FEATURE/``I Have a Dream'' Foundation Fulfills Graduation Promise for 16 Projects in 2003

Business Wire, May 7, 2003

To download high-resolution, print-ready JPEG images, click on the thumbnail image above.

WARNING: these images are

very large (800K+)

Click here for caption

Feature Editors/Education Writers

FEATURE...Graduation

NOTE TO MEDIA: Multimedia assets available

A photo is available at URL:

http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.050703/bb7

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 7, 2003

Amidst the lists of failing schools and student achievement gaps, the "I Have a Dream"(R) Foundation is a leader in educating at-risk youth, helping them reach high school graduation and life success. This spring, more than 500 Dreamers from 16 "I Have a Dream"(R) Projects will graduate from high school, a remarkable achievement considering the low graduation rates of most inner-city schools.

"I Have a Dream"(R) graduating students (called "Dreamers") who pursue higher education or vocational training are assured that last dollar tuition, equivalent to state college and university rates. These graduations are also rewarding for Project Sponsors and staff who have provided Dreamers with mentoring and academic support for up to 12 years of the Dreamers' lives. The 16 graduating Projects are:

Boulder, CO - Kalmia Project

Denver, CO - Donnell-Kay Project

Washington D.C. - White Project

Tucson, AZ

New Haven, CT

Stamford, CT - Class of 1995 Project

Delray Beach, FL

Boynton Beach, FL

St. Louis, MO - Gateway Project

New York, NY - Chelsea-Elliott Project

New York, NY - Bedford-Stuyvesant Project

Portland, OR - Class IV Project

Portland, OR - Class V Project

Dallas, TX - Cedar Springs Project

Fort Worth, TX - Ripley Arnold Project

Vancouver, WA - Project 1

In Vancouver, WA, 86% of the first Vancouver Dreamer class is on track to graduate with a high school diploma or GED, with the rest to graduate next year. "I Have a Dream"(R) New Haven expects 82% of its seniors to graduate on time, and only three drop-outs (compared with the 27.5% drop-out rate for the school district). In Portland, virtually all of Project IV and V's seniors will be graduating on time this spring. In fact, the Foundation's eight Portland Projects have served 700 youngsters to date.

"We are proud of our 2003 graduates and confident that their experience with "I Have a Dream"(R) will positively affect the rest of their lives. We hope these Project successes will inspire others to adopt classes in their communities," said Marina Winton, "I Have a Dream"(R) Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer.

The "I Have a Dream"(R) Foundation is dedicated to helping children from low-income areas achieve their education and career goals through a long-term program of mentoring, tutoring and enrichment. Project Sponsors adopt a class of students from elementary schools, or a same-age group of children from a housing project, and work with them through high school. This long term, sustained commitment by the Sponsors is critical to Project success. The "I Have a Dream" (R)Program was created in 1981 by New York City businessman Eugene Lang. In 1986, the national "I Have a Dream"(R) Foundation was established. Since then, 180 Projects nationwide have helped more than 13,500 students, called "Dreamers." Currently, 77 Projects operate in 20 states and one in New Zealand. For more information, visit http://www.ihad.org.

Note: A photo is available at URL: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.050703/bb7