Project GRAD just awarded 775 students with a college scholarship. They are students on their way to college. Project GRAD is now focused on motivating the next class - not only for high school graduation but also for a college education. Nearly 2,000 Houston Independent School District (HISD) high school students will participate in Project GRAD's College Institutes taking place on college and university campuses this summer. Students are familiarized with a collegiate environment, explore high demand careers, strengthen their academics, and move one step closer to earning the Project GRAD $4,000 college scholarship. Project GRAD partnering high schools include: Davis, Reagan, Wheatley, Sam Houston Math, Science, & Technology Center, and Yates.

"The future of Texas depends on the future of Texas' children and all of our children need to know about the importance of an education beyond high school. Without that, they won't be ready for the workforce," says Dr. Ann B. Stiles, Project GRAD Houston Executive Director.

Project GRAD College Institutes are taking place at Houston Community College, Rice University, Texas Southern University, Texas State University, University of Houston, University of Houston - Downtown, University of St. Thomas, and University of Texas Health Science Center. Program offerings include energy explorations, advanced mathematics and biology, business, financial literacy, liberal arts, STEM, and digital communication/digital gaming. The College Board recognized Project GRAD's College Institutes for increasing the percentage of low-income students who successfully get ready for college.

College Institutes are made possible through the generous support of: Capital One, AT&T, JPMorgan Chase, The Favrot Fund, The John G. & Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation, Schlumberger, Shell, the Vivian L. Smith Foundation, and others. Funding is also provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and HISD.

To date over 6,000 low-income students have enrolled in college with the Project GRAD scholarship since the program's inception in 1992, an investment of more than $24 million in the city of Houston. Visit www.projectgradhouston.org for more information.

WHAT: 2012 Project GRAD College Institutes

WHEN: June, July, and August 2012

WHERE: Houston Community College, Rice University, Texas Southern University, Texas State University, University of Houston, University of Houston - Downtown, University of St. Thomas, and University of Texas Health Science Center

WHO: High school students from Davis, Reagan, Wheatley, Sam Houston Math, Science, & Technology Center, and Yates High Schools

The mission of Project GRAD is to support a quality public education for all students in economically

disadvantaged communities so that high school and college graduation rates increase.