Education’s Black-White Achievement Gap to be Topic of Raleigh Roundtable Event

(Raleigh, NC) October 4, 2007 – Communities In Schools of Wake County (http://www.ciswake.org), Wake County Public Schools (http://www.wcpss.net), Communities In Schools of North Carolina (http://www.cisnc.org), and the YMCA of the Triangle (http://www.ymcatriangle.org) are hosting a community discussion group with well-known author Gail Thompson.

Thompson is a former public school educator, now a college professor, and the author of several books about minority students in the classroom, whom she calls “America’s Stepchildren.” Thompson will talk about the challenges facing both students and teachers in the classroom when it comes to race and what causes these students to become “at risk” of dropping out of school.

The program, “Expect a Miracle: How Education Can Help America’s Stepchildren Succeed in School and in Life,” will take place from 9 a.m. – 12 noon on Monday, October 15 at the YMCA of the Triangle Association Resource Center. The event is free and open to the public, but spaces are limited. Please RSVP by October 8 to Katie Carrington, kcarrington@cisnc.org.

About Communities In Schools of Wake County
Communities In Schools of Wake County annually serves approximately 1,000 at risk students through tutorial support and mentoring. In partnership with 13 Wake County public schools and 5 after school learning centers in public housing communities throughout Raleigh, CIS Wake believes that every child needs encouragement to dream of all that he or she can be and provides the practical tools and resources to make those dreams a reality. By providing a safe environment, caring staff and volunteer adults, CIS Wake students can discover their passion for learning and believe in the purpose for their education.

About the YMCA of the Triangle
The YMCA of the Triangle is an association of 13 branches located in Durham, Wake, Johnston, Lee and Pamlico counties. The YMCA of the Triangle is the largest provider of after school care for both traditional and year-round schools in Wake County. In 1988, when the first year-round schools were put in place, the YMCA of the Triangle worked with Wake County Public Schools to develop track out options for families. More than 600 children from over 25 area schools receive homework assistance and academic enrichment through Y-Learning. Students in the Y-Learning program are currently performing below grade level and have been recommended by their teachers. The Y-Learning curriculum was developed by Wake County Educators. The Y-Learning Program is fully subsidized through grants and donations to the YMCA of the Triangle’s Annual WeBuildPeople campaign.