[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 48 (Thursday, April 28, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 28, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
             HARAMBEE COMMUNITY SCHOOL IS A NATIONAL MODEL

                                 ______


                         HON. THOMAS M. BARRETT

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 28, 1994

  Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to 
join me in honoring an educational success story in Milwaukee's central 
city. For the past 25 years, Harambee Community School has provided 
thousands of central city youngsters with an academic foundation that 
has allowed them to reach their potential.
  Harambee Community School is a private, nonprofit, parent controlled 
and operated school that first opened its doors in the fall of 1969 to 
offer an environment of respect, responsibility, and discipline. 
Harambee draws its name from a Swahili word that means ``pull 
together''.
  For two and a half decades, the Harambee community has pulled 
together for the children of Milwaukee's central city. The school 
currently serves 395 children from 4-year-old kindergarten through 
eighth grade.
  The Harambee story began in 1968 with the dream of an African-
American-owned school emphasizing the basics through creative 
instructional programs, coupled with a strong cultural foundation. The 
school has survived because of the incredible commitment on the part of 
the school's parents, administrators, and teachers.
  Harambee continuously strives for quality education through a 
flexible, structurally based curriculum where parent input and 
involvement are of the utmost importance. This involvement enhances the 
academic and social excellence of the students by promoting positive 
self-images, goal-setting and high ambitions.
  Harambee students consistently score high above the national average 
in reading and math, and more than 90 percent of its graduates complete 
high school and go on to higher education. Most Harambee graduates 
return to the community to carry on the tradition of the school.
  In the early years, Harambee managed to meet its financial 
obligations in a variety of creative ways. There were car washes, 
coordinated raffle, and BINGO games, and a newspaper, the Harambee 
Shopper, whose profits went to pay the teachers.
  For the past 10 years, Harambee has been on more solid financial 
ground because its corporate board has successfully steered its course. 
The school is now a trusted institution that serves as a beacon of hope 
for Milwaukee's central city youths.
  On its 25th anniversary, Harambee is a national model for educational 
quality, innovation, and commitment in the face of adversity. I ask my 
colleagues to join me in recognizing this fine institution.

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