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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 10, 2009 State Farm® Supports High School Dropout Prevention Program - LOUISVILLE, KY - State Farm® is awarding the Louisville Urban League a $10,000 grant award. The money will support Project Ready, a leadership development program specifically designed to lower the high school dropout rate. The program targets middle and high school students. It seeks to engage participants in individual goal planning, academic enrichment, cultural development, mentoring, and career exploration experiences to facilitate the high school to college transition.
Louisville city leaders mounted a community-wide attack to address the high school dropout problem last year when they hosted an education summit. Now the Louisville Urban League and State Farm are joining forces to focus on the challenge. “Opportunity is perhaps the greatest gift one person can provide to another. State Farm’s support of the Louisville Urban League’s Project Ready program allows us to open windows of opportunity for at-risk youth in our community,” Ben Richmond, CEO of the Louisville Urban League.
The Graduate! Greater Louisville High School Dropout Solutions Summit was organized in July 2008 in conjunction with America’s Promise: The Alliance for Youth. Nearly 500 people participated, and they came from every sector of the community, including educators, youth service workers, juvenile justice authorities, business leaders, public officials, and neighborhood activists. The day’s work was arranged to underscore the problem and brainstorm solutions.
Research shows an American child drops out of school every 26 seconds. That’s 7,000 students per day or more than one million annually across the United States. Among minority students, the problem is even more severe with nearly 50 percent of African American and Hispanic students not completing high school on time. Experts say that dropping out of high school affects not just students and their families, but the country overall – including businesses, government and communities. The Alliance for Excellent Education estimates that high school dropouts from the Class of 2006-07 will cost the U.S. more than $329 billion in lost wages, taxes, and productivity over their lifetimes.
State Farm will present the $10,000 check to the Louisville Urban League on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. at the Louisville Urban League located at 1535 West Broadway. “When we focus on children, we focus on our future. State Farm proudly supports initiatives which work to ensure that all children are ready to succeed in their education, in the workforce, and in life,” said Lisa Ripley, a State Farm spokesperson. Louisville Metro Council President David Tandy and other community leaders will be on hand.
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