MPS held an event this morning at Audubon Technology & Communication Middle School, 3300 S. 39th St., to celebrate the official announcement of the district's federal GEAR UP grant.
MPS is receiving $14.8 million from the U.S. Dept. of Education, along with $11.7 million from local partners to provide support and services to help students from low-income families prepare for college. Another $3 million in district funds is going toward toward the seven-year program.
Grants have been awarded in 19 states to help kids and their parents focus on academic preparation and motivation and family preparedness for college.
Recently, MPS also announced the opening of the first of two area College Access Centers.
"This is a tremendous opportunity to help thousands of students prepare for, and succeed in, college," said Sen. Herb Kohl. "This funding will provide tangible help to college-bound students and their families, from scholarships to readiness guidance. I look forward to seeing some strong results."
The grant money will help 2,765 students from 13 schools visit college campuses, access tutoring and get financial literacy counseling. About $3 million will underwrite student scholarships. Seventh graders can also take part in a High School Bootcamp to help ready them for high school.
The schools taking part in the first year include:
- H.W. Longfellow K8 School
- Audubon Technology & Communication Middle School
- John Burroughs Middle School
- Lincoln Center of the Arts Middle School
- Roosevelt Creative Arts Middle School
- Bay View Middle and High Schools
- Northwest Secondary
In year three, six more schools will join:
- Audubon Technology & Communication Center High School
- Lynde & Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School
- Milwaukee High School of the Arts
- James Madison Academic Campus
- Alexander Hamilton High School
- Harold S. Vincent High School
The MPS GEAR UP partners are:
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
- Career Cruising
- The College Board
- College for Every Student, supported through the GE Foundation
- Fresh Coast Classic (Running Rebels)
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's Wisconsin Educational Opportunities Program
- Alverno College, Department of Advancement
- Cardinal Stritch University School of Urban Initiatives
- Marquette University Educational Opportunities Program
- Milwaukee Area Technical College Department of PreCollege Education
- University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh Center for Academic Support and Diversity
- University of Wisconsin – Madison Dept. of Precollege Enrichment
- Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence
- Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation
- MPS Foundation
- Fund for Wisconsin Scholars
- University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
- Department of Development and Alumni Relations, Trio and Pre-College Programs and Center for Urban Initiatives and Research
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
