We measure success one child at a time. Every child has a unique story that can’t be told with statistics alone. But these numbers illustrate the risks facing our nation’s youth today.
The latest news about American high school students is good, but not good enough. The on-time graduation rate for the Class of 2012 rose to 80% for the first time, the National Center for Education Statistics reported in April.
The remaining 20% “represents 718,000 young people, among them a sharply disproportionate share of African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans,” says Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The graduation rate for the Class of 2012 was 73% for Hispanics, 69% for blacks and 67% for Native Americans, compared to 86% for whites and 88% for Asians. For those with limited English language proficiency, the rate was 59%.
“High school graduation may have once been a finish line, but today it is just a beginning,” says Secretary Duncan.
Every time a teen drops out, we all pay a price. Dropouts drain public resources because they are much more likely than high school graduates to be unemployed, need government aid, abuse alcohol and drugs and be arrested. At least two-thirds of dropouts spend time in jail. On average, dropouts earn about half as much as graduates, so they contribute less to the economy.
Now more than ever, the numbers are stacked against teens who lack the education required to compete in a technology-driven job market.
The YouthQuest Foundation works to keep teens in school and to help those who have dropped out get their lives back on track through academic and vocational training, as well as development of fundamental life skills.
One way we do this is through our 3D ThinkLink Initiative, a unique project that uses 3D design and printing to teach critical thinking and problem-solving skills to students who once gave up on school.
YouthQuest believes it is our responsibility, individually and as a society, to see that every American child has the opportunity to reach his or her potential.
If you would like to support our mission, please CLICK HERE to make a donation or contact us at info@youthquestfoundation.org or (703) 234-4633.