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Students of New Orleans Historic "Little Red School House" Inspire Contributions to City's Rebirth

Ramsey, NJ and New Orleans, LA (PRWeb) February 7, 2007 -- Music, art and originality - three words often used to describe the flavor of the city of New Orleans. They also perfectly describe the unique talents of the 420 students and teachers of McDonogh 15 School for the Creative Arts. Affectionately known as "The Little Red School House," McDonogh 15 is part of the national Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) network of schools and is located in the French Quarter just off Bourbon Street. McDonogh 15 is a haven for students who rhyme to arithmetic, draw the dinosaur age and sing the state capitals - cultivating the next generation of famous New Orleans artists.



Currently celebrating its 75th anniversary, this historic school is also the source of inspiration that sparked a recent goal set by digital imaging company KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, U.S.A., INC. (KONICA MINOLTA) to support the city's revitalization efforts through education. With a short-term goal of raising up to $200,000 to fund building and park renovations and digital arts equipment for McDonogh 15, KONICA MINOLTA has also instituted an ongoing program to provide annual high school scholarships.

"We originally selected New Orleans as the site for our dealer and partner event knowing that we also wanted to contribute to the city in other ways. When the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau identified the opportunity to work with The Little Red School House, we were immediately inspired by every teacher and student we met," said Jun Haraguchi, President and CEO of KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, U.S.A., INC. " The school's rich history in the creative arts not only embodies the spirit of New Orleans, but also perfectly aligns with what we stand for as a company - promoting the essentials of imaging and building global initiatives around disaster relief, supporting local culture and next-generation education."

The First Step: The McDonogh 15 Makeover
Over the years, The Little Red School House suffered from neglect that left the school in disrepair, and, like many other New Orleans landmarks, endured additional structural damage during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Support from KONICA MINOLTA will allow the school to repair exterior cracks, damaged windows and deteriorating bathrooms, as well as upgrade and add playground equipment to a local park that serves as the only open green space for a school located in the middle of the French Quarter.

"We work hard to make this school a warm and happy place for the kids. Our teachers and parent volunteers have done a lot of painting, but there is so much more we can do," said School Leader and New Orleans native Gary Robichaux. "This donation from KONICA MINOLTA will allow us to complete large scale renovations that will make this building a place that honors the hard work of our students and teachers."    

KONICA MINOLTA has outlined a goal to raise up to $200,000 by generating donations from its holding company and employees, as well as its network of dealer and business partners. The company will also donate 100 percent of proceeds from an auction to be held during its Connect for Growth Live_2007 Business Conference and Exposition, taking place this week (February 6-9) at the Hilton Riverside Hotel in downtown New Orleans. Members of the McDonogh 15 Jazz Band performed on the event's opening day and students are displaying their artwork created around the themes of "What my school means to me," and "What my city means to me."

The money raised will go towards fixing the school's ceiling, exterior and bathrooms, replacing windows, repainting, cleaning up the local park and purchasing new playground equipment. Beyond the structural improvements, KONICA MINOLTA will donate $20,000 worth of products for the students' everyday use, including graphic application software, wide-format color printers and high-speed scanners.

"Besides making McDonogh 15 a nicer place to go to school every day, KONICA MINOLTA's donation will offer our students the opportunity to improve the quality of their work and take even more pride in their creative projects - many of which are featured in local community art galleries," said Heidi Campbell, McDonogh 15's director of creative arts and instruction. "Our students will now have access to state-of-the art, professional graphics technology that will allow them to build their own portfolios, which are a critical component to their private high school applications."

The Long Haul: Creating College-Bound Kids
McDonogh 15's structural renovations serve as the entry point for longer-term initiatives KONICA MINOLTA has put into place. The company will continue to make bi-annual donations of notebooks, pens, pencils and other necessary school supplies. In addition, KONICA MINOLTA has committed to a $45,000 yearly investment to provide financial support to students who could not otherwise afford the costs of private education.

"While we were thrilled to be able to fund these critical renovations to McDonogh 15, our goal from the start was for this to become more than just a one-time contribution," said Bill Brewster, vice president of marketing at KONICA MINOLTA. ""By instituting programs for both the near and long term and involving our entire organization and business partner network, we are able to contribute in a way that spans students, teachers and parents - both today and tomorrow."

