Liberty Partnerships Program Celebrates 20th Anniversary In Albany

The sixth statewide Empire Promise Summit: Building Our Economic and Intellectual Capacity will take place on April 29-30, 2009 at the Holiday Inn Turf, Albany, NY.

Organized by the Liberty Partnerships Programs, a pre-collegiate/school dropout prevention initiative of the New York State Education Department, Office of K-16 Initiatives, The Empire Promise Summit is guided by two principles:

• New York's higher education community working with shared statewide vision and articulation will provide a powerful and systemic assist to New York's social and economic agenda.
   
• Students attending New York public and nonpublic schools will complete postsecondary education in New York or return to New York after completing their studies elsewhere if they develop a personal commitment to invest in New York's advancement and if there are jobs.

The keynote speaker for the celebration is Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez.  Mrs. Michelle Paterson, wife of New York State Governor David Paterson, has prepared a pre-recorded statement to address the summit's participants.  Summit participants include over 250 students and staff at the celebratory dinner on Wednesday, April 29, at 7:15 p.m. in the Courtyard of the Holiday Inn Turf.  The dinner will be followed by award presentations to the founding legislators, staff persons and institution presidents that helped Liberty become what it is today, the State's only dropout prevention program tied directly to higher education.   Ed DeJesus, President and Founder of the Youth Development and Research Fund (YDRF) and the leading authority on urban youth employment and educational issues, will speak on April 30, at 8:30 a.m. in the Courtyard at the Holiday Inn Turf.

Higher Ed/Career Focus of Summit
The Empire Promise Strands:

• High tech research and development aligned with New York's Centers of Excellence
• Regional initiatives for economic and community development
• K-20 Teaching and Educational Leadership
• Nursing and the Licensed Health Professions
• Law, Public Policy and Government Service
• Fine and Performing Arts

Audience:
Approximately 300 participants: Liberty Partnerships Program (LPPP) staff, students, parents, representatives from partner colleges, universities and community/profession-related stakeholders.  Approximately one-third of the group will be high school students. LPP, founded in 1988, offers services to at-risk youth in grades 5-12 throughout New York State in the areas of educational retention, college development, and career exploration. Since 1988, LPP has had a Student/School persistence rate of 98 percent.  From our students, 11,885 students have graduated from high school; 10,664 of those students have entered post-secondary education or the workforce following graduation; and 7,262 of those students chose to continue postsecondary education within New York State.

Visit this site for more information about the Liberty Partnerships Program: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/kiap/PCPPU/lpp/home1.htm

Day 1 Program Preview:

Day 2 Program Preview:

If you have any questions about the program in general contact:

Ms. Faith Critti, LPP Director
Schenectady County Community College 
Email - crittifj@sunysccc.edu
Phone - 518-381-1364