BALTIMORE - As part of a learning series of educational activities outside the classroom, 35 ninth and tenth grade inner city students at the Academy for College and Career Exploration (ACCE) will tour the White House in the Nation’s Capital on Wednesday, February 15, 2006. John Zesiger, a social studies teacher at ACCE, and his students identified a list of historical landmarks they would like to visit during the school year to bolster their learning experiences. Students will leave ACCE, located at 2500 E. Northern Parkway, at 9:30 a.m. for an hour tour of the White House. The tour was coordinated through a joint effort between ACCE and Congressman Elijah Cummings’ office.

This is ACCE students’ first visit to the White House. “It is our desire that the students will gain historical knowledge and explore the many career options available to them in the government sector,” said Christopher Maher, principal of ACCE. “We [ACCE] are poised to develop our students for academic success and prepare them for local and global competition,” said Maher.

Participating in the tour will be Karen Sitnick, director, Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, Jacquelene Massey, ACCE director of community partnership and resource development, Christopher Maher, ACCE principal, Jennifer Reed, ACCE guidance counselor and Karen Hodges, ACCE/Blum mentor.

ACCE is one of six Baltimore City Innovation High Schools. Now in its second year, ACCE has 230 ninth and tenth graders and plans to have a capacity of 400 students in grades 9-12 by 2009. This college and career focused school was created between a partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development and the Sar Levitan Center at John Hopkins University Institute of Policy Studies. Characterized by commitment, a strong, flexible, safe and nurturing environment, ACCE promotes workforce development via a rigorous “learn, earn and explore” educational experience that leads directly to post secondary matriculation, productive careers and responsible citizenship.

For more information about Baltimore City’s ACCE High School, log onto http://www.accebaltimore.com.