Thirteen finalists from the Red Oak public housing community will compete in the first Miss Georgia Teen of Excellence Pageant at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 2

The event will be at the Robert Ferst Center for the Arts, Georgia Institute of Technology, 349 Ferst Drive, NW.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the Ferst Center. Proceeds benefit the Georgia Teen of Excellence Scholarship.

The 13 contestants are part of an original group of 30 young female residents, ages 12-17, who spent the past six months in the cosponsors' Miss Georgia Teen of Excellence Program, which provides early intervention to break the cycle of poverty and teen pregnancy. They explored career options, participated in cultural activities and learned life skills in weekly workshops while sharpening the poise and stage presence for the pageant.

The pageant's name and crown will be unveiled officially two days earlier, Thursday, Nov. 30, during a final rehearsal/sneak preview by the cosponsors, the Housing Authority of Fulton County and the Community Opportunity Center Inc. The unveiling is at 7 p.m., at the Fulton County Police Training Center, 4810 Campbell Drive, College Park.

The HAFC manages the Red Oak Housing Community.

---