Web Version
Contact:
Vanessa Ramirez, KIPP (281) 773-2475
Daniel Silva, NCLR
(312) 269-9250
Jackeline Stewart (202) 785-1670
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mar 6, 2008


EDUCATION PROGRAM BUILDS STEPS TO SUCCESS FOR HOUSTON'S LATINO YOUTH

NCLR, PepsiCo Foundation, Shell Oil Company, and KIPP
Launch Escalera Program for Houston’s High School Students

Houston, TX– The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., will join with one of its Affiliates, the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), the PepsiCo Foundation, and the Shell Oil Company to launch the NCLR Escalera Program: Taking Steps to Success – an initiative that encourages and helps Latino youth to graduate from high school, prepare for college, and explore career opportunities. KIPP will be the site of the first NCLR Escalera Program in Houston. The program launch will take place on Thursday, March 13, at KIPP DREAM Prep in Houston beginning at 10:30 a.m.

The pilot for the NCLR Escalera Program was launched in 2002 in Los Angeles with support from the PepsiCo Foundation and PepsiCo Inc. as a strategy to increase the number of Latino students who graduate from high school. The program provides support and services that improve opportunities for Hispanic youth to attend college and attain the skills needed for high-paying jobs. To date, the NCLR Escalera Program has served 181 Latino youth, with 96% graduating from high school and 94% enrolling in college.

MEDIA ADVISORY

WHO: Joseph Miller, Executive Director, KIPP to College; Karen Labat, Diversity Outreach Coordinator, Shell Oil Company; John M. Esquivel, Associate General Counsel, Shell Oil Company; Charles Kamasaki, Executive Vice President, NCLR; Michelle Jordan, Senior Manager, Strategic Community Partnerships, PepsiCo Inc.; and Houston high school students enrolled in Escalera
WHAT: Launch of Escalera: Taking Steps to Success program in Houston to help Latino high school students achieve postsecondary education and expand their opportunities for developing careers in well-paying fields
WHEN: 10:30 a.m., Thursday, March 13, 2008
WHERE: KIPP DREAM Prep Room 210 4610 E. Cross Timbers Houston, TX 77016

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Related
Topics: Education, Employment and Economic Opportunities
Program: NCLR Escalera Program: Taking Steps to Success
 

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