College-prep Middle School Hosts Impressive Career Day

Nov. 14, 2007 - PRLog -- Over 25 professionals from the Chicagoland area will descend on KIPP Ascend Charter School, a college-prep middle school in North Lawndale on Friday, November 16, 2007 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at 715 S Kildare.  “It is critical that we expose our students to real people, just like them, who have successfully completed college and have achieved career success,” says School Leader Jim O’Connor, “it brings the reality of getting to college that much closer.”  Careers represented at the fair include an impressive mix of professionals, such as:  Rev. Phil Hilliard: on the team that installed the computer system used to build the B2 Stealth Bomber, Sateria Venable: the first African-American female graduate of Carnegie Mellon’s School of Architecture, and Marlon Smith: an Investment Banker at Goldman Sachs.  Fifth- through eighth-grade students are spending the week learning about how to dress professionally, ask appropriate questions, and give firm hand-shakes.  Career Day is just one of many “extras” KIPP Ascend students enjoy on a weekly basis.

Founded in 2003, KIPP Ascend Charter School is a free, public, open-enrollment, college-prep middle school serving 320 students in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood.  100 percent of KIPP Ascend’s students are African-American or Hispanic, and 90 percent qualify for the federal free and reduced-priced meals program.  Students spend 70 percent more time in class than traditional public schools, and are subject to high expectations with a relentless focus on results.  KIPP Ascend is proving that the achievement gap can be closed for traditionally underserved students.  

Out of the 463 schools in Chicago with 8th graders that took the ISAT exam, KIPP Ascend was one of eleven schools ranking  first; each reaching 100% achievement in math.  Eight of these schools have selective entrance requirements, while KIPP Ascend’s doors are open to any student.  In addition, KIPP’s composite scores for reading, math, and science were the highest in the 24th Ward and in North Lawndale.  

KIPP Ascend is one of 57 KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) schools serving over 14,000 students nationwide.  While fewer than 20 percent of low-income students typically attend college nationally, KIPP’s national college matriculation rate stands at nearly 80 percent for students who complete the eighth grade at KIPP.  In addition, KIPP alumni have earned over $12 million in college scholarships.  KIPP’s success in raising student achievement in low-income neighborhoods has been heralded by national media moguls such as the Oprah Winfrey Show, 60 Minutes, The New York Times, Washington Post and ABC World News Tonight.

KIPP Ascend gives hope to students traditionally ‘left behind’, by putting in the time, effort, and commitment to help them succeed.  School Leader Jim O’Connor states, “It’s exciting to watch the trajectory of our students’ lives change, as they gain access to the skills needed to qualify for the best educational institutions this nation has to offer.”

# # #

About KIPP Ascend Charter School:  a tuition-free, college preparatory middle school located on Chicago’s West Side. As a charter school, we offer a free, public education to any student, grade 5-8, who chooses to enroll.

Our mission is to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and character traits necessary to succeed in top-quality high schools, universities, and the competitive world beyond.  At KIPP Ascend, students "climb the mountain" to college!

Website: www.kippascend.org