A high school that works
Happy new year!
Soooo . . . do you have any major resolutions for 2006?
Me, I plan on doing a significant amount of pro bono work for Notre Dame High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts, one of a network of schools in the Cristo Rey Network.
The Lawrence school is just two years old, but like all Cristo Rey schools, it offers an outstanding academic curriculum with a special twist -- the students pay for their tuition by working one day each week in a corporate office or other white-collar setting.
From the 60 Minutes spot I saw about the original Cristo Rey school in Chicago, the work program developed out of necessity, as a way to cover costs. (The schools are exclusively for families who cannot afford private school tuition).
But the work program has proven to be as constructive a part of the students' education as the classes themselves. For kids from poor neighborhoods, the barriers to upward mobility are more about social/cultural unfamiliarity -- being strangers in a strange land -- than intellectual capability. The work program shatters these barriers.
I've offered to teach students, faculty and administrators about marketing communications and copywriting. They've also asked me to help with development -- that is, raising money.
In coming weeks and months, I'll post blogs about what we're doing: what we're trying; what works; what doesn't; what we learn. I earnestly hope you'll reply with comments, suggestions and ideas of your own.
What would you do to raise money for a great school with terrific kids?
Soooo . . . do you have any major resolutions for 2006?
Me, I plan on doing a significant amount of pro bono work for Notre Dame High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts, one of a network of schools in the Cristo Rey Network.
The Lawrence school is just two years old, but like all Cristo Rey schools, it offers an outstanding academic curriculum with a special twist -- the students pay for their tuition by working one day each week in a corporate office or other white-collar setting.
From the 60 Minutes spot I saw about the original Cristo Rey school in Chicago, the work program developed out of necessity, as a way to cover costs. (The schools are exclusively for families who cannot afford private school tuition).
But the work program has proven to be as constructive a part of the students' education as the classes themselves. For kids from poor neighborhoods, the barriers to upward mobility are more about social/cultural unfamiliarity -- being strangers in a strange land -- than intellectual capability. The work program shatters these barriers.
I've offered to teach students, faculty and administrators about marketing communications and copywriting. They've also asked me to help with development -- that is, raising money.
In coming weeks and months, I'll post blogs about what we're doing: what we're trying; what works; what doesn't; what we learn. I earnestly hope you'll reply with comments, suggestions and ideas of your own.
What would you do to raise money for a great school with terrific kids?
3 Comments:
This sounds like a great New Year's Resolution! The Cristo Rey project has promise. The most important thing is raising awareness, and pinpointing interested donors. Because the schools focus on providing education and white collar experience for inner city minorities, I think you could get some major partners from corporate america. Get these schools on tv, in the newspaper, and doing some high profile projects with corporate sponsorship - bike-a-thon, a concert, whatever. Get media coverage of the event, then continue to solicit those organizations. For great ideas check out Jeff Crilley's book Free Publicity. His web site is www.jeffcrilley.com.
Thank you, Carrie -- excellent ideas!
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