Each year, three $15,000 scholarships will be awarded to best-in-class students - one based on academic performance, one for achievement in the visual arts and another for proficiency in the musical arts. These scholarships will offer opportunities for graduating eighth grade students to attend top-rated New Orleans high schools that will provide them with the foundation to pursue higher education.

McDonogh 15's mission is to empower students with the academic skills and character traits they need to succeed in competitive high schools and colleges. According to Robichaux, 80 percent of graduates of other KIPP network schools have enrolled in college, compared with only 25 percent of public high school students in New Orleans.

"It is our hope that when our students graduate from college, they will settle in New Orleans and ultimately become major contributors to the city's thriving culture and economy," said Robichaux.

"McDonogh 15 is a great school - I like working on art projects with my teachers and being a part of the school band," said Rodney Coleman, a 12-year old saxophone player who hopes to one day attend Stanford University. "I want to go to college to become a lawyer and a judge."

As part of the national Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), McDonogh 15 students are focused on college. Students attend school from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and two Saturday mornings a month, spending about 60 percent more time in class than the average public school student. Teachers make themselves available by cell phone for an hour and a half each night to field homework questions. Each homeroom class is named for the teacher's alma mater, and students identify their grade level with the year they will enter college.

"Each of these kids is a symbol of the future of the city of New Orleans," said Robichaux. "Every opportunity we take to improve their chances of success is an investment in our community and takes us all a step closer to bringing New Orleans back."

About McDonogh 15 School for the Creative Arts and KIPP
McDonogh 15 School for the Creative Arts was opened under the auspices of KIPP New Orleans in the summer of 2006 to serve the students of a rebuilding New Orleans. McDonogh 15 is an open-enrollment public charter school that unites a rigorous college-preparatory academic experience with a focus on the creative arts. McDonogh 15 is part of the national KIPP network and the local KIPP New Orleans network of public schools, which plans to operate five schools serving nearly 2000 students within five years. For more information, please visit www.McDonogh15.org.

KIPP was founded in 1994 by two idealistic teachers, Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, after completing their commitment to Teach For America. KIPP has grown to a national network of 52 open enrollment public schools in 16 states and the District of Columbia. KIPP schools have been widely recognized for narrowing the achievement gap in public education and putting underserved kids on the path to college. More than 80 percent of KIPP students nationally are low-income and more than 95 percent are African American or Hispanic. KIPP schools use a combination of higher expectations, greater structure, more time in school, rigorous teacher training and even spirited songs to engage students in learning. For more information, please visit www.kipp.org.

About KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS U.S.A.
KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS U.S.A., INC., offers a broad range of multifunctional digital imaging solutions inspired by its bizhub brand of powerful solutions that serve as the central resource for document scanning, in-house printing, copying, faxing and electronic archiving and distribution. From high-quality color and monochrome bizhub systems for workgroups and small offices, to advanced high-volume bizhub PRO production printing systems for large corporations and print-for-pay services, KONICA MINOLTA is leading the industry toward integrated, networked hardware/software solutions that are more simple, reliable, and cost-effective. Complementing its bizhub solutions, KONICA MINOLTA also offers desktop laser printers, microform digital imaging systems, wide-format printers and scanning systems for specialized applications.

Headquartered in Ramsey, New Jersey, KONICA MINOLTA delivers expert professional services and experienced, responsive client support, in addition to the world-class service provided through its extensive network of direct sales offices, authorized dealers, resellers and distribution partners in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and South America. For more information, please visit KONICA MINOLTA at www.kmbs.konicaminolta.us.

Contact:

Susan Lombardo
Lois Paul & Partners
781-782-5767
susan_lombardo {at} lpp.com

James Norberto
KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS U.S.A., INC.
201-825-4000
jnorberto {at} kmbs.konicaminolta.us

Jonathan Bertsch
KIPP New Orleans / McDonogh 15 School for the Creative Arts
504-905-7311
jbertsch {at} kippneworleans.org

KONICA MINOLTA and The essentials of imaging are trademarks of KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC. bizhub and bizhub PRO are trademarks of KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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