the need
To introduce urban students to a positive and caring adult who can ensure they don’t have to navigate life’s toughest challenges alone.
EDUCATION FAILURE
Every year, over 1.2 million students drop out of high school in the United States alone. That’s one student every 26 seconds – or 7,000 a day.
JOB MARKET
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the unemployment rate of high school dropouts is 47% higher than graduates.
ECONOMIC EFFECT
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics stated getting students to complete high school raises the average weekly incomes by $9,400 a year.
The government spends between $1.7 & $2.3 million per dropout who turns to drug or crime over the course of his/her lifetime.
Over the course of their lifetimes, a high school dropout will earn an average of $375,000 less than high school graduates, and roughly $1,000,000 less than college graduates.
FAMILY DISINTEGRATION
Male and female students with low academic achievement are twice as likely to become parents by their senior year of high school, compared to students with high academic achievement.
CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
In the United States, high school dropouts commit about 75% of crimes.
THE crisis
Students living in low-income and underserved areas are facing a complex set of experiences and circumstances. Urban youth lack positive relationships in their life. The lack of support and guidance results in unacceptable graduation rates across the nation. These dropout rates lead to serious national issues:
- An alarming cost to society for every student who does not graduate
- Increased teen pregnancy rates
- Increased crime and incarceration rates
- Increased unemployment rates, while an exceptionally high percentage of employed youth remain unprepared for the workforce
THE reality
Every student wants to have a successful life and is inherantly capable of it. The reality is that many kids do not have adults in their lives to help them overcome challenges and achieve their potential.
the opportunity
Elevate Orange County is building relationships that help students prosper economically and socially. With your support, we have the opportunity to take this explosive program to more schools, serving new students by the thousands.
showed you they cared.
“About 10 years ago, we took some businesspeople down to tour the Canyon City Prison System. It was a big deal – covered by NBC Nightly News. On national TV, the prison warden said, ‘We are the fastest growing industry in America. And, you can put us out of business if you solve one problem.’ He said, ‘I will give you a hint. It is not the drug problem, or the gang problem, or the education problem, or the socio-economic problem. It is a relationship problem… We profile every prisoner who comes into our front door… And, virtually all say, ‘I would not be here if somebody really cared about me when I was younger.’”
JAY CLEARY
ELEVATE USA BOARD MEMBER
