First Lady Michelle Obama and Expeditionary Learning Celebrate the "College March" at Capital City Public Charter School Friday, December 5

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Kicking off Expeditionary Learning's "College March" week, First Lady Michelle Obama will visit Capital City Public Charter School this Friday, December 5^th to celebrate seniors as they drop their college applications in the mail.

• WHAT: First Lady Michelle Obama addresses an entire class of high school seniors as they mail their college applications.
• WHEN: Friday, December 5^th at 12:30pm.
• WHERE: Capital City Public Charter School, an Expeditionary Learning Mentor School in Washington, D.C.
• WHY: To celebrate the goal that Expeditionary Learning shares with the First Lady's "Reach Higher" initiative: that every student in America attend college.

Since the Washington, D.C., school's first graduating class in 2012, 100% of Capital City seniors have been accepted to college – a significant achievement in that 80% of graduates have been the first in their families to go to college.

"All students deserve an education that makes success in college both an option and an aim," says Scott Hartl, CEO of Expeditionary Learning (EL), a K-12 education nonprofit that partners with 160 schools in 31 states and D.C. "The success of Capital City's seniors is a testament to the fact that students can 'reach higher' and achieve more than they ever thought possible. Expeditionary Learning embraces the First Lady's commitment around giving kids the opportunity to direct their own future in college and beyond."

The Capital City Public Charter School event kicks off EL's College March week. The first College March began at Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School in 2011, and spread across NYC Outward Bound Schools' network of EL schools in 2012. This year, the College March has expanded across the nation, including 14 EL schools. College Marches will be held in 9 cities on December 12^th.

In addition to its network of schools, Expeditionary Learning designed a Grades 3-8 English Language Arts curriculum adopted by New York State – a curriculum which has been downloaded more than 2 million times nationally; the organization is holding its National Conference next week (open to select media). Capital City, an EL Mentor School founded in 2000, was the first public school that President Barack Obama and the First Lady visited after his inauguration in 2009.  

Media Coverage: The event is open press, but space is limited. Members of the media who wish to cover this event must RSVP to Davia Temin of Temin and Company at [email protected] by Thursday, December 4^th, at 12 noon ET with the subject line "College March RSVP." Press who do not have a White House hard pass must include their social security number, date of birth, country of citizenship, current city/state of residence, and gender. Please note that RSVP does not guarantee access and those who are media credentialed will receive a confirmation email.

About Expeditionary Learning  
Expeditionary Learning is a leading K-12 education nonprofit that is meeting the national challenge to raise student achievement. Combining challenging work with the joy of discovery and pride in mastery, EL offers the education we would want for every child: one that prepares citizens with both the skills and the character necessary for success throughout college, work and life.

Our portfolio of instructional materials and coaching services draws on 20+ years of success in more than 160 EL schools, serving 4,000 teachers and 53,000 students in 31 states and Washington, D.C. Based on founding principles of meaningful work, character and respect for teachers, EL's offerings transform teaching and learning to promote habits of scholarship and character that lead to high student achievement, regardless of student background. In addition to success on standardized tests, EL students demonstrate critical thinking, intellectual courage and emotional resilience; they possess the passion and the capacity to contribute to a better world. For more information, visit http://elschools.org.

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SOURCE Expeditionary Learning

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