WHO:    DePaul University School of Education staff who coordinate the GEAR UP program, an outreach project that seeks to inspire and prepare low-income Chicago Public School (CPS) students for college.

WHAT:    Will host two events to recognize the accomplishments of students in its programs:

WHERE, WHEN:   

FRIDAY, JULY 28: A celebration for 80 CPS eighth graders who have successfully completed DePaul’s three-week Summer Academy, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Concourse Level, DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago.

Students will demonstrate what they have learned in skits and other presentations at the event, which will be attended by parents. The goal of the academy is to strengthen academic skills and introduce students to real-world application of knowledge in one of five career areas: visual arts, performing arts, business, health and industrial/engineering. One group of students also focused on improving their English while learning about immigration history and policy in the United States.

SAT., JULY 29: A college scholarship brunch for high school students, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Room 120B, DePaul Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago.

Seven CPS high school graduates involved in GEAR UP will be awarded $4,600 in scholarships to various colleges. The scholarships will be awarded to: Samuel de la Rosa, Magali Sanchez, Freddy Lopez and Omar Martinez from Farragut High School; Lamont Maine Johnson and Jessica Willford from Westinghouse High School; and Fiona Borders from Moses Vines Preparatory Academy.

BACKGROUND: DePaul is one of seven universities in the Chicago Education Alliance, which, in partnership with the CPS, participate in GEAR UP programs (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) through a U.S. Department of Education grant. GEAR UP’s overall goal is to prepare – academically and socially – 10,000 low-income and underrepresented CPS students from 65 schools for college.

CONTACTS: For interviews about DePaul’s GEAR UP programs, contact program director Jeanne Lopez-Valadez at the School of Education: 773/325-4899.

Media interested in covering Friday’s celebration should contact Robin Florzak, DePaul Media Relations: 312/362-8592. Reporters interested in covering the Saturday scholarship brunch should contact Paul Reibman, School of Education, at 773/325-4662 on Friday or 847/306-1570 on Saturday.