FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 6, 2012

FOR ASSIGNMENT: Friday, June 8, 2012, 6 p.m.

Contact: Brice Freeman, Communications, 410-396-1910, bfreeman@oedworks.com

Seventy-Five Baltimore City Students to Graduate from the Academy for College and Career Exploration June 8 Congressman Elijah Cummings to speak at ceremony at Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, Maryland (June 6, 2011) – Seventy-five Baltimore City students will graduate this Friday, June 8, from the Academy for College and Career Exploration (ACCE). The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings, Congressional Representative, 7th District, will attend the ceremony and address the graduates. Fifty-eight students who earned more than 100 service learning hours during their high school career will also receive special recognition. With 993 service learning hours, graduating senior Desirae Harvey earned the most in the class. She and other seniors who earned more than 100 hours will wear gold star stoles with their caps and gowns. WHEN: Friday, June 8, 2012, 6 p.m. WHERE: Shriver Hall Auditorium, Johns Hopkins University, Homewood Campus, Baltimore, MD 212280 BACKGROUND: ACCE is a public city school uniquely focused on preparing students for the workforce and post-secondary education. The Baltimore City school system operates ACCE in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) and the Johns Hopkins University’s Institute for Policy Studies. This graduating class will be ACCE’s fifth since it opened to ninth graders in 2004. September 2010 marked the school’s first year as a transformation school with the addition of a middle school division called ACCE Prep. ACCE Prep started with a small class of sixth-grade students; by 2014, enrollment will include grades six through 12. ACCE is a "non-criteria" school, meaning admission is open to all students with no regard to grades, attendance or prior school performance. The teaching staff at ACCE has a track record for successfully working with students to ensure they perform at grade level and are prepared for the next step in their education. Since the school’s first graduation in 2008, an average graduation rate of 80 percent has been maintained, and 100 percent of ACCE students apply for and are accepted into twoor four-year colleges. In 2012, several students from ACCE’s first graduating class will receive their four-year undergraduate degrees. Class of 2012 ACCE graduates have been accepted to Drexel University, Hampton University, Morgan State University, Towson University and University of Pittsburgh, among other schools. With a student body of 548, ACCE is smaller than many other city schools, which allows for class sizes to average 18 students and ensures personal attention and support for each student. A staff of 55 advocates, mentors, and teachers connects students with opportunities to explore post-secondary education and career paths. Throughout the year, in every grade level, ACCE students are exposed to a wide range of work-based learning through internships, job shadowing and summer jobs. ACCE is located at 1300 W. 36th Street in the Hampden community. For additional information, visit www.accebaltimore.com. ### In fiscal year 2011, the Mayor's Office of Employment Development hosted more than 139,000 visits from city residents at our one-stop career centers, facilitated nearly 19,000 computer literacy training sessions at our Digital Learning Labs, and placed close to 2,700 individuals in jobs. We connected more than 5,000 youth to summer employment and assisted more than 500 businesses through our Employ Baltimore strategy. This year we are continuing our commitment to match Baltimore citizens with good jobs and satisfying careers, and to link area businesses to qualified employees.