What Could Your Organization Do With $3k?

AT&T has announced the launch of a new $250 million, five-year financial commitment aimed at helping more students graduate from high school with the skills they need to succeed in college and careers.

The funding for AT&T Aspire will be available for organizations and institutions with a proven track record of success that are looking to use technology to connect with students in new and effective ways.

Between now and April 27, 2012, AT&T is encouraging New Hampshire organizations to apply for funding – from $100,000 up to $300,000 – through the Local High School Impact Initiative Requests for Proposals (RFPs). You can find out more about the specifics of the qualifying factors here.

“AT&T Aspire works toward an America where every student graduates high school equipped with the knowledge and skills to strengthen the nation’s workforce,” AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson said while announcing the extended commitment, during a recent keynote address at the second annual Building a Grad Nation Summit.

AT&T is looking to fund local programs that have strong, evidence-based practices grounded in the What Works Clearinghouse Dropout Prevention: A Practice Guide and data-driven outcomes demonstrated to improve high school graduation rates.

Local organizations interested in getting additional information or applying will find complete details on the RFP process at www.att.com/education-news by clicking on the “Aspire Local Impact RFP” option.  Applications will be accepted between now at April 27.

Through the AT&T Foundation, the company has already provided financial support to several organizations in New Hampshire that have an education focus, including City Year Inc., the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communication, and the NH Institute of Politics at St. Anselm.

“This is a significant investment in preparing the next generation of Americans to succeed in the increasingly competitive global economy,” said Patricia Jacobs, president of AT&T New England.  “We hope organizations across New Hampshire with a passion for dealing with this problem and a proven track record of success in increasing graduation rates will apply for funding.”    

The new and expanded AT&T commitment builds on the work AT&T Aspire has completed in the last four years. AT&T has invested more than $100 million in Aspire since 2008, and has impacted morethan one million U.S. high school students, helping them prepare for success in the workplace and college. 

Drop-out rates are a serious issue in the United States. According to a report issued today by Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, America’s Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education, one in four students in the U.S. – more than 1 million each year – drops out. (AT&T is the lead sponsor of this report.)

Education experts believe that the lack of a high school degree significantly worsens job prospects, particularly in the challengingscience, technology and math sectors. On average, a high school dropout earns 25 percent less during the course of his or her lifetime compared with a high school graduate and 57 percent less than a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree.[1]

Although the problem is serious, there are signs of progress according to the report issued this week:

• The high school graduation rate increased by 3.5 percentage points nationally from 2001 to 2009.

• In 2001, the rate was 72.0 percent; by 2009, it had risen to 75.5 percent. From 2002 to 2009, six states experienced large gains in their graduation rates; 14 states made moderate gains; and fourstates made modest gains. (Note: 2002 was the first year that state data became available.)