Hans D. Lassiter will participate in the kick-off of the new Saturday College Preparatory Academy (Saturday Academy) program being offered to 54 African-American males from Hillside and Southern High Schools.   The event will take place Saturday, January 22nd from 9:00 until 2:00 at the Union Independent School, 116 Corporation Street, Durham, NC.  The young men participating are in the 11th grade and have been selected to receive additional help in their goal to attend a 4 year college or university after their 2012 graduation.  The program is funded with a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Minority Bridge to Success Project and involves collaboration with Durham Public Schools and Union Independent School (UIS).  The men will meet at UIS each Saturday for mentoring, tutoring, SAT preparation and enrichment experiences.  Tutors will be primarily volunteers from local universities.  
A press conference will be held at 9:30 at UIS with a panel discussion to follow at 11:00.  Participants will include Dr. Eric Becoats, Superintendent of Schools, Minnie Forte-Brown, Chairman of the Board of Education, Hans Lassiter, Kenneth Barnes, principal of Southern High School, student participants and their parents, and other officials associated with the program.