Ted Fishman on the Kalamazoo Promise

Ted Fishman takes a close look at a program in Kalamazoo, Mich., through which anonymous donors pay for the college education of local students -- no strings attached. The Sunday New York Times article appeared in September and discusses the struggles of the Midwestern city, its former industrial strength, and the surprising impact of the program on schools in the region. Fishman writes,

One of every three students in the Kalamazoo district falls below the national poverty level. One in 12 is homeless. Many of them are the first in their families to finish high school; many come from single-parent homes. Some are young parents themselves: Kalamazoo has one of the highest pregnancy rates among black teenagers in the state.
And yet, for the vast majority of the 500-plus students who graduate each year in Kalamazoo, a better future really does await after they collect their diplomas. The high-school degrees come with the biggest present most of them will ever receive: free college.

You can learn more about Fishman's other writing projects at his website.