Pamela Jackson(Pictured with John), Director of Sales and Charlotte Klein, Work Study Coordinator gave a presentation on the Detroit Cristo Rey High School. Detroit Cristo Rey, formed in 2008, is a Catholic high school that provides a college-preparatory education to students from economically disadvantaged families in Detroit. It is a part of 32 school network around the country that implements a school/work program.
The 340 students go to school from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM four days a week and then work at corporations (GM, DTE, and Henry Ford Hospital, to to name a few) on the fifth day. The school year starts on August 1st where the students undergo a training program conducted by these corporate sponsors. Each students’ salary throughout the school year is paid directly to the school and covers half of the tuition. The other half is raised through donations. The school is very proactive in making sure the corporations are satisfied by having regular surveys about each students’ performance and conducting on-site inspections. On the education front, the goal is 100% college acceptance, which it has achieved every year since its initial graduating class in 2012.