NEW YORK and SANTA ANA, Calif., Feb. 14, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corinthian Colleges Inc. (Nasdaq:COCO) has donated $1 million to the National Urban League to support the Urban Empowered College Bound Program, an education initiative that will help people who did not finish high school earn a GED credential.
The Urban Empowered College Bound Program will enable National Urban League to strengthen and coordinate GED preparation programs being offered by its local affiliates around the country. Beginning July 1, the Corinthian grant also will enable National Urban League affiliates in Pittsburgh, PA and Orlando, FL to expand their successful GED programs to serve more than 200 students.
"The National Urban League has focused its mission of economic empowerment on guiding young people toward the skills they need for career success in the 21st Century," said Marc H. Morial, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Urban League. "Students who earn their GED credential have a better chance of completing postsecondary education, gaining full-time employment and earning higher salaries than those who do not. Corinthian has a long history of preparing students for careers in demand and of giving every student an equal opportunity to succeed."
"Both the National Urban League and Corinthian understand that education is the key to economic success and a better life," said Jack Massimino, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Corinthian. "For the 29 million Americans over the age of 25 who don't have a high school diploma, earning a GED credential is an essential first step. Both our organizations help hundreds of people take that first step every year. We're proud to help the National Urban League do even more of this life-changing work."
The National Urban League, based in New York City, is one of the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organizations. Founded in 1910, it has almost 100 local affiliates in 36 states and the District of Columbia. It is dedicated to promoting economic empowerment in historically underserved urban communities, and its GED preparation programs are a central part of that mission.
Corinthian Colleges Inc., based in Santa Ana, CA, specializes in career education programs that help graduates take their first step up the economic ladder. Corinthian's schools – Everest, Heald College and WyoTech -- have 123 campuses in 26 states and Canada, and offer online instruction nationwide. They currently enroll about 95,000 students.
The Urban Empowered College Bound Program will be planned and overseen by the National Urban League, and managed and delivered by the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and the Central Florida Urban League. The affiliates will work closely with local Corinthian Colleges campuses to identify and enroll interested and qualified students. The Program's first classes are scheduled to begin in the summer of 2012.
For more information on the partnership, please visit http://cci.edu/GED.
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