Steve Perry, the head of a charter school in Hartford, Conn., will speak at Philander Smith College in Little Rock today.

Since graduating its first class in 2006, Capital Preparatory Magnet School said, all its students have moved on to four-year colleges. The school accommodates up to 750 students who take a college-preparatory curriculum.

The students must also complete a "Social Justice Project” to graduate. They pick a topic, develop a plan to address a problem, assess the outcome and present results. During the 16-month project, some students end up in internships that match their senior projects.

Perry is the school's founder and principal. He lectures nationally about education issues.

His appearance in Arkansas is part of Philander Smith College's Bless the Mic lecture series, which is open to the public. There is no admission fee, and reservations are not required.

Perry's lecture is to begin at 7 p.m. in M.L. Harris Auditorium on the Philander Smith College campus, 900 W. Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive. More information is available at (501) 370-5279.