Jewish Family Service

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of Metropolitan Detroit

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With your support
through the
Friends of the Family
Campaign,
Jewish Family Service
is...

Dr. Nat Pernick

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Detroit College Promise has an ulterior motive.

Allan Nahajewski

Contributing Writer

...a support

system for children
and families.

Meredith was recently
divorced and her son has
just been diagnosed with
Asperger's Syndrome.
She and her son are
receiving counseling
support from a JFS
social worker.

Last year JFS
Ls Provided

counseling
support to over

850 individuals
dealing with life's
challenges

• 4; Connected
V 80 youth with
caring adult
mentors

.11, Responded to 900

Nu families in need

with guidance,
support and
resources

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248-592-2339

26 December 13 • 2012

0

n the surface, the Detroit
College Promise initiative that
Dr. Nat Pernick started in
2008 is all about helping city kids pay
for college. But the program's reason for
being is loftier than that.
"This is really about strengthening
Detroit's public schools K-12 and mak-
ing the city a better place to live says
Pernick.
How?
"Our mission is to motivate Detroit
students to make education a priority:'
he says.
The secret ingredient is hope. The
program's tagline: "You've got to
believe:'
The premise is simple: If you live in
Detroit, stay in school and turn in your
paperwork on time, a college scholar-
ship is yours. The application is one
page, on which the student makes a
pledge: "I promise to stay in school, be
the best student I can be and, when I
am successful, to help other students in
Detroit"
To date, 388 Detroit public school
students have received scholarships
through the Detroit College Promise.
The program is funded through dona-
tions and sponsors.
The idea of getting a scholarship to
attend college is quite a concept for a
ninth-grader to absorb.
Pernick recalls a visit to a Detroit high
school. "The ninth-graders were rather
boisterous, but when we started giving
out the scholarships, it was almost abso-
lute silence. It was eerie he says. "You
looked at their faces, and you could
see they were almost in shock. They
had heard about it, but to really think
that they had a scholarship, it was just
unbelievable — something they never
imagined.
"We want these kids to believe in

themselves. We want them to show up
every day, do their homework, push
themselves and really see a brighter
future. The thought of a scholarship can
keep them going and maybe help them
overcome other obstacles:'
Pernick envisioned the program for
Detroit after hearing about a similar
effort in Kalamazoo. He is a third-
generation Detroiter. His parents were
Central High grads. He graduated from
Southfield Lathrup High School before
earning degrees in law and medicine.
"I felt bad reading about the problems
with the schools in Detroit. I felt I had
to do something:'
The Detroit College Promise is a tax-
exempt nonprofit organization. "We're
not a government agency, and we're not
affiliated with Detroit Public Schools:'
Pernick notes. Because sponsors cover
all administrative costs, every donated
dollar goes toward scholarships.
This year, Pernick has strengthened
his development and public relations
team. "We're growing, but to have a big
impact, we need to raise several million
dollars a year:' he says.
One of the new initiatives for 2013 is
called Promise Partners, which will get
other like-minded organizations, busi-
nesses or community groups involved
in raising program awareness. Among
the new partners are the Harlem
Globetrotters, who will visit schools,
talk about the importance of education
and help get children enrolled in the
program.
Children can apply for the scholarship
at any time between kindergarten and
the ninth grade. More than 25,000 stu-
dents have registered so far.
Another promotional event in the
works is a conversation between Rev.
Jesse Jackson and Rabbi Daniel Syme of
Temple Beth El about faith, justice and
education to strengthen the ties between
the black and Jewish communities.
"Our challenge is to get the message

out, spread the word so that the kids
know, and then spread the word to peo-
ple who are thinking of living in Detroit
so that this can be another reason for
them to live in the city:' says Pernick.
"And, of course, we need to spread the
word to people who may want to donate
or work with us:'
Pernick says a disproportionate num-
ber of Detroit College Promise donors
are from the Jewish community. "It's
partly a reflection of the people I know:'
he says. "But it's also a reflection of our
community's interest in helping oth-
ers and in knowing the importance of
education. There are many people 60 or
older who grew up in Detroit, went to
public schools and became successful,
in part because of a good education.
The Detroit College Promise is a way for
them to help others:'
In addition to serving as executive
director of the Detroit College Promise,
Pernick is owner and president of
PathologyOutlines.com , which provides
a comprehensive, continuously updated
online textbook on pathology and
laboratory medicine to professionals
worldwide. PathologyOutlines.com cov-
ers most of the expenses of the Detroit
College Promise that are not covered
by grants. Pernick's team is based in
Bingham Farms.
The size of the Detroit College
Promise scholarships depends on the
amount of donations. For the class of
2012, the maximum award was for $550
for one year at any Michigan public col-
lege or university.
"Kalamazoo offers $50,000 per stu-
dent, and Pittsburgh offers $20,000:'
notes Pernick. "When we start
approaching those kinds of numbers,
we're going to see a lot more excitement
about living in Detroit:'
For more information, to volunteer
or to make a donation, visit www.
DetroitCollegePromise.org .

❑

