The School that “Works”
Posted: 21-Jun-2011
If you have visited Fleet Car’s Denver office between mid-August and early June there is a good chance you have seen one of the Arrupe Jesuit High School students “employed” by the company. The students are fairly easy to recognize as they are young, dress nicely and are very polite! In August Fleet Car will begin the 8th year of our partnership with this remarkable school and to date, approximately 30 very special students.Arrupe Jesuit High School opened its doors to the very first class of wide eyed freshmen in the fall of 2003. Based on the extremely successful Cristo Rey model first introduced in Chicago in the 1990’s, the concept of providing needy students a first-rate college preparatory Jesuit education expanded quickly. There are now 24 high schools across the United States which utilize the Cristo Rey model of which the Corporate Work Study Program is a central element. Arrupe Jesuit High School in Denver became one of the first cities outside Chicago to introduce this unique educational concept.
There are several characteristics which make Arrupe special and which differ significantly from the typical Catholic or private high school. First, Arrupe focuses on providing a top quality education to students from predominately minority backgrounds, populations that are often underserved. Second, like other private high schools Arrupe charges tuition for those who wish to attend. What is unique is how Arrupe students pay their tuition. They work!
Thanks to the Corporate Work Study Program, first developed at Chicago’s Cristo Rey High School, students work an average of 5 days a month at local businesses. Rather than create an issue with coursework and other activities the school curriculum is developed to accommodate this unique arrangement. As a result, students are able to work one or more days a week and their education is enhanced due to the practical real world experience gained through the program. By participating in the Corporate Work Study Program students are able to earn 70% of their school tuition.
None of this would be possible without the support of the Denver business community. In the just completed school year 97 companies, including Fleet Car Carriers, “hire” the students who perform important, meaningful work. The help provided by companies doesn’t stop with the money which helps students pay their tuition obligations, rather student’s gain real world work experience which in turn helps prepare them for college and the world they will enter after their academic career is completed.
It was mentioned earlier that the Corporate Work Study Program enables students to earn approximately 70% of tuition required to attend Arrupe. Since many students come from families not able to pay even the reduced tuition, the Denver business community in partnership with Arrupe have worked together to raise millions of additional dollars. This revenue not only helps make up the tuition shortfall but has enabled the school to upgrade classrooms, labs and the school facilities.
Arrupe takes pride in accepting any student who can meet the challenging entrance requirements and work hard to excel in the classroom and the workplace, regardless of ability to pay. Over Arrupe’s brief history literally hundreds of students have taken advantage of this tremendous opportunity to develop the skills that will allow them to be successful in college, technical school and throughout their work careers.
It seems not a school year goes by that Arrupe doesn’t celebrate a new milestone. May 2011 saw the first Arrupe graduates, the Class of 2007, become the first Arrupe class to graduate from college! Many Arrupe grads frequently return to their high school to keep in touch with the dedicated teachers and staff that had such a profound impact on their high school experience. Numerous graduates also go out of their way to encourage current Arrupe students who at times wonder if becoming an Arrupe graduate is really worth the hard work.
Fleet Car Carriers values our relationship with Arrupe and is very appreciative of the dedication of the supervisors, co-workers and the BonAnno family who have provided support to these wonderful young people.
Would you like to learn more about Arrupe Jesuit High School and the Cristo Rey network? Check out http://www.arrupejesuit.com and http://www.cristoreynetwork.org.