Keeping Teens On Track:
National High School Graduation
(BPT) - It's graduation season, and across the country many families will revel in their graduate's
accomplishments. Nationally, there's reason to celebrate, too; 81 percent of American high school seniors
are expected to graduate this year, the highest rate ever, according to the U.S. Department of Education
(DOE). But there's sobering news as well. According to a StageofLife.com teen survey, nearly half of all
high schoolers know someone who's not graduating.
With nearly 20 percent of teens expected not to graduate this year, educators and administrators are not
the only ones responsible for closing this graduation gap. For example, youth advocates like Boys & Girls
Clubs of America (BGCA) are collaborating with corporate initiatives, such as the Taco Bell
Foundation(TM), to provide teens a critical pathway towards high school graduation and beyond that will
inspire them to reach their full potential and achieve their educational and career goals.
"We know that failing to graduate high school has a severe long-term impact on a young person's ability to
secure employment and affects virtually every aspect of his/her life," says Dr. Damon Williams, chief
educational and youth development officer at BGCA. "Our Club's year-round programs at 4,100-plus
locations across the country help ensure teens have the inspiration, tools and resources needed to stay on
track to graduate high school on-time."
The national high school dropout rate affects not only the one million teens who fail to graduate and their
families, but also our nation's economic standing as a whole. The American economy will lose nearly $159
billion in lost taxes and higher government expenditures over the students' lifetimes, according to Williams.
Teens fail to graduate for a number of reasons, including failing coursework, falling into the wrong crowd
and traumatic home or school events causing chronic absenteeism, according to America's Promise
Alliance. Yet when teens get the support they need, they are more likely to remain in or return to school; 41
volunteers. The website hosts a groundbreaking
percent of teens surveyed by the Alliance said encouragement from someone else inspired them to stay in
or return to school.
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"As a company that gives many young Americans their very first job, we're invested in supporting teens
and young adults," says Brian Niccol, chief executive officer at Taco Bell Corp. "We're passionate about
doing our part to instill in youth confidence to tackle the next big thing, to succeed, to be the best
expression of themselves, to lead, to use their voice to go after a cause, and to have an impact in their
communities-and a difference by selecting brands
You can also make this begins by supporting teens to ensure they graduate high school."
For nearly two decades, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the non-profit
Taco Bell Foundation to help teens steer their path and equip them with the resources needed to succeed
in high school. In 2014, Taco Bell Foundation expanded its partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs with a goal
of providing a $30 million grant over five years to bring its Graduate for Mas program to Clubs across the
country.
With the support of partners like the Taco Bell Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs' programs help 1.4 million
teens stay on track to graduate from high school, and 70 percent of Club seniors to be college-bound by
2018. Keeping just 10 Club members in school until graduation would add $2 million to the American
economy over those members' lifetimes, the organization estimates.
To learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the organization's academic success programs,
visit www.greatfutures.org. To learn more about the Taco Bell Foundation's Graduate for Mas program,
visit the www.graduateformas.com.
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