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On Tuesday, 100 ninth-graders will become the inaugural class of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis, one of the latest in a network of private Jesuit schools nationwide that incorporate work experience in their programs for low-income, mostly minority students.
Along with a rigorous, college-preparatory curriculum, the work experience is key, local administrators said.
"They learn a great deal about the world, about social skills, about their own capabilities and future possibilities," said the Rev. David Haschka, president of the school.
And the results, officials say, are impressive.
The schools, which have won grants from the likes of Bill and Melinda Gates, boast 90 percent graduation rates, with 98 percent of those students going to college, officials said. Twelve schools were part of the network last year; seven more, including the one in Minneapolis, are opening this week.
Every student will attend school from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with homework time and tutoring offered after classes end mid-afternoon. Many need the extra work to catch up; about half the students come in at achievement levels two or three years behind the norm, Principal Kris Melloy said.
But it's the professional experience that clearly has the kids jazzed.
"It was a good opportunity for me to go work in different, really good jobs, so I decided to come here," said 14-year-old Frank Agudo, of Minneapolis.
After being told their hooded sweatshirts would not be permitted in the workplace, the students headed out Thursday to visit their companies for the first time as part of a three-week orientation. Each student will work five full weekdays a month in an entry-level office job at companies including Best Buy, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Allina Hospitals and Clinics (which owns Abbott Northwestern Hospital and United Hospital) and various law firms.
"I was kind of nervous the first time I got there," said Juan Garcia, 14, of Minneapolis. "I don't want to mess up."
Not all companies jumped at the chance to get involved.
"There was great skepticism - especially those who said, 'I have a 14-year-old and I would never bring him to work!' " said Steve Schulz, director of the internship program.
But many were persuaded.
Patrick Lutter, chief administrative officer at the Dorsey & Whitney law firm, said he checked with other law firms nationally that had worked with Cristo Rey students, and they'd had good experiences. He signed on.
"It's a very vivid way to demonstrate to the students that they can, in fact, succeed in a professional business environment, that they can fit in," Lutter said. "And for us, we get some good energy in our firm, and we get people in some jobs where they're going to be there for awhile."
Cristo Rey obtained an exemption to the child labor laws from the U.S. Department of Labor, and the state labor department has approved the program.
Four students share one full-time position, and each of the 25 participating companies pays $25,000 a year - money that goes directly to the school to cover students' tuition. Each family is required to pay $360 to $2,400 a year, depending on ability.
But millions of dollars more were needed to make the school a reality.
The impressive new $30.5 million building is at 2924 Fourth Ave. S., just off East Lake Street in the Phillips neighborhood. It was built by Ryan Cos., which also headed the capital campaign and poured $5 million of its own money into it, Development Director Rick Campion said.
The school is planning an Oct. 4 event to raise the $1.25 million in operating funds it needs for this year.
About half the students, who come from Minneapolis, St. Paul and a few suburbs, are Hispanic. Thirty-five percent are non-Somali African-Americans, and 15 percent are Asian, Somali or white. Most are not Catholic. All are low-income, with families earning an average of less than $30,000, officials said.
Kiara Machuca's parents own a Latino dress shop on East Lake Street, just around the corner from the school. She said she heard about Cristo Rey from a flier at the shop.
"I was like, 'Oh, this is a pretty neat school, like very professional, college prep,' " said the 14-year-old from Richfield, who wants to become a cosmetic surgeon.
Her father, Esteban Machuca, believes he knows what Cristo Rey will mean for Kiara.
"She's going to gain a better future," he said in Spanish.
But the school is also focused on ensuring the economic viability of the Twin Cities, Haschka said.
"This isn't just a game," he said. "This isn't just some feel-good, 'let's do good for some poor kids' thing. This is a vital enterprise for the future of the economy of the Twin Cities. All we're claiming to be is one part of the solution."
Emily Gurnon can be reached at [email protected] or 612-338-6516.
Source: Pioneer Press, Sept 03, 2007