Kalamazoo (Michigan) Central High School Competes for a Visit from President Obama

Kalamazoo Central High School is in competition with 5 other schools from across the nation for a visit and a graduation speech from President Barack Obama. If selected, Kalamazoo Central High School will be visited by the president of the United States and receive a unique honor that no other High School will receive this year.

The American public will vote on the most worthy high school, choosing from a selection narrowed to 6 and placed on the White House Website at http://www.whitehouse.gov/Commencement. Kalamazoo Central High School, along with the other schools participating, prepared videos showing Kalamazoo Central High School, its students and their accomplishments. Voters can view the videos and vote for Kalamazoo Central High School at the White House website with the click of a mouse.

The Kalamazoo Central High School video features accomplishments in sports and academics and shows Kalamazoo Central High School's 150 year history as the first Public High School in Michigan. Students say "I am going to College" in many different languages showing the diversity of Kalamazoo Central High School students. Former students standing on stacks of books show how the Kalamazoo Promise is changing their future with a college education.

Kalamazoo Central High School will be judged on several criteria. The first is the educational success of the school and how it can be an example to other schools around the country. The second criteria is the ability of the school to engage its students in learning and to foster academic excellence. Finally, Kalamazoo Central High School will be judged on its ability to prepare students to attend and graduate from College.

Kalamazoo Central High School may have a unique advantage in this particular category due to the Kalamazoo Promise, offering 4 years of paid tuition at a public university to any student graduating from Kalamazoo Public Schools. Few, if any other school systems offer such an academic advantage.

At the conclusion of the voting, the top 3 schools will be presented to the President who will make the final selection. Kalamazoo Central High School needs support from the community to make the top 3. Voting ends April 29^th. The final decision, make by the President will be announced on May 4. Your vote could make all the difference