News and Events
GRAND OPENING OF EU ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL SEPT. 26 AT FALLS CENTER
Hill Harper -- Author, Activist and Actor -- to Speak
PLEASE NOTE: This event is for invited guests only. The media is welcome to attend.
St. Davids, PA, September 14, 2009: The Eastern University Academy Charter School at 3300 Henry Ave. in Philadelphia, PA, will hold its ribbon-cutting and tours for invited guests on Saturday, Sept. 26. The tours begin at 10:30 a.m. In celebration of this grand opening of the Charter School, Eastern's Center for Community Education will host Hill Harper as its annual Fall Lecture. Hill Harper will speak at 1 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session and book signing of his bestsellers, Letters to a Young Brother and Letters to a Young Sister.
The Eastern University Academy Charter School is a public charter school founded by Eastern University in partnership with the Big Picture Company, the Gates Foundation affiliate Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, and the Black Alliance for Educational Options. The school has started its first semester with 124 students in grades seven and nine. These students will have the opportunity to earn as many as 60 college credits by the time they graduate.
Guest speaker Hill Harper is described as a "scholar, mentor, author, entrepreneur, activist and actor." He is a graduate of Brown University who went on to earn graduate degrees in law and public administration from Harvard University. He is now appearing in the hit television drama, CSI:NY, which has earned him two NAACP Image Awards.
In 2006, Harper wrote the New York Times bestselling book, Letters to a Young Brother, to provide encouragement and guidance to young Black men who are still trying to find their way. He speaks to brothers in a language they can relate to with advice they can put into practice. The book provides examples of perseverance in the face of struggle and hope for a better future. After the success of the first book, he wrote the companion book, Letters to a Young Sister, also a New York Times bestseller, engaging some of the strongest female voices of this generation to help him convey a message of hope, education and commitment for young sisters.
The opening of the Eastern University Academy Charter School is the culmination of several years of work by Eastern University and its partners. The Charter School reinforces Eastern's commitment to urban education programs and strengthens its presence in the city of Philadelphia. This presence now includes The Falls Center which houses the Academy Charter School, the Center for Community Education, the Cross Boundaries Dual Enrollment Program, and MA in Urban Studies Program; the People for People Institute which is a partnership between Eastern University and People for People Inc. that offers academic degree programs to the Philadelphia community; and Esperanza College at 5th and Bristol Streets, serving the Latino community in Philadelphia.
Eastern is a Christian University located at 1300 Eagle Road in St. Davids, PA. It currently enrolls about 4,000 students in its undergraduate, graduate, urban, Seminary, international and accelerated adult programs. Eastern University integrates faith, reason and justice into all of its programs and courses of study.
For more information about Eastern University, visit www.eastern.edu or call 1.800.452.0996.
For information about Eastern University Urban Programs, call 1.800.732.7669
For information about the new EU Academy Charter School, call 215.769.3123.
For information about the People for People Institute, call 267.440.3509.
For information about Esperanza College, call 215.324.0746.
