Case Histories:
ÈJust 5 years ago, East
Tech, an urban high school located in
the center of Clevelands
most impoverished housing project
was slated for closing.
What FIRST opened up for
these students can be seen in their achievements.Weve become
the
science/engineering magnet school for all the district. More
students
try out
for the FIRST team than for football and basketball combined.
12 students, including 5
females, representing the first class to experience four years
in
FIRST, all
from inner city neighborhoods, all received scholarships and
went on to
the
following schools:
Case Western Reserve;
Cornell; MIT; University of Dayton; Cleveland State; Air Force
Academy;
Ohio
State; Allegheny College; Mount Union College; Georgetown.
Mr. Jerome Seppelt
FIRST Program Manager, East
Technical High School, Cleveland,OH
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È At Chatsworth High
School in inner city Los Angeles, where 60% of students
graduate and
less than
half go on to college, every FIRST participant graduated
on time,
attended college
and many enrolled in Honors and Advanced Placement courses
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È At Joseph C.Wilson High
in inner city Rochester, NY,
every FIRST team member has
graduated.
Graduates have attended
Cornell, Harvard, Penn State, Rensselear Polytechnical
Institute, Rochester
Institute of Technology, Stanford, SUNY and Tufts
********************************************************
È At Pennsylvanias
William Penn High School, about 17% of students drop out, 50%
do not
attend
college. Every FIRST participant has
graduated
and gone on to college or technical school.
The 01-02 team received
more than $250,000 in scholarships
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È Only one partnership
has caused a fundamental change in both our institution and
the young
people it
serves. FIRST has inspired and revitalized the Wilson
teachers.The
effect on
our young people has been a profound one. Never in my long
experience
as a high
school principal have students been so totally absorbed in a
project.
Suzanne Johnston
Principal, Joseph
C.Wilson Magnet High School, Rochester, NY