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Greetings!
It's hard to believe that summer is almost over for Uplift's students and teachers. We're proud to report that our new accountability ratings are in and confirm that 2009-2010 was a fantastic school year for Uplift. Twelve of our 15 schools were rated Exemplary by TEA, which is double from the previous year.
Our Summer Leadership Academies are currently in session, and we are putting the finishing touches on the buildings for Heights Prep in West Dallas and Laureate Prep in Downtown Dallas. Across our campuses, we will educate 4,600 students this year. Through your help, we are making a meaningful difference in the lives and future of thousands of students.
With all of our growth, our need for volunteers to mentor our juniors and seniors is growing dramatically. For 2010-2011, we will need 500 HERO mentors to help our students with key aspects of their Road to College. I hope you can help us with this commitment as we support our students' college dreams.
Texas recently celebrated the 15th anniversary of the 1995 legislation that made charter schools possible in our state. We were honored to share the stage with several other charter operators and state and local elected officials as we celebrated this milestone at Dallas City Hall. Since then, we've seen a tremendous amount of media attention for Uplift and charters in general. We hope you will make sure to read some of the news highlights below.
We've included several inspiring stories of how our students have expanded their learning this summer. We continue to be impressed and amazed by their commitment to the Road to College, and we hope you will be too!
Shine through,
Yasmin Bhatia, CEO
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News & School Highlights |
| · Tod Robberson talks charters in Dallas and New York City
Read The Dallas Morning News column here. · Charter schools
spread across Texas with goal of newer, better teaching
See The Dallas Morning News article here.
· CW33 interview Uplift and Williams Prep
See Uplift on the CW33's DFW Closeup here.
· Recruit more math, science teachers
Read the op-ed from Uplift Chief of Schools Laura Cobb here.
|  · North Hills ranked 14th best high school
Newsweek magazine recently ranked North Hills Prep as the 14th best public high school in America - their fifth consecutive year in the list's top 20. Read the full feature here.
Uplift CEO Yasmin Bhatia shares lessons learned from North Hills' years of success on the Texas Charter Schools Association blog. Read blog entry here.
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 Will you be a HERO?
500 mentors needed for juniors and seniors
Uplift Education is looking for 500 community members to mentor its juniors and seniors on their Road to College.
What is involved in being a HERO mentor?
- Submit to a background check (required for all Uplift volunteers).
- Attend an in-person training session in August 2010. We will host several training sessions at Uplift campuses, or we can come to your company/organization if you have 10 or more mentors.
- Attend 2-3 in-person sessions with your mentee (including one with his/her parents) over the course of the school year.
- Visit by phone or e-mail with your mentee on a regular basis (expect 2-4 hours per month) to help them on their college journey (e.g., proofread college and scholarship applications, answer questions about college selection and future careers, etc.).
- Attend our annual College Signing Day in the spring to see your mentee sign their college letter of acceptance.
- Stay connected to the HERO program on Facebook and through its monthly e-newsletter.
How to sign up:
Click here to download a copy of the 2010 HERO brochure or complete an application to become a mentor.
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 Crime solving and cooking in the name of math and science
Rising 8th and 10th grade students get hands on with science in Camp Chemistry and Camp CSI
It may be summer, but that doesn't mean that Uplift students are taking a break from learning. During June, 8th and 10th graders from across Uplift's campuses gathered for two weeks at Peak Preparatory for extra hands-on science experiences through our Camp CSI and Camp Chemistry.
Camp CSI provided incoming sophomores with an introduction to the world of forensic science, involving the studies of biology, chemistry, math and physics. The camp allowed students to experience a behind the scenes look at crime scenes and how math and science are used to solve cases. Students used their deductive reasoning, math and science skills, and technology to uncover and explore a series of unsolved crimes. Expert presentations from the Police Department, District Attorney, and expert CSI investigators were combined with lab activities such as finger and foot printing, momentum and velocity, blood splatter analysis, vehicle speed, anthropology, hair/fiber analysis, blood typing, entomology and much more. At the end of the camp, students presented their cases against their suspects to a panel of real judges to solve their crimes.
Camp Chemistry gave incoming 8th graders the opportunity to understand how chemicals, chemistry and math influence everyday cooking. They used science and math to better understand what makes things go right - and wrong - in the kitchen. The camp gave the students a chance to learn about chemical analysis, chemical structure, and physical and chemical changes in the cooking process, all under the context of cooking. Their tasty labs included pizza, root beer, bread, gummy bears, s'mores and cheese.
Click here to view a slide show of pictures from throughout the camp.
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Incoming freshman at Williams
Prep get hands-on with engineering and technology camp
College visits and academic camps top students' plans
Fifty rising 9th graders from
Williams Prep spent some extra time in school during July participating in a week-long Engineering Minds of Tomorrow
camp hosted by DFW Semiconductor & Technology Executive Council (S-TEC).
The camp was designed to increase student interest in and understanding of the
technologies and skills required for a career in engineering and advanced
technology.
Students worked in teams to solve various engineering design
challenges and math/science word problems. The challenges included building a LEGO robot; building a tower out of straws; building a chair out of cardboard; and building a car with a rubber band, balloon or mousetrap powered motor. They also visited the engineering and technology programs at the University of Texas at Dallas and Richland College and discussed college applications and financial aid.
Click here for more information about Williams Prep.
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 Hampton Prep junior spends summer on-campus at Morehouse College
Abisai "Kino" Ayala talks about responsibility, appreciating his teachers and being the first in his family to go to college
Abisai "Kino" Ayala, a Hampton Prep junior, spent three weeks at Morehouse College's Project Identity in Atlanta, Georgia. He participated in the Project Identity Summer Institute's Global Change Through Diplomacy session. Project Identity gives academically talented young men an exciting glimpse into
academic college life, replicating the college experience with an intense curriculum and
enrichment activities to assist in developing their academic, social and
leadership skills. Kino lived on campus and was able to participate in various community service activities and field trips in addition to the study of humanities, social sciences, business, economics and mathematics.
Kino applied to the program at the encouragement of his Road to College Counselor, a Morehouse alumni himself. In addition to the higher education learning that Kino picked up, he credits the program with strengthening his leadership skills and preparing him to be a better man through Morehouse's Five Wells: Well-Read, Well-Spoken, Well-Traveled, Well-Dressed and Well-Balanced.
Uplift
Education is extremely proud of Kino for continuing his learning and preparing to be successful
after high school. Watch him talk about his experience at Project Identity and his goals for the future here.
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| Bottom Line |
100 percent of Uplift Education seniors graduate and are accepted to college. |
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