Houston, TX October 13, 2004

16^th Annual Walk for Success Largest in
History of Project GRAD

Melissa Carroll, Director of Public Relations
Project GRAD Houston
Tel. 832-325-0301 Cell 713-253-6953
mcarroll@projectgradhouston.org

Photo Caption: Project GRAD Houston’s 16 th Annual Walk for Success door-to-door campaign familiarizes parents and students with the Project GRAD College Scholarship Program.  (L-R) Gerardo Ibarra, a 9 th grader at Davis High School and his mother, Maria Ibara, sign a contract with Davis High School Principal Diana Mulet, to be eligible for a $4,000 college tuition scholarship by maintaining at least a 2.5 GPA, graduating  in 4 years from a Project GRAD High School, attend ing  summer institutes and meeting  specific school criteria.

Project GRAD Houston (Graduation Really Achieves Dreams) led a Walk for Success into Houston’s inner-city homes to talk directly with parents and students about their child’s plans for the future.

Project GRAD in partnership with Communities In Schools, HISD teachers, and volunteers visited nearly 8,000 homes on Saturday, October 9, 2004. Four thousand volunteers ecouraged parents to commit to activities at home and at school that will lead their children to graduate from high school and to pursue their dreams of attending college.

“Volunteers came out on a Saturday morning ready to make a difference for children enrolled in as many as 53 HISD schools,” says Javier Parra, Manager of Community Projects for Project GRAD Houston. “Volunteers visited about 8,000 homes to have a conversation with parents about forming a partnership with the school, staff, and Project GRAD to create an opportunity for their children to qualify for a college scholarship and to be supportive of their children's education. The conversation takes place in the parents' home on their own terms. This is engaging, powerful, and a positive experience with direct appeal for parent involvement in Project GRAD and Project GRAD schools.”  

The 16 th Annual Walk for Success home visit familiarizes parents with Project GRAD’s innovative pre-k through 16 school community collaborative that works with students in elementary and secondary schools in the Jefferson Davis, Jack Yates, Phillis Wheatley, John Reagan, and Sam Houston High School feeder patterns in HISD. The door-to-door campaign visits 9 th grade homes in five HISD high schools, 6 th grade homes in the middle schools and several grades in the elementary schools.

“My involvement with Project GRAD Houston began as a parent with the Walk for Success. This event offered me the opportunity to meet and talk with parents in the community and to get a feel for their interest in taking an active and involved role in their children’s future,” says Clinton Long, a parent at Foster Elementary in the Yates High School feeder pattern. “I got the chance to deliver some good news to a whole lot of complete strangers. Project GRAD offers the opportunity to get children started in college with a $4,000 scholarship upon graduation from high school and free money is always good news.”

During the home visits, high school parents and students were asked to sign a contract to be eligible for a $4,000 tuition scholarship available when students receive at least a 2.5 GPA, graduate in four years from a Project GRAD high school, attend summer institutes and meet specific school criteria. Middle and elementary school families receive information about Project GRAD academic support programs and the scholarship potential at their feeder high school.

“The scholarship program is the cornerstone of Project GRAD Houston, a nationally recognized education reform effort that partners with public schools to promote academic success throughout an entire high school feeder system,” says Ann Stiles, Senior Director of Academic Programs for Project GRAD Houston.  “Project GRAD also provides funding for social services and parental involvement on each of the elementary, middle, and high school campuses. From this annual walk, we inform parents about the possibility of college. We also learn from parents what information and support they need to make this dream a reality for their children. Parental involvement is crucial!”

Project GRAD Houston was established at Davis High School at a time when the school had an average of 20 students per year going on to college after graduation. Beginning with the Davis High School Class of 1992, Project GRAD Houston has expanded to the Yates, Wheatley, Reagan, and most recently Sam Houston High School feeder pattern. Over the last decade 2,051 students have enrolled in college using the Project GRAD Houston Scholarship.

“After ten years of Project GRAD in our schools, elementary school children and the rest of the entire community are now realizing and believing the dream of going to college can be achieved,” says Alma Lara, principal of Ketelsen Elementary School.

Project GRAD places Houston at the forefront of education reform nationally. The program is being emulated in 11 other cities: Brownsville, TX; Atlanta, GA; Newark, NJ; Los Angeles, CA; Knoxville, TN; Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron, Lorain, OH; Kenai Peninsula, AK; and Roosevelt, NY. Today Project GRAD serves more than 133,000 students in 217 schools in 12 districts.

The success of Project GRAD Houston’s 16 th Annual Walk for Success is made possible by the volunteers from the community and HISD teachers and school staff. Funding for Project GRAD Houston’s 16 th Annual Walk for Success is made possible in part by the generous donations from H-E-B, Houston Chronicle, and Silver Eagle Distributors.