CFES to Appear on LIVE National PBS Broadcast

College For Every Student (CFES) to Participate in

“American Graduate Day 2013,” Live National Multiplatform Event to Keep Students on the Path to Graduation

Premieres September 28 on Public Television

Featuring local and national programming, community partners, and celebrities focused on solutions to the nation’s high school dropout crisis

Broadcast to Showcase CFES Efforts to Address the Needs of At-Risk Kids

College For Every Student (CFES) based in Essex, NY is one of 30 national partner organizations that has been selected to participate in the LIVE broadcast of American Graduate Day 2013 this Saturday, September 28 from 12 noon- 7 pm EST on public media (check local PBS station listings). This broadcast is part of a long-term commitment to helping communities tackle the nation’s dropout crisis and preparing students for success with a high school diploma. Through the power and reach of public media, viewers will be invited to take an active role and become an “American Graduate Champion” for local youth by volunteering their time, talent, or other resources.

“CFES is honored to be part of this national initiative,” said CFES President & CEO Rick Dalton. “American Graduate Day 2013 gives organizations like ours the opportunity to speak to a national audience about the work we do and the students we serve.”

CFES is the only national non-profit organization that works with both urban and rural schools. Currently, CFES serves 20,000 low-income students (CFES Scholars) in 200 schools across the country. A recent study by researchers from the University of Michigan found strong evidence that the CFES core practices –Leadership Through Service, Mentoring, and Pathways to College—had a substantial impact on college-going attitudes of underserved students.

About This American Graduate Day Event

American Graduate Day 2013 will broadcast and stream live from the Tisch WNET Studios at Lincoln Center in New York City. American Graduate Day is part of the public media initiative, American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

“American Graduate through America’s public media stations, on air, online and in hundreds of communities is working in partnership with teachers, students, educators, business and community leaders to encourage, in measureable ways, our kids to stay on the path to a high school diploma,” said Pat Harrison, CPB president and CEO. “Together with our 1000 local and national partners, we are having an impact and moving toward the national goal of a 90 percent graduation rate by the year 2020. American Graduate Day is just one example of how local public television and radio stations provide content that matters and engagement that counts.”

American Graduate Day is a multi-platform event featuring local and national programming, community partners, and celebrities focused on improving the high school graduation rates in America. The key component of the event is the participation of the community-based organizations.

CFES Representation

“For the last two months, we’ve been working with American Graduate Day Producers to create a video that showcases CFES and how our three core practices-Leadership Through Service, Mentoring, and Pathways to College-has proven effective in getting at-risk students through high school and accessing college,” said Dalton.

Three guests will represent CFES – Angel Acosta will talk about his journey, from troubled inner-city kid to Student Body President of SUNY Plattsburgh, and now CFES Program Director; Jeremy Watson, CFES School Liaison, will talk about how CFES operates at Richard R. Green High School of Teaching and the impact the program has had on his students; and Melissa Garcia Velez, Former CFES Scholar, now a Senior at Lehman College in New York City, will talk about the self-confidence she built through CFES and why she’s giving back. Celebrity Host, Maria Hinojosa is scheduled to introduce CFES and interview guests at 6:30 p.m. during the seven-hour LIVE broadcast on September 28.

Throughout the day, viewers and online users will be invited to become American Graduate Champions by connecting with their local public television station and with CFES. Viewers will be encouraged to participate in the event by asking questions and sharing ideas before and during the broadcast on Twitter using the hashtag #AmGrad and on Facebook. Those interested in becoming an “American Graduate Champion” can also call the Toll free number on the day of broadcast or log on to AmericanGraduate.org to find out more about the national and regional organizations and how to help in their hometowns.

Visit the American Graduate Day website (http://americangraduate.org/grad-day) for more details on participating PBS and NPR stations as well as other television and radio programs.

About WNET

In 2013, WNET is celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of THIRTEEN, New York’s flagship public media provider. As the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week.

About AMERICAN GRADUATE

American Graduate: Let’s Make it Happen is helping local communities identify and implement solutions to the high school dropout crisis. American Graduate demonstrates public media’s commitment to education and its deep roots in every community it serves.

About CPB

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,300 locally-owned and -operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television and related online services.

College For Every Student Welcomes Two New Employees (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
25 Schools Receive CFES “Schools of Distinction” Honor (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Chinese Artist Yin Zhong Helps Raise Funds for CFES (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Fort Ticonderoga Receives Prestigious Education Grant (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Lake Champlain Yoga & Wellness Opens October 1 (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

About CFES Brilliant Pathways

CFES Brilliant Pathways is a global leader in helping K-12 underserved students from rural and urban communities become college and career ready, giving students an opportunity to forge their own route to a bright future. For 29 years, CFES has worked closely with schools, colleges and businesses in urban and rural areas to help students become college and career ready through mentoring and by equipping them with the EssentialSkills that include perseverance, agility, goal setting, networking, teamwork and leadership (www.brilliantpathways.org)