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Youth Voice: When It Comes to Keeping Students in School, Colleges Could Learn a Lot from Job Training Programs

June 06, 2017

The first time I stepped foot on campus, I didn’t imagine my time there would be short-lived. Over the excited whispers of freshmen during orientation, I heard the dean say, “Look to your left. Look to your right. You will not see these same faces next year.” I mostly ignored him, because I knew it wouldn’t be me.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Career Pathways, College and Career Readiness

promises: Caring Adults, Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign

Youth Voice: We are students in Anchorage high schools, and we have something to say about education

March 16, 2017

We are members of the 90% by 2020 Anchorage Graduation Youth Task Force, (working toward a 90% graduation rate by the year 2020) and work in partnership with United Way and Anchorage Youth Development Coalition.

Type: Opinion

TAG: College and Career Readiness

promises: Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation State Activation, GradNation Campaign

Year-end is Prime Time for Reflection

December 20, 2016

In 2016, I saw lots of possibility and lots of peril, too, and t fills me with a combination of hope and determination for the work ahead.

Type: Opinion

TAG: College Gap, College and Career Readiness, Using Data

promises: A Healthy Start, Caring Adults, Effective Education, Safe Places, Opportunities to Help Others

campaigns & initiatives: Center for Promise, GradNation Campaign

I Am Not My Diagnosis

December 19, 2016

This story is part of the “90 for All” series, which examines the challenges facing traditionally underserved students, particularly low-income and homeless students, English language learners, students of color and students with disabilities.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Black/African-American, College and Career Readiness, Early Childhood

promises: Caring Adults, Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign

There is Magic Within All Latino Students: A Young Latina’s Rise from El Paso to MIT

August 03, 2015

For some people, the word “Latino” doesn’t have the best connotations. To these people, being Latino means you’re not as smart or capable as others.   Growing up, I saw how these stereotypes and assumptions affected some of my classmates. They had dreams when they were kids. Then they would grow up, and those dreams would slowly be pushed into the back of their brains.

Type: Opinion

TAG: College and Career Readiness, College Gap

promises: Caring Adults, Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign

Possibility is in the Air

March 24, 2015

When you plan an event there is a special moment that happens just before the curtains rise. In that brief moment, as months of planning are about to unfold, there is nothing but possibility in the air. And then the moment passes and the chaos of people, questions, presentations, breakfast and A/V “hiccups” all swirl together and you are ON. And what takes place next looks a lot like what you planned, and nothing at all like you planned, and yet it is beautiful. 

Type: Opinion

TAG: College and Career Readiness

promises: Caring Adults, A Healthy Start, Effective Education, Opportunities to Help Others, Safe Places

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign

Don't Call Them Dropouts

May 20, 2014

Language is important.  Labels matter. With the report we are releasing today, we recommend that we stop using the term “dropout" when referring to young people who leave school without graduating. The young people our Center for Promise interviewed specifically asked that we not call them dropouts because this is not how they think of themselves, and their stories and our survey results confirm this reality. Yes, they left school, but they did not quit, and we should not and cannot quit on them.

Type: Opinion

TAG: College and Career Readiness

promises: Caring Adults, Effective Education, Safe Places

campaigns & initiatives: Center for Promise, GradNation Campaign

Welcome to the GradNation Blog

May 19, 2014

Like most blogs, this one starts small and humble. And like all blog hosts, we aspire to big things: We want the GradNation blog to be a must-see digital destination for anyone with a passion for creating greater opportunities for at-risk young people. If you come with us – adding your voice to the conversations we will start – we’ll reach that aspiration together, and the GradNation blog will become that place where useful and provocative content is posted, discussed and debated.

Type: Opinion

TAG: College and Career Readiness

promises: A Healthy Start, Caring Adults, Effective Education, Opportunities to Help Others, Safe Places

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign