U.S. Department of Education to Join CFES in Visit to Exemplary Adirondack Schools

John White, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rural Outreach in the United States Department of Education, and Rick Dalton, President and CEO of College For Every Student, Will Tour Willsboro Central, Crown Point Central and Ticonderoga Middle

ESSEX, N.Y., Sept. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, September 6th, John White, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rural Outreach in the U.S. Department of Education, will join College For Every Student (CFES) President Rick Dalton in visiting three schools -- Willsboro Central, Crown Point, and Ticonderoga Middle -- that have each been recognized by CFES as a "School of Distinction" for their efforts in creating high levels of college awareness and aspirations among their students.

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As part of United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's annual back-to-school bus tour, Mr. White will tour rural schools from New York to Wisconsin. This year's theme is "Education and the Economy: Investing in Our Future."

"Nationally, rural students are least likely to go to college, and many rural areas need more skilled workers and entrepreneurs to revitalize and reinvent their local economies," said Mr. White. "Locally and globally, we must educate our way to a better economy. By increasing access to college and other postsecondary career training opportunities, schools are preparing students to become the next generation of community and industry leaders in the Adirondacks."

The purpose of Mr. White's visit to the Adirondacks is to highlight the need for rural students in New York State to have access to college and career-training opportunities, and to learn more about the success of three Adirondack schools that work with CFES in moving underserved students toward college success.

CFES is a nonprofit organization that prepares underserved students in rural and urban areas for academic success in college. A 2010 report prepared by Edward St. John at the University of Michigan found that CFES gave rural students "a new reality" by helping them "imagine themselves in college because they could understand the options available."

Some of the activities and programs that have earned the Adirondack schools the CFES "School of Distinction" honor include:

Crown Point

• School-wide Teachers as Mentors Program
• Annual CFES College Rally
• Bullying Prevention Program

Ticonderoga

• Cultural Exchange with Hawaii Schools
• College Mentoring Program with Castleton State and Middlebury Colleges
• Community Service Leadership Initiative

Willsboro

• Community Mentoring Program
• College Visit for All Students in Grades 6-11
• "Academy" Approach to Learning for Grades 4-6

"CFES has a rich history working with low-income students in rural communities to help them get on a path to college graduation," said Mr. Dalton. "Over the next five years, we are further committing our expertise and energy to become the country's pre-eminent organization in helping deserving rural youth succeed in college."  

CFES is a nonprofit organization located in Essex, NY, and Cornwall, VT, that has created college-access partnerships with more than 500 schools across the country serving more than 100,000 students. For more information, please visit www.collegefes.org, or call 518-963-4500.

SOURCE College For Every Student