50 The Queens Courier • catholic school • JANUARY 15, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com National School Choice Week will break records as largest celebration of educational opportunity Individuals, schools and organizations across the country have planned an unprecedented 10,100 events for January, 2015 to bring attention to the issue of school choice to coincide with National School Choice Week 2015, which runs from January 25 – 31. Events, which are independently planned and independently catholic school week funded, will include information sessions, roundtable discussion, movie screenings, rallies and other special events. The goal of National School Choice Week is to shine a positive spotlight on all types of effective education options for children, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, homeschooling, private schools, and online academies. According to Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week, the growth in enthusiasm for school choice can be attributed to simple supply and demand. "More American families than ever before are actively choosing the best educational environments for their children, which has galvanized millions of additional parents – those without options – to demand greater choices for their own children," Campanella said. “National School Choice Week will feature both of those themes, providing a platform for people to celebrate school choice where it exists and demand it where it does not.” National School Choice Week started as an annual celebration in 2011, with 150 events. Since then, as more schools, individuals and organizations learned about the Week, it has grown exponentially. “National School Choice Week 2015 will be more than 60 times larger than the first celebration in 2011, because people see the Week as an opportunity to start thousands of individual conversations about educational choice in a positive, forwardlooking, fun, nonpolitical and nonpartisan way,” Campanella said. For more information, visit w w w . s c h o o l c h o i c e w e e k . c o m . New Year Brings New Opportunities to Help Students in Brooklyn and Queens Last year was a record-breaking year for Futures In Education, the organization that provides scholarship assistance to students in the Diocese of Brooklyn. But according to Vicar for Development Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, the name “Futures” in and of itself signifies a forward, progressive outlook – no resting on their laurels for this non-profit! “We have an obligation to do for the next generation what has been done for us. This means we must continue to surpass the goals set last year and find new ways to develop even more support for the future,” says Monsignor Jamie. While Futures In Education advocates for Catholic schools and academies in Brooklyn and Queens, the foundation also understands the financial needs of their community. With the average scholarship recipient of Futures In Education’s Be an Angel to a Student program hailing from families with a median income under $28,000, Futures works to not only provide these students an excellent Catholic school education, but also help them see new opportunities and break the cycle of poverty. Despite its largest-ever Scholarship Fund Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria in October, which aided in distributing $8 million in scholarship assistance, Futures In Education reports that $11 million in need still goes unfulfilled this school year. As the organization celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, one thing is certain: Futures In Education won’t rest until its mission, to provide an excellent Catholic education to all students, regardless of financial hardship, is fulfilled.
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