Houston, TX January 5, 2005

Houston Hosts Project GRAD USA’s
National Conference

For Immediate Release Contact: Melissa Carroll
Work (832) 325-0301
Cell (713) 253-6953

On January 10 - 12, 2005, Project GRAD USA will host its 4th Annual Conference at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Houston. Project GRAD representatives from around the country will gather to strategize plans for the future and share best practices on how students have been positively impacted by the education initiative.   Opening ceremony speaker for the conference is Abe Saavedra, Superintendent of Schools for the Houston Independent School District.

A new book documenting Project GRAD’s education initiatives in Houston Whatever It Takes: Transforming American Schools, The Project GRAD Story by Holly Holland (Teachers College Press: Columbia University) will be launched at the conference to more than 200 participants, educators, and community leaders locally as well as nationally. 

Attendees will meet for three days and participate in workshops and visit the following Project GRAD Houston schools:  Atherton Elementary, Burbank Middle School, Burrus Elementary, Cullen Middle School, Davis High School, Foster Elementary, Helms Community Learning Center, Henderson Elementary, Ketelsen Elementary, Lockhart Elementary, Marshall Middle School, C. Martinez Elementary, Pugh Elementary, Sherman Elementary, and Yates High School.

“We are excited that Houston is the host site for the Project GRAD National Conference,” says Roy Hughes Executive Director of Project GRAD Houston.  “It is important for Project GRAD cities to come together and share what is working at other sites and strategize how to best address the needs of economically disadvantaged students throughout the nation."

For more information about Project GRAD USA’s National Conference or the Whatever It Takes, Transforming American Schools, The Project GRAD Story, please contact Melissa Carroll, Director of Public Relations, Project GRAD Houston at (832) 325-0301.

Project GRAD is a nonprofit pre-k through16 school reform model helping students, teachers, and families in twelve school districts across the country. The mission of the program is to ensure a quality public education for all children in economically disadvantaged communities so that high school graduation rates increase and graduates are prepared to enter and be successful in college.

  Project GRAD which began with Houston’s Davis High School now serves 133,000 students nationally in 217 schools in Akron, Atlanta, Brownsville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Kenai Peninsula, Knoxville, Lorain, Los Angeles, Newark, and Roosevelt, New York. For more information about Project GRAD Houston, please visit www.projectgradhouston.org.