FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

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

Academy for College and Career Exploration Class of 2014 Celebrates Graduation

Baltimore, Maryland (June 10, 2014) – The Academy for College and Career Exploration (ACCE) hosted a special commencement Friday, May 30 for its 2014 class of 80 graduates. The ceremony was held at Johns Hopkins University’s Shriver Hall. “I am so proud of all of our graduates who have shown the fortitude and discipline required to complete this phase of their education,” said ACCE Principal Quinhon Goodlowe. “In addition to being prepared for their future success in college and careers, these graduates also combined to complete more than 15,000 community service hours.” Dr. A. Skipp Sanders, executive director of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, provided a dynamic keynote address, congratulating the students, parents and ACCE faculty on their achievements. Reflective of the school’s emphasis on post-secondary education, 92 percent of the graduates completed at least two college applications and even more completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to receive financial assistance to pay for college. To date, nearly 80 percent of the college applicants have been accepted at two and/or four-year colleges and universities. ACCE is a citywide “transformation” school with a diverse student population of sixththrough twelfth-grade students drawn from a variety of neighborhoods. Faculty and staff promote an experiential learning environment that allows students to explore career options and “try out” real work experiences through internships, job shadowing and summer employment. Opened in 2004, ACCE began as a Baltimore City “innovation” public high school launched in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies. MOED and JHUIPS continue to serve as ACCE’s “operators,” providing employment and post-secondary education transition services to its middle and high school students. “It’s an honor to witness the well-deserved pride among the ACCE graduates and their families, said MOED Director Karen Sitnick. “For ten years, MOED and JHUIPS have complemented the work of the school system’s teachers and administrators to provide a quality education for all ACCE students.” ###