Denzel Washington and Boys & Girls Clubs of America Announce National Initiative
to Attack High School Dropout Crisis
Washington