Press Releases
‘Hopes and Dreams’ Soar at the Academy for Social Action’s 2nd Annual Welcoming Ceremony
CBS Anchor Maurice DuBois to host event Monday, Sept. 29, 6-9 p.m. EDT
09/26/08
NEW YORK — The Academy for Social Action, New York state’s 10th College Board School and Manhattan’s first, will welcome new and returning students with an evening ceremony hosted by Maurice DuBois of CBS News. Featuring a mixture of performances, multimedia presentations and words of inspiration, the second annual welcoming event seeks to encourage students and staff to get excited about the 2008-09 school year.
Scheduled entertainment includes a performance by up-and-coming young duo Anotha Me; keynote speaker Lorraine Monroe of the Lorraine Monroe Leadership Institute and the founding principal of the renowned Frederick Douglass Academy; plus assorted performances by ASA students and staff. Invitations have been sent to the community’s local elected officials and Gov. David Paterson has sent a video statement that is sure to motivate students to excel in their studies. This special assembly takes place on Monday, Sept., 28, at City College Harlem Stage, located at 138 Convent Ave. (West 135th Street and Convent Ave.) at 6 p.m. The event is open to the public and admission is $5, with proceeds going toward funding the ASA College Tour.
“’Hopes and Dreams’ is our theme for this year’s event,” said Crystal Simmons, principal of ASA. “This is an opportunity for us to showcase the school and its hardworking students to the surrounding community. Our hopes and dreams are high at ASA for academic excellence, and the event is sure to spark a passion for learning in our students.”
College Board Schools are public schools for students in grades six to 12 that were developed as the result of a unique partnership with urban school districts and supported with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. College Board Schools are one of two projects developed by the College Board and supported with foundation funding, the other project being the EXCELerator™ Schools reform initiative. Committed to helping all students reach their full academic potential and prepare for success in college, College Board Schools and EXCELerator Schools aim primarily to serve low-income and minority students. The first College Board Schools were opened in 2004, and to date there are 14 schools throughout the metropolitan New York area and in upstate New York. The EXCELerator Schools program, launched in 2006, is currently being implemented in 27 high schools in five large urban districts: Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., and Duval and Hillsborough counties, Fla.
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The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 5,400 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT®, and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns.
CONTACT
Sheila Jamison, The College Board, (212) 713-8167, sjamison@collegeboard.org