Press Releases:
February 2009
Feb. 16, 2009
METROPOLITAN STATE COLLEGE of DENVER
College’s urban teacher conference to feature
CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone
Denver - Metropolitan State College of Denver’s Urban Teaching Partnership (UTP) has secured Geoffrey Canada, nationally recognized for his pioneering work helping children and families in Harlem, as the keynote speaker for its 2nd Annual Great Teachers for Our City Schools: National Summit on Recruiting, Preparing and Retaining Quality Urban Teachers, April 1-3, 2009.
UTP, a collaborative effort of Metro State, Denver Public Schools (DPS) and the Mayor's Office for Education and Children, is designed to prepare and support individuals who wish to make a commitment to teaching in high-needs urban schools. Since fall 2005, close to 250 Metro students have completed the UTP program and many have been recruited and hired by DPS and urban districts across the country. The national summit is a key component of UTP and provides a venue for examining innovative teacher preparation models and sharing strategies that support teaching and learning in high poverty urban schools.
“Securing Geoffrey Canada for our national summit in April is part of our overall effort to identify effective practices that we can use to build and strengthen our urban teacher preparation program in Denver and similar programs across the country,” says Esther Rodriguez, director and principal investigator of Metro State’s Urban Teacher Partnership. “He has developed a nationally recognized comprehensive strategy, the Harlem Children’s Zone, that increases student achievement by fostering meaningful relationships with parents, community advocates and service-based organizations that surround urban schools. The lessons of HCZ will guide our work to prepare teachers to successfully support the educational needs of children in high-poverty schools.”
Since 1990, Canada has been the president and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc (HCZ). In 1997, the agency launched the Harlem Zone Project, which targets a specific geographic area in Central Harlem with a comprehensive range of services. The Harlem Zone Project today covers 100 blocks and aims to serve more than 10,000 children by 2011. In October 2005, Canada was named one of America's Best Leaders by U.S. News and World Report.
HCZ has become a national model and has been the subject of many profiles in the media including "60 Minutes," "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "The Today Show," "Good Morning America," "Nightline," "CBS This Morning," "The Charlie Rose Show," National Public Radio's "On Point," as well in articles in The New York Times, The New York Daily News, USA Today and Newsday.
To learn more about the Great Teachers for Our City Schools National Summit and the Urban Teacher Partnership, visit http://www.mscd.edu/utp.
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Feb. 13, 2009
METROPOLITAN STATE COLLEGE of DENVER
MEN’S BASKETBALL MAKES SPECIAL DEBUT ON VALENTINE’S DAY
Denver - WHO/WHAT: The final regular home game for the Metropolitan State College of Denver men’s basketball team has turned into a sweet deal for the team and the College community. On Saturday, Feb. 14, the Roadrunners’ game against Colorado Christian University will be nationally televised on CBS CollegeSports. This is the first time that Metro State basketball will play on national television at home.
The College is hosting Fan Appreciation Day in conjunction with the game, and will feature a tailgate party. Metro State serves over 21,000 students, but is a commuter campus. The tailgate and the game offer an enjoyable activity for staff, faculty and students (many non-traditional) and their families.
The women’s game immediately follows the men’s game.
Special ticket prices for Fan Appreciation Day range from $7 for adults to $20 for a family four pack. This includes entry to both games, sodas and hot dogs. Metro State students (with a valid student ID) and children under five are free.
WHEN: 1 p.m. (Tailgate party 11:30-12:30, featuring the new Roadrunner Pride Pep Band)
WHERE: Event Center on the Auraria Campus
For more information about the men’s and women’s game, visit http://gometrostate.cstv.com/genrel/012209aaa.html or contact Ron Christian at 719-659-2652 or Angelia McGowan at 303-501-0752.
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Metro State is a fully-accredited, four-year institution, serving more than 21,000 students. It has the second-largest undergraduate enrollment in Colorado and is one of the largest four-year public colleges in the nation. Metro State enrolls the highest number of students of color among four-year colleges in the state. It boasts 60,000 alumni, 90 percent of whom stay in Colorado after graduation. Visit Metro State at www.mscd.edu.