a COOL pledge

All 134 Juniors at the University Preparatory Academy, a charter school with small class sizes in Detroit, have paired up and pledged to the Detroit City Council to graduate in 2012. Detroit is nationally known for having a poor high school graduation rate, 62% graduate while 21% drop out.

Charles Pugh, Detroit City Council President, encouraged the Juniors to complete school on time and to help each other along the way to ensure they all go to college. Also, to assist the Juniors to be successful in their pledge, tutoring is mandatory as is the involvement of parents.

Challenges do arrive for these students from their neighborhoods, friends, and school workload. Elaine Davis, 17, who will be the first in her family to graduate high school and attend college states, "We face the same problems as other kids. We come from the same neighborhoods." Fellow classmate, Kia Benson, 16, is grateful for the support of her peers, "We said we would help each other no matter how hard school gets for us. We have each other's backs." She reiterates, "The pledge means you are not only responsible for yourself but for another person and their fight to finish school."

CEO of New Urban Learning, which runs the school, Doug Ross, is impressed with these students who want to spread their pledge to other Detroit high schools to show that their goals are achievable, "Part of the message is if they do this-and they will-it's not about chance or luck or fate. It's a decision. It's a choice."

Here's to the Juniors at University Preparatory Academy for pledging to not only graduate and go to college but for taking on the responsibility of helping each other along the way-stay positive, stay generous, STAY COOL!

What do you think of the pledge these students took to graduate and to help each other achieve a higher education?