It seems like the government has been announcing more new initiatives and grants toward improving education every week, which is great news for kids in America!
This time, Obama has pledged $900 million to a new campaign called Grad Nation. The money will go to states and school districts that agree to take aggressive measures to improve the nation’s 2,000 “dropout factories,” even if it means closing entire schools.
Grad Nation is “a 10-year campaign to mobilize the nation as never before” to eliminate the current dropout crisis and ensure that students are prepared for success in college, work, and life. The primary goals of Grad Nation:
• Ensure that 90 percent of today’s fourth-graders graduate high school on time.
• Help fulfill the President’s pledge to be the world’s leader in the proportion of college graduates by 2020.
The Grad Nation program was announced by former Secretary of State Colin Powell and his wife, Alma, whom together founded America’s Promise Alliance, a dropout prevention advocacy group.
Watch Obama, the Powells, and current Secretary of Education Arne Duncan pledge support for Grad Nation at an America’s Promise Alliance event held earlier this week.
Visit the official website of the Grad Nation Campaign at America’s Promise Alliance to learn more about the initiative and find out what you can do to help.
