National City Scholarship Offers Early College Credit for Shortridge Students
National City has established a $100,000 scholarship fund at Butler University aimed at helping students of the future Shortridge Magnet High School for Law and Public Policy to earn early college credits. Starting in 2011 and continuing for five years, the National City scholarships will underwrite 12–20 hours of undergraduate coursework at Butler for selected Shortridge juniors and seniors.
“Engaged community involvement is one of the hallmarks of success at National City, and we are proud to invest in the future of Indianapolis by offering our young people a chance for early success in higher education,” said Stephen Stitle, president of National City in Indiana. “With its focus on democratic processes and community engagement, the new Shortridge magnet school will teach its students skills needed to be contributing citizens. This aligns with National City’s and Butler’s commitment to the overall improvement of the communities we serve. After all, National City is only as successful as the communities in which we live and work.”
“IPS is grateful for the financial support National City will provide to students who have the ability and drive, but not the money, to enroll in college coursework,” said Dr. Eugene G. White, superintendent, Indianapolis Public Schools. “These scholarships are exactly the type of corporate support IPS must have for the district to reach our goal of becoming a model urban school district by 2010.”
The Indianapolis Public Schools' Shortridge Magnet High School for Law and Public Policy is a college preparatory program for students in grades 6-12 focusing on the principles of democracy, justice, respect and service to others. Students will prepare for their role as citizens while exploring legal and social justice careers. Students complete a rigorous Core 40 curriculum that includes world languages such as Latin, Chinese and Spanish. In partnership with Butler University, students can earn early college credit while developing public speaking, problem solving and critical thinking skills. Career shadowing, college campus arts and cultural experiences, and student-to-student mentoring round out the experience.
Shortridge students who pass the Graduation Qualifying Exam (GQE) early and do well on the SAT can take introductory classes at Butler and earn college credit while still in high school.
Professors from all five Butler colleges will work with teachers at Shortridge, mentoring them, providing professional development opportunities and possibly even teaching some classes.
Butler “is not coming in as ‘the experts’ who will dictate solutions,” to IPS, stressed College of Education Dean Ena Shelley. “Rather, we are collaborating and sharing resources with the school district, learning along with them about how educational excellence can be achieved.
“The College of Education’s mission is to prepare our students, not just to meet the current standards of teaching, but to teach and lead in their field, so that schools become the exciting and challenging places they should be,” Shelley said. “Shortridge will expand that model, demonstrating how a university can work with a public school to transform education.
“National City’s offer to fund scholarships confirms that our efforts are on the right track,” Shelley said. “It also demonstrates that support for educational improvement is a legitimate business concern,” she said. “Any business wanting to attract new capital or job applicants will be asked, ‘How good are your local schools?’ Indiana’s future economic development is tied directly to educational quality.”
About National City
National City Corporation (NYSE: NCC), headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the nation’s largest financial holding companies. The company operates through an extensive banking network primarily in Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and also serves customers in selected markets nationally. Its core businesses include commercial and retail banking, mortgage financing and servicing, consumer finance and asset management. For more information about National City, visit the company's Web site at www.nationalcity.com.
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