MIAMI – The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has awarded $5.7 million in grants to four education initiatives aiming to increase parental involvement, graduation rates, technology accessibility, and entrepreneurial thinking among high school students in Miami-Dade County. The Knight Foundation’s President and CEO

will be joined by Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent

, City of Miami Mayor

, and The Breakthrough Collaborative CEO

when the announcement is made on Wednesday, November 7, 8:30 a.m., at Morningside Elementary School (6620 NE 5th Avenue, Miami, FL 33138). Students and parents also will be on hand to tell their stories of how they have benefited from the programs receiving the funding.

• The Parent Academy will receive $1.8 million over three years to increase the number and reach of its programs geared at increasing parental involvement in schools and in school work at home. In just over two years, more than 85,000 parents and families have participated in classes and family learning events offered by The Parent Academy. (http://theparentacademy.dadeschools.net/)
• Breakthrough Miami (formerly Summerbridge Miami) will receive $3.25 million over five years to expand its academic enrichment programs for sixth to eighth graders and its college preparatory program for ninth- and tenth-grade students. Over the past 15 years, Breakthrough students have demonstrated a high school graduation rate of 99 percent and a college acceptance rate of 78 percent. (http://www.breakthroughmiami.org/)
• The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) will receive $600,000 over three years to provide teachers with the tools and methodology for teaching high school students the principles of entrepreneurship. (http://www.nfte.com)
• Another $250,000 will go to Elevate Miami, an initiative launched by Mayor Diaz and Superintendent Crew. This initiative infuses culture, life skills, technology and work experience into the lives of students at significant points in their schooling. (http://www.elevatemiami.org/)

“Diversity defines Miami,” said Mr. Ibargüen. “Three quarters of us were born someplace else.  So we have to look for opportunities where people of many different backgrounds can create their own, new shared experience of Miami.  At Knight Foundation, we believe arts and public education are ideal for this.  They have low barriers to entry and they embrace and value diversity.  They are where the Miami of the future is already being experienced.”

“With the multi-pronged approach of these generous grants by the Knight Foundation, we are continuing to lay the foundation for transforming education in Miami,” said Superintendent Crew. “Studies show that parent involvement in education is at the heart of student achievement. The Parent Academy offers a variety of opportunities that integrates teaching and learning into the family culture. And programs such as Elevate Miami, Breakthrough Miami and NFTE help ensure that our graduates will be fully prepared for the real world that awaits them.”

The Parent Academy aims for a 15 percent annual increase in parent participation. Breakthrough Miami plans to expand its “students teaching students” model to several new school-based sites, as well as increase its enrollment from 380 to 1100 students by 2012. Elevate Miami aims to provide all students in grades six through twelve (approximately 18,000 students) with access to technology and experiences linking into technology from their schools and community by 2013. NFTE plans to enlist more than 100 teachers over three years who will teach 13,500 students entrepreneurial thinking. In combination, the four initiatives aim to impact the educational experience of more than tens of tens of thousands of students in Miami-Dade.

“Education is the foundation for building a community, and the Knight Foundation is investing in programs that will truly elevate Miami,” said Mayor Diaz.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation invests in journalism excellence worldwide and in the vitality of the U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Since 1950 the foundation has paid out more than $159 million in grants in Miami-Dade and Ft. Lauderdale. Knight Foundation focuses on projects with the potential to create transformational change. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.