DeAundre Martin, arm bumping Mayor Jerome Prince, after receiving his reward
Awards Day at 21st Century Charter School @ Gary turned into a payday
Contributed By:The 411 News
Students earned more than $10,000 in rewards for taking college and career credits
Gary Mayor Jerome Prince and Ivy Tech Community College Lake County Chancellor Louie Gonzalez were on hand Thursday, July 9 to help distribute gift cards to nearly sixty 21st Century Charter School @ Gary High School students. The gift cards were rewards for student efforts for earning more than 1,000 college and career credits while in high school last year.
The Indianapolis-based GEO Foundation, a sponsor of the school, provided the gift cards to the students which collectively totaled more than $10,000.
“We are really proud of the efforts of 21st Century Charter High School students this past year. The partnership between 21st Century Charter School and Ivy Tech is a shining example of the power of what can happen when two educational organizations work together to benefit students,” said Chancellor Louie Gonzalez.
“The 21st Century Charter School has been an excellent partner in educating our youth and lifting students up to the next level,” said Gary Mayor Jerome Prince.
Two 21st Century Charter High School students entered Ivy Tech’s ASAP program and completed a full associate degree last year—even during the Covid-19 school shut down. ASAP helps high school graduates earn an associate degree in just 11 months and prepares them to transfer to a four-year college to earn their bachelor's degree.
Two other students completed a third year of college credits at IUN, Ivy Tech and Purdue. Three other students completed their associate degrees before graduating from 21st Century Charter High School. Many others completed career certifications programs.
Kevin Teasley, founder of GEO Foundation, said, “Gary students want to go to college and want to earn career certifications. Our students are proving that if schools work hard to remove the barriers to entry—tuition costs, costs of books, transportation and scheduling—that students will indeed succeed at the next level. Our school covers all these costs and our staff provides a lot of support to help these students be successful and grow confident to continue on their college and career journey.”
According to the GEO Foundation, the school’s 2018-19 college and career rating was 72.6%, nearly three times the state target of 25%, and is among the best in NW Indiana.
According to the Indiana Department of Education, the school’s African American students earned a college and career rating of 72.1% compared to 48.9% of their counterparts across the state. In terms of economically disadvantaged students, the school’s students earned a college and career readiness rating of 74.5% compared to the state’s 56.6%.
“Clearly the school and its students are doing something right. We are proud of our relationship with the school and the students and are happy to provide these rewards for their hard earned work at the next level,” Teasley said.
Story Posted:07/10/2020
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