Dollars helping students ‘Aspire’ to graduate

Many scholars claim that the United States has a dropout crisis and  researchers now report overall graduation rates are near 70 percent.  African-American and Hispanic rates are often calculated to be as low as 50 percent nationally.

To many this isn’t new information.  Time Magazine dubbed the Untited States “Drop out Nation” in April of 2006.

The good news in this time of economic slowdown and restricted school budgets is that there are some programs aiming to help solve the crisis.  One of note is the Aspire program which is active and supporting schools across the country.

As one of the largest-ever corporate commitments to high school retention and workforce readiness, the $100 million AT&T Aspire program will support organizations with strong track records that promote educational success, from the classroom to the workplace. The recipient programs of this year’s High School Success grants provide a range of support for students, including academic intervention, mentoring and tutoring services.

In October alone, AT&T has announced several grants under the Aspire program for school districts in California.

• $700,000 in Grants to Help Address High School Dropout Crisis in Sacramento Area
• $730,000 in Grants to Help Address High School Dropout Crisis in Los Angeles Area
• $1.4 Million in Grants to Help Address High School Dropout Crisis in San Francisco Bay Area
• $360,000 in Grants to Help Address High School Dropout Crisis in the Central Valley
• $650,000 in Grants to Help Address High School Dropout Crisis in San Diego and Orange County

As part of the Aspire initiative, the AT&T Foundation has committed $29 million in High School Success grants to more than 170 schools and nonprofit organizations. Statewide, AT&T is awarding 35 grants totaling more than $3.5 million.

America’s Promise Alliance, the nation’s largest multi-sector collaborative dedicated to the well-being of children and youth, has noted that nearly one-third of U.S. high school students drop out before graduating — with about 7,000 students dropping out every school day, or one every 26 seconds.

“High school dropout rates are a serious issue affecting students all across the U.S. including here in San Diego and Orange County,” said Mark Leslie, vice president, AT&T External Affairs - San Diego. “We’re committed to helping kids succeed by preparing them for tomorrow’s economy. We are pleased with the response we’ve seen to the Aspire program, and look forward to working with these groups to build a brighter future for our youth.”

In addition to the retention program grants, AT&T Aspire will award funding in three other key areas:

• A student job shadowing initiative involving 400,000 AT&T employee hours that will give 100,000 students a firsthand look at the skills they will need to succeed in the 21st century workforce.
• The underwriting of national research that will explore the practitioner perspective (teachers, principals, superintendents, school counselors and school board members) on the high school dropout issue.
• Support for 100 state and community dropout prevention summits, announced earlier this year by America’s Promise Alliance.