are learning, and give
them new tools for expressing theirknowledge and understanding. AFI believes
screen literacy—the ability to read and write the language of the screen—is
a core 21st century skill. Joining Aiken on July 29 was AFI Director
and CEO Jean Picker Firstenberg, AFICo-Director and COO James Hindman,
Director of AFI New Media Ventures Nick DeMartino, and Director of AFI
Screen Education Mitch Aiken, a cousin of Clay's. A day long itinerary
included a visit to the US Department of Education and Capitol Hill, a
tour of the WhiteHouse and an evening reception at Morton’s of Chicago
Aiken, in D.C.
as part of the "American Idols Live Tour," stopped in to pay a surprise
visit to his home state senator, Elizabeth Dole (R-North Carolina).
Nicely dressed
in a suit, the lanky Southerner sang "Happy Birthday" to Ms. Dole, who
turned 67. It was the first time the two had met.
As for the concert,
The Washington Post critic adored Aiken, extolling his "epic voice and
flirty ways" and calling him the evening's winner, "if not the show's."
[Elizabeth Dole has said publicly that
she is a big Clay Aiken fan.]
