What can a million dollars buy? Hopefully a better future for Liberty City residents, JPMorgan Chase officials believe.
The financial institution has teamed up with Florida International University and Miami Northwestern Senior High School and is providing $1 million to the schools as they try to promote college life to local residents.
The grant money, which was presented Wednesday, will be used to push literacy programs for students and adults and will increase the dual-enrollment course offerings at the high school, Miami-Dade County Public Schools officials said in a statement.
Students will now have the chance to choose from 22 dual-enrollment courses, the most in the district.
"Our goal is to graduate students who are ready to contribute to our 21st century society," Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said. "This grant will assist our school system in furthering our aim of creating the citizens of tomorrow."
Only about 47 percent of Liberty City residents have a high school education and 3 percent hold bachelor's degrees. Of the students that go to Northwestern, 25 percent will not graduate and 62 percent of those that do graduate don't continue on to college, school officials said.
Officials hope the collaboration with Northwestern, the anchor school in the community, will provide opportunities for more students to stay in school and pursue a college degree.
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"Miami Northwestern High School is the heart of the Liberty City community, and it is there that we can make a real difference," FIU President Mark. B. Rosenberg said.
