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St. Paul Travelers and Minnesota Minority Education Partnership Host Forum to Improve College Access for State's Students of Color and Low-Income Populations

Business Wire - May 19, 2004

Business Editors

SAINT PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 2004

St. Paul Travelers (NYSE:STA) and the Minnesota Minority Education Partnership, Inc. (MMEP) are announcing the kick-off of a major statewide initiative to increase college attendance among students of color and low-income students at a luncheon 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Thursday, May 20, at St. Paul Travelers' corporate headquarters in Saint Paul, Minn. Legislators, civic leaders, and business and community members will learn about the Minnesota College Access Network (MCAN), a statewide strategy to increase college attendance through a statewide public relations campaign and community efforts to develop college preparation programming in all Minnesota school districts. Featured speaker Christina Milano, executive director of the National College Access Network (NCAN), will discuss NCAN's partnership with MMEP to coordinate a state effort to improve access to the state's colleges and universities. NCAN is working with Minnesota as part of a three-year $1.9 million dollar grant to develop similar college access networks in 12 states.

"Improving college access is critical to fostering a skilled and educated Minnesota workforce in the 21st century," said Mary Pickard, vice president of Community Affairs for St. Paul Travelers. "We are co-hosting this event with MMEP because of our shared goal of helping students overcome class, social, cultural and economic barriers to pursuing higher education and achieving success."

By 2013, Minnesota's high school graduating class will be 10 percent smaller and 50 percent more ethnically diverse than it is now. While the state's minority population continues to grow, minority representation on college campuses is not keeping pace. In 2000, 28 percent of Caucasian Americans held four-year college degrees, while less than 17 percent of African-Americans and only 11 percent of Hispanics did.

"Minnesota-- traditionally a national leader in higher education enrollment-- is facing many new challenges," said Carlos Mariana-Rosa, MMEP executive director. "Enrollment of students of color and low-income students is on the rise in Minnesota K-12 schools, and unfortunately Minnesota has not successfully graduated these students from high school, much less enrolled them into higher education institutions. Recent data suggest that Minnesota has one of the largest achievement gaps in the country."

Thursday's forum with the National College Access Network will roll out a year-long effort to build the network by enlisting community-based organizations, schools, colleges and policy makers as partners in an effort to create a statewide agenda for increasing college attendance and graduation from Minnesota colleges.

St. Paul Travelers is a leading provider of commercial property-liability insurance and asset management services. Under the Travelers brand, the company is also a leading underwriter of auto and homeowners insurance through independent agents. For more information, visit www.stpaultravelers.com.

The Minnesota Minority Education Partnership, Inc. (MMEP) is a nonprofit collaborative founded in 1987 that seeks to increase the success of Minnesota students of color in Minnesota schools, colleges and universities. MMEP achieves its mission by working closely with students, communities of color and representatives from education, business, government and nonprofits to develop programs that help students of color succeed academically. For more information, visit www.mmep.net.

Business Editors

SAINT PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 2004

St. Paul Travelers (NYSE:STA) and the Minnesota Minority Education Partnership, Inc. (MMEP) are announcing the kick-off of a major statewide initiative to increase college attendance among students of color and low-income students at a luncheon 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Thursday, May 20, at St. Paul Travelers' corporate headquarters in Saint Paul, Minn. Legislators, civic leaders, and business and community members will learn about the Minnesota College Access Network (MCAN), a statewide strategy to increase college attendance through a statewide public relations campaign and community efforts to develop college preparation programming in all Minnesota school districts. Featured speaker Christina Milano, executive director of the National College Access Network (NCAN), will discuss NCAN's partnership with MMEP to coordinate a state effort to improve access to the state's colleges and universities. NCAN is working with Minnesota as part of a three-year $1.9 million dollar grant to develop similar college access networks in 12 states.

"Improving college access is critical to fostering a skilled and educated Minnesota workforce in the 21st century," said Mary Pickard, vice president of Community Affairs for St. Paul Travelers. "We are co-hosting this event with MMEP because of our shared goal of helping students overcome class, social, cultural and economic barriers to pursuing higher education and achieving success."

By 2013, Minnesota's high school graduating class will be 10 percent smaller and 50 percent more ethnically diverse than it is now. While the state's minority population continues to grow, minority representation on college campuses is not keeping pace. In 2000, 28 percent of Caucasian Americans held four-year college degrees, while less than 17 percent of African-Americans and only 11 percent of Hispanics did.

"Minnesota-- traditionally a national leader in higher education enrollment-- is facing many new challenges," said Carlos Mariana-Rosa, MMEP executive director. "Enrollment of students of color and low-income students is on the rise in Minnesota K-12 schools, and unfortunately Minnesota has not successfully graduated these students from high school, much less enrolled them into higher education institutions. Recent data suggest that Minnesota has one of the largest achievement gaps in the country."

Thursday's forum with the National College Access Network will roll out a year-long effort to build the network by enlisting community-based organizations, schools, colleges and policy makers as partners in an effort to create a statewide agenda for increasing college attendance and graduation from Minnesota colleges.

St. Paul Travelers is a leading provider of commercial property-liability insurance and asset management services. Under the Travelers brand, the company is also a leading underwriter of auto and homeowners insurance through independent agents. For more information, visit www.stpaultravelers.com.

The Minnesota Minority Education Partnership, Inc. (MMEP) is a nonprofit collaborative founded in 1987 that seeks to increase the success of Minnesota students of color in Minnesota schools, colleges and universities. MMEP achieves its mission by working closely with students, communities of color and representatives from education, business, government and nonprofits to develop programs that help students of color succeed academically. For more information, visit www.mmep.net.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Business Wire
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

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