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Achieve Scholarship Fundraiser
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Today, over 600,000 families and 1.35 million children are homeless in America. On average, low-income children and children from historically disadvantaged groups have less than a 50% chance of graduating from high school. Nationally, over one million students that qualify for free or reduce lunch are in the top 25% of their class. In Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia the statistics are even more humbling given the large concentration of wealth found in the area. For black males, the numbers are particularly daunting. In the District, 51% of black males drop out of high school. Maryland and Virginia have similar drop out rates: 45% and 47%. These shocking statistics translate into an extremely critical challenge that the next generation of Americans will have to confront. Those who complete high school have an indisputable advantage as compared to those who do not. A high school diploma offers the prospect of higher lifetime earnings, a greater chance of obtaining stable employment and the option of pursuing higher education. Those who do not finish high school face low lifetime earnings and a significantly higher chance of getting into trouble with the law. High school dropouts earn “$9,200 less per year than high school graduates and about $1 million less over a lifetime than college graduates.” (http://www.silentepidemic.org) Society at large suffers when our children fail to complete high school. Without qualified graduates, the workforce falls short of the critical mass needed to sustain itself. Society also suffers from increases in social welfare costs, higher incarceration rates and broken families. Locally, grassroots civic involvement also suffers. A recent study by the National Conference on Citizenship found that high school dropouts are far less likely to volunteer, vote, trust government, and go to church. Among those who have less than a high school education, only 31% voted in the last election. As the former domestic policy adviser to President Bush said, “High school dropouts are nearly voiceless in a system that fails them.” While the problem is immense, every member of the next generation can be a part of the solution. Youth Achieve provides talented young civic minded members of the community with the opportunity to do their part. Utilizing their time and talent for good, Youth Achieve volunteers represent the best our generation has to offer.
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