For Immediate Release Media contact: Crystal Rucker December 4

 For Immediate Release December 4, 2014 Media contact: Crystal Rucker [email protected] 202.808.9749 CAPITAL CITY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL TO HOST FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA FOR COLLEGE MARCH
WASHINGTON, DC-­‐-­‐ On December 5, Capital City Public Charter School will host its second annual College March to acknowledge the success and aspirations of their high school seniors as they apply to college. This year’s March will welcome a special guest, First Lady Michelle Obama. The First Lady’s visit to Capital City is part of her Reach Higher initiative.
“Our entire school community is excited about the First Lady’s visit to Capital City. The visit acknowledges the hard work of our students and staff in preparing for college success,” said Karen Dresden, Capital City’s Founder and Head of School. At the March, Capital City’s entire PK-­‐12th grade school community will cheer on the seniors as they mail their college applications. “The success of seniors has served as an inspiration for all of the students and the March is a testament to that,” explained Bridget Jackson, Director of College Counseling. During last year’s march, middle school students held signs of support that read, "If you can do it. We can do it."
Capital City began graduating seniors in 2012 and since that first year, 100% of graduates have been accepted to college. This is particularly significant given that 80% of graduates have been first in their families to go to college and 30% have been first in their families to graduate from high school. “For many of our students pursuing a college education, they are fulfilling the dreams of their parents and setting an example for their entire families,” said Jackson.
The College March comes on the heels of College Application Week. 100% of Capital City students have already completed at least one college application and collectively the 75 seniors have completed 500 applications for colleges and scholarships. With so many students to be first in their families to apply to college, students and their families look to the school for support with the process. The school has a comprehensive program of support that begins long before senior year. At Capital City, all middle and high school students engage in activities related to college planning. Capital City’s Expeditionary Learning (EL) curriculum focuses on preparing students for success in college and beyond. Capital City is an EL Mentor School, one of the highest performing schools in the EL network of more than 160 schools. The Capital City event kicks off EL’s College March week. The first College March began at Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School in 2011, and spread across NYC Outward Bound Schools’ network of EL schools in 2012. This year, the College March has expanded across the nation, including 14 EL schools. College Marches will be held in nine cities across the country on December 12th. For more information EL’s College March week, visit www.elschools.org/collegemarch.
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CAPITAL CITY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL is an award-­‐winning public school of choice for children Pre-­‐K through 12th grade.Capital City students complete a rigorous academic program that emphasizes both independent and collaborative learning within an inclusive democratic community. Through the Expeditionary Learning model, students study compelling topics through authentic hands-­‐on learning experiences that result in high quality products. The school serves a diverse population of 970 students in one consolidated facility in Ward 4. A charter school is a free public school that operates independently of the local school system with funding determined by a per-­‐pupil formula. The school is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization led by a board of trustees that includes parents, educators, community leaders, and financial and legal experts. Please visit www.ccpcs.org for more information.
The event is open press, but space is limited. Members of the media who wish to cover this event
must RSVP to Crystal Rucker, [email protected], by Thursday, December 4, at 12:00 PM
ET with the subject line “College March RSVP.” Press who do not have a White House hard
pass must include in their email a social security number, date of birth, country of citizenship,
current city/state of residence, and gender. Please note that RSVP does not guarantee access and
media credentialed will receive a confirmation email.