Two Denver Area Expeditionary Learning Schools Send 100% of Graduates to Four Year Colleges

NEW YORK, June 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Expeditionary Learning announced today that 100% of graduates in two of its Denver area high schools – Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts (MESA) and Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning (RMSEL) – have been accepted to four year colleges. Both schools have achieved this important benchmark of student success for the last three years. They join eight other Expeditionary Learning high schools from across the country boasting 100% college acceptance this year.

Scott Hartl, President and CEO of Expeditionary Learning, commented on the importance of these achievements: "College access is one of the most important civil rights issues facing this generation of high school graduates. We're proud of these high schools for not only ensuring that every student has the option to attend college but also for preparing them to succeed once they get there."

Access to college education is integral to the missions of MESA and RMSEL. According to Director Kathryn Dieck, MESA's goal for students, most of whom are first generation college students, is to be "accepted but also to be prepared for success in college."

Kerry Lord, Executive Director at RMSEL, notes the power of the Expeditionary Learning model to prepare students to fully engage with college academics. "It allows students to discover their strengths and passions, and begin to realize their impact on the world," she said.

Expeditionary Learning partners with elementary, middle, and high schools across the country, offering a design that demands critical thinking, problem-solving, and active citizenship and that uniquely prepares students for the demands of college.

MESA was founded in 2006 as a partnership between Expeditionary Learning, the Mapleton Public School District, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. RMSEL, a public school of choice, was one of the 10 original Expeditionary Learning schools that opened in 1993.

About Expeditionary Learning

Expeditionary Learning (EL) transforms and opens schools across the United States. EL schools demonstrate that students can achieve at high levels on high stakes tests and actively engage as leaders of their own learning. There are 165 EL schools in 29 states and D.C., reaching approximately 46,000 students and 4,075 teachers.

SOURCE Expeditionary Learning