American Graduate: Foundation for Success

The harsh reality is this:  Nearly half of our nations’ young people are not graduating from high school – more than 7,000 drop out every day! And while the challenges are not new, the urgency to address these issues continues to grow as both a moral and economic imperative.

The Nine Network and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting recently kicked off their “American Graduate – Let’s Make it Happen” initiative with a Town Hall meeting of teachers from the St. Louis area to discuss the dropout crisis (Watch the town hall video). While academics were discussed throughout the evening, and are a critical aspect of this issue, many teachers spoke to a foundation that is missing for so many students. Due to life situations and a variety of challenging circumstances, many students do not have the social and emotional preparation and readiness to succeed in the classroom.

At the , we understand that social and emotional learning creates a foundation for success in young people. Through research and experience, we know that those young people who have supportive relationships from strong adults, who are engaged in and giving back to their communities, who are involved in relevant learning experiences, and who have a sense of safety and support from their environment can more effectively navigate risks, be productive in their work, and be future-oriented. At the same time, a lack of these supports and opportunities presents a significant liability for teens. Teens without these critical supports and opportunities and without a healthy foundation of social and emotional skills are more likely to present with a variety of risk factors – from teen pregnancy to school dropout.

I applaud the initiative by CPB and The Nine Network to shine a bright light on the dropout crisis and create discourse around it. And, as we formulate solutions as a community, we must remember this necessary foundation of supportive relationships, community engagement, and safe, relevant learning experiences.  These must be part of our conversation and part of our solutions. With this collective focus, we will produce not just graduates, but healthy, productive, and contributing citizens.