Recognition breakfast to honor 200 students
Worcester, MA - Approximately 200 students from five Worcester public high schools will be honored at the 17th annual senior recognition breakfast of the Consortium's Educational Talent Search (ETS), GEAR UP and Careers Plus programs. The ceremony will be held on Friday, April 18 from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at the College of the Holy Cross in the Hogan Campus Center Ballroom.
Speaker and trainer Douglas E. Luffborough, III, M.Ed., executive director of Turning the Hearts Center in Chula Vista, CA, will be the keynote speaker. Luffborough (pictured at right) holds a Master's degree in Education from Harvard University and is a graduate of Northeastern University and Doherty High School. He is the author of Rising to the Top, a book in which he explains his philosophy about leadership, overcoming setbacks and leading a prosperous life. In addition to Luffborough's keynote address, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. will also provide comments.
Ninety-five percent of the students involved in ETS, GEAR UP and Careers Plus applied to college this year. Among the colleges and universities that have recently accepted students from the three programs are all 10 of the Consortium institutions that confer traditional undergraduate degrees, as well as Boston College, Boston University, Brandeis University, Cornell University, Northeastern University, Syracuse University and Tufts University. Throughout the history of the Consortium access programs, students have been accepted by colleges and universities all across the country.
ETS is a federally funded educational support program under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. In addition to federal funding, the Worcester Public Schools and the Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance provide funding for this program. In Worcester, the program serves 600 students, most of them from low-income families. Many of these students will be the first in their family to attend college.
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), funded through a contract with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, provides services to local middle and high school students at Worcester East Middle School and North High School.
Careers Plus is a project funded by the Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance. The program provides comprehensive postsecondary access services tailored to the specific needs of students at Worcester Technical High School.