[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 93 (Monday, June 21, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CONGRATULATING THE STUDENTS OF URBAN PREP ACADEMY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 21, 2010

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, today, I wish to congratulate 
the young men of the Urban Prep Charter Academy of Englewood class of 
2010. As a result of the dedication these students have shown to their 
education, they have made a rousing achievement. The student body of 
this institution is 100 percent male, 100 percent African American, and 
85 percent from low income families. Moreover, every single member of 
the Urban Prep Academy class of 2010 was admitted into a 4-year college 
or university. Together, these young men have earned nearly $4 million 
in scholarships and grants. The achievement of these 107 individuals 
stands not only as a testament to their efforts, but also as evidence 
of the commitment of the educators who prepared them for college and 
who encouraged them to succeed. Too often, schools that have high 
percentages of minority students who are low-income make the news for 
failure. I am proud to recognize the achievement and success of these 
young men from Chicago.
  I also wish to recognize the contributions made to the Chicago 
Community by Urban Prep Academies--the non-profit organization that 
operates the three Urban Prep schools in Englewood, East Garfield Park, 
and the South Shore. Urban Prep Academies was founded in 2002 by a 
group of African-American leaders from the Chicago civic, business, and 
education communities. Their efforts were organized by Tim King, whose 
vision for a school that prepares male urban youth for success in 
college serves as the foundation of the three Urban Prep Academies. The 
Englewood site was the Nation's first charter public high school for 
boys, and the class of 2010 is the first graduating class of the three 
academies. The success of Urban Prep has been highlighted in over 140 
media outlets including the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, ABC 
News, and many others. The intuition can take much pride in the 
achievements of the class of 2010.
  It is no secret that the American public education system is 
struggling with meeting the educational challenges facing minority men. 
Schools in low-income areas with large percentages of minority families 
are often plagued by underfunding and high dropout rates. Nationally, 
only 48 percent of black men graduate high school. In Chicago, the 
graduation rate for black men is only 30.8 percent. A 2006 study by the 
University of Chicago further revealed that only 2.5 percent of African 
American boys from Chicago Public Schools successfully graduate from a 
four-year institution. This is unacceptable. The Urban Prep Academy was 
designed to address this injustice. The Urban Prep Academy was designed 
to focus on the needs of minority men, to provide them a high quality 
education, to support their educational success through mentors, and to 
create an educated citizenry that reflects the diversity of our nation. 
I rise today with this story of strength from the Urban Prep Academy, 
which provides an example of how to help minority men achieve. The 
achievements of the class of 2010 not only demonstrate the ability of 
African-American males, but they also stand as an inspiration to all 
the urban youth of America. I offer my hearty congratulations, and I 
wish the graduates much success as they begin their college careers.

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