The National Constitution Center, with the generous support of the Annenberg Foundation, will debut the first installment of its new national student outreach program, The Exchange: Securing an Education, on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Center's Kirby Auditorium.  The Exchange: Securing an Education will be hosted by SuChin Pak, an MTV News correspondent and feature a panel of experts including Dr. Deborah Kenny, Founding Principal of Harlem Village Academy Charter School and CEO of Village Academies.

Dr. Deborah Kenny is the founder and Chief Executive of Village Academies, a network of college preparatory charter schools serving low-income, minority children in Harlem, New York. She was founding Principal of the network's first school, Harlem Village Academy. Under Kenny's leadership, Harlem Village Academy produced dramatic student achievement gains, ranking among the highest performing urban schools in the country.

In 2006, Kenny received the national "Educators who Perform" award at the Center for Education Reform gala in Washington, D.C. In addition, she was honored as the 2006 "Educator of the Year," presented by New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein. She holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University-Teachers College in comparative international education, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania.

This article appeared in the May 15, 2007 edition of the Earth Times.org.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,106634.shtml

Published Thursday, May. 17, 2007