(PHOENIX, Ariz., Jan. 13, 2004) - It is no secret that Arizona has one of the highest high school dropout rates in the nation. According to a 2001 report from the National Center for Education Statistics, Arizona has the second highest dropout rate in the United States at 8.4 percent.

To address this astounding problem, the Phoenix College (PC) Counseling Department, in collaboration with the college’s Alumni Association, established an Achieving a College Education Program (ACE) in 2002 that was most recently recognized by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for Best Practices in Alumni Relations – College Division.

The ACE program, a pipeline program that was incubated at PC’s sister college, South Mountain Community College, more than 15 years ago, targets at-risk high school students from low income, inner-city communities in Phoenix who traditionally would not consider going to college or attaining a baccalaureate degree an achievable goal.

This nationally recognized program invites students to apply for admission during their sophomore year. Once enrolled, students attend classes at the college every Saturday during the regular academic year and throughout the summer in addition to their normal high school class schedule. Approximately 50 new students from the Phoenix High School District are selected to participate in the program each year and they carry out this schedule during their junior and senior year.

At the end of their senior year, ACE students reach two important milestones: they graduate high school and they have accumulated between 18 and 24 college credit hours at Phoenix College. Obtaining credit hours gives the students a head start, while encouraging them to continue on with their education. Some of the courses that ACE students are required to take include First-Year College Composition – English 101, Study Skills Development and Computer Skills Special Development.

First-year ACE students, along with their parents, are required to attend six Saturday workshop sessions that focus primarily on financial literacy. The workshops are presented by a team of alumni volunteers led by the Phoenix College Alumni Association (PCAA) Half-Century Club president, Dick Norton, who has worked in the financial planning profession for more than 50 years. Dick provides his consulting expertise and resources to ACE students at no cost, while Ken Mattern, PCAA board member and teacher at Westview High School, co-facilitates.

"Since 1989, our alumni association has kept Phoenix College and its students at the heart of its mission," said director of Alumni and Development, Frank Luna. "Our successful collaboration with ACE to deliver financial literacy workshops is a pivotal milestone for the association, and receiving the gold medal award from CASE is a stellar tribute to the tireless commitment of our alumni leadership and dedicated volunteers."

Through continued perseverance and programs like ACE, Phoenix College looks forward to significantly impacting the state’s high school dropout rate by increasing the number of students who graduate and go on to achieve a college education.

For more information on the Phoenix College ACE Program, or to find out how to participate in the program’s success, please call the Office of Alumni and Development at (602) 285-7667.

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