
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, October 23, 1995                   TAG: 9510240008
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

NEW PARTNERS

PUBLIC-PRIVATE partnerships have been raised almost to an art form in the Roanoke Valley. Indeed, a few homegrown endeavors have become national models.

Now comes another pathfinder to meet a need creatively: the public-private Partners for Success, launched here by Roanoke city's school superintendent, Wayne Harris.

The initiative, which Harris plans to expand to include students from Salem and Roanoke County, aims to help academically promising but financially handicapped kids get a college education. It begins preparing them for college in middle-school grades with tutoring, mentoring, special courses and summer sessions on college campuses.

Virginia Western Community College, Roanoke College and Hollins College - one public, two private institutions - will guarantee admission to students enrolled in Partners for Success who graduate from high school with a certain grade-point average and who meet entrance requirements.

Their parents also are required to participate in activities to encourage the students to go on to college. Most of the parents of the 65 Roanoke youngsters now enrolled did not get higher education themselves. Some of the kids have had behavior problems in school and were deemed unlikely to attend college without special motivation and support from outside the home.

Harris has lined up financial backing for the effort from several businesses in the Roanoke Valley, including First Union Bank. Earlier this month, Central Fidelity Bank announced a $50,000 contribution. With the colleges providing financial aid to cover up to 70 percent of college expenses for qualifying students, the business contributions will go toward covering the remainder.

Banks and other businesses tradition-ally support local charities, arts and com-munity-service projects. But this public-private partnership isn't charity. Investing in higher education is an investment in economic development.

by CNB