WTVI receives American Graduate Community Engagement Grant to address the high school dropout crisis

The high school dropout rate is one of the biggest crises facing the United States today. According to a national Diplomas County 2010 report, in Education Week, three out of every ten students in America’s public schools fail to finish high school – an average of more than 7,200 students drop out each day.

WTVI was recently awarded an American Graduate Community Engagement Grant in the amount of $20,000 from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The grant is designed to help PBS stations work with their local communities and diverse audiences to address the high school dropout crisis. Goals for the initiative include:

• Helping communities better understand the dropout crisis, its impact on local communities and the country as a whole


• Partnering with other organizations to address issues of vital importance to the nation and to local communities


• Working with adults (parents, mentors and volunteers) who can support and influence at-risk youth


• Promoting and providing pathways to existing community resources.

For details or more information, contact Bev Dorn-Steele, WTVI Community Engagement Director, (704) 371-8840 or bds@wtvi.