Say Yes to Education informational neighborhood ‘Spring Tour’ kicks off Monday, April 27

Friday, April 24, 2009, By News Staff

Say Yes to Education informational neighborhood ‘Spring Tour’ kicks off Monday, April 27April 24, 2009Jemeli Tanuijetanui@syr.edu

Say Yes to Education officials will host four informational town hall-style meetings over the next few weeks to help explain the benefits of the nationally acclaimed program to Syracuse area residents, parents, educators and students.

The first public meeting takes place Monday, April 27, at 6 p.m. at Danforth Middle School, 309 W. Brighton Ave., Syracuse.

The Say Yes “Spring Tour” offers news of this exciting educational program that provides support for Syracuse City School District (SCSD) students from kindergarten through high school, with the promise of free college tuition for all SCSD pupils who graduate successfully.

“This spring tour provides a forum for parents and students to ask questions and be better informed about the quality components of Say Yes, as well as learn how this program has the potential to transform our students’ lives,” says Rachael Gazdick, executive director of the Syracuse chapter of the Say Yes to Education initiative. “We also want families in the city school district to know that if their children have qualified to go to college, finances should not deter those hopes and dreams.”

The Spring Tour will offer families a chance to learn details of the Say Yes program, such as eligibility for the current class of graduating seniors. To qualify for Say Yes college support, graduating seniors must meet college entry requirements, apply and be accepted into their desired school, be residents of Syracuse, and have attended district schools from at least the 10th-12th grade.

Syracuse University and the Syracuse City School District worked collaboratively to develop this unprecedented chapter of Say Yes, launched last year. Syracuse’s program is the first district-wide approach and reaches more than 20,000 pupils. Other Say Yes chapters have worked only within select schools and classes.

At the heart of this pioneering program are two core components: 1) a K-12 comprehensive support program aligned with the key barriers to college access and 2) the promise of free tuition, fees and books for all participants.

Any Syracuse City School District student is eligible to participate in the Say Yes program as long as he/she completes high school and meets college entrance requirements. Twenty-three visionary colleges and universities in the Northeast and the SUNY-CUNY system have already committed their support to the Syracuse Say Yes project with the offer of free college tuition. Funding for the tuition comes from a combination of public and private partnerships.

Say Yes Spring Tour Schedule:

Monday, April 27: Danforth Middle School (309 W. Brighton Ave.)

Thursday, May 14: Hamilton Street Boys & Girls Club (210 Hamilton St.)

Wednesday, May 27: Huntington Middle School (400 Sunnycrest Road)

Wednesday, June 10: Ed Smith School (1106 Lancaster Ave.)

All sessions are from 6-7:30 pm. Doors open at 5:30. Families are welcome. Free refreshments, music and fun provided.

About Say Yes to EducationSay Yes to Education Inc. is a national nonprofit foundation committed to dramatically increasing high school and college graduation rates for urban youth. For more than 20 years, Say Yes has provided comprehensive support, including the promise of a full college or vocational education, and a host of other educational, social and health care resources to enable every child in the program to achieve his or her potential.

The cornerstone of the Say Yes to Education program is the commitment of college scholarships to eligible students. The promise of college financial assistance is supported with a wide range of services beginning when a child enters kindergarten and continues through high school and beyond. Say Yes includes after-school and summer programming, mentoring, tutoring, school-day academic support and family outreach. Say Yes has worked with hundreds of students in Cambridge, Mass.; Philadelphia; Hartford, Conn.; New York City and Syracuse during the past 20 years.

For more information on the Say Yes to Education Syracuse program visit http://www.sayyessyracuse.com or call 435-6379.