Horatio Alger Association Hosts Inaugural American Enterprise Summit for Rising Eighth Graders

Inaugural four-day event will convene nearly 100 students from low-income communities across the country to learn about democracy, freedom and the American Dream

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization that honors the achievements of outstanding individuals who have overcome adversity and support promising young people by providing higher education scholarships, today announced the dates for its first American Enterprise Summit for rising eighth-grade students. The four-day program will offer students and their teachers an opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. from July 8-11, 2024, where they will engage with their peers from across the U.S. and learn how the values defined in the founding of America continue to shape the ideals of its citizens in their pursuit of the American Dream.

In partnership with Close Up, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, civic education organization that empowers young people to become active citizens, the Horatio Alger Association's American Enterprise Summit will engage students in a series of workshops on education, civic engagement and the free enterprise system, as well as tour Capitol Hill, the National Archives, the Lincoln Memorial and other historic sites. Middle school students will hear from and connect with Association Members who have triumphed over adversity: ocean explorer Robert D. Ballard, civil rights leader Robert J. Brown and entrepreneur Linda D. Rabbitt. With a curriculum designed around experiential learning in the nation's capital, the American Enterprise Summit is a unique program intended to enhance rising eighth graders knowledge and skillsets and inspire them to pursue their American Dream.

"Eighth grade is a pivotal year for young Americans as they ready themselves for high school and start having important conversations about college and beyond," said James F. Dicke, chairman, Horatio Alger Association and 2015 Horatio Alger Award recipient. "It's a big transition for students, and we recognize that. That's why we've created an impactful four-day summit that will prepare them to become future leaders who can identify, meet and conquer the multifaceted challenges of the 21^st-century."

To be eligible for the American Enterprise Summit, rising eighth-grade students from low-income communities must be nominated by a current teacher at their school. Nominees then must complete the program application form and attend a pre-program meeting with a parent or guardian and teacher.

Nominations for the American Enterprise Summit are closed. For additional details, visit https://www.closeup.org/horatio-alger-association-american-enterprise-summit-for-middle-school-scholars/. For more information about Horatio Alger Association, follow the organization on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans: 
Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. is dedicated to the simple but powerful belief that hard work, honesty and determination can conquer all obstacles. The Association honors the achievements of outstanding leaders who have accomplished remarkable successes in spite of adversity by bestowing upon them the Horatio Alger Award and inducting them as lifetime Members. Horatio Alger Members support promising young people with the resources and confidence needed to overcome adversity in pursuit of their dreams through higher education. Through the generosity of its Members and friends, in 2024, the Association is awarding more than $18 million in undergraduate and graduate need-based scholarships to 1,800 students across the United States and Canada, and continuing to provide comprehensive academic, personal, and professional support services to its Scholars. Over the past 40 years, more than $265 million has been awarded in undergraduate, graduate, military veteran and career and technical education scholarships to more than 37,000 deserving students. For more information, please visit www.horatioalger.org.

CONTACT:
Carly Colombo 
[email protected]

SOURCE Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc.