{"id":3476,"date":"2011-02-02T09:21:25","date_gmt":"2011-02-02T09:21:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/floc.org\/?p=3476"},"modified":"2018-10-04T09:23:46","modified_gmt":"2018-10-04T09:23:46","slug":"oec-works-to-empower-youth-reduce-dropout-rate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floc.org\/flocold2020\/oec-works-to-empower-youth-reduce-dropout-rate\/","title":{"rendered":"OEC Works to Empower Youth, Reduce Dropout Rate"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Lydia Hastings is working at FLOC\u2019s Outdoor Education Center as the Marketing AmeriCorps VISTA. She originally joined the OEC staff over the summer as the Kitchen Coordinator.)<\/em><\/p>\n

Courtesy of\u00a0http:\/\/www.americaspromise.org<\/a><\/p>\n

The number of American high school dropouts has reached epidemic levels, as the Alliance of Excellent Education states that over one-third of our students \u2013 approximately 1.3 million \u2013 do not finish high school each year.<\/p>\n

Not only does this hurt the student\u2019s chances of success in the future, it also hurts the American people. It is estimated that high school dropouts from the Class of 2006-07 will cost the United States more than $329 billion in lost wages, taxes, and productivity over their lifetimes.<\/p>\n

Although the national outlook on high school dropouts might look bleak, West Virginia is one out of seven states that has shown a positive increase in reducing dropout rates (Barton, Paul E.; pg12). State-funded organizations like West Virginia\u2019s Promise Alliance for Youth are encouraging high school completion. West Virginia\u2019s Promise\u2019s goal is to mobilize communities, raise awareness, and support policies that increase the support young people have in communities where they live. (West Virginia, 5 Promise).<\/p>\n

This goal was reached by the guidance of their parent organization, the American Promise Alliance, which began in 1997 when Presidents Clinton, Bush, Ford and First Lady Nancy Reagan, representing President Ronald Reagan, convened at the Presidents\u2019 Summit for America\u2019s Future (American, 5 Promise). While there, our nation\u2019s leaders, along with General Colin Powell, created a challenge for Americans to help at-risk youth succeed. The program relies strongly on the belief that if students are prepared for success at a young age, they will have a deeper tie to their community and a stronger chance of achievement in life.<\/p>\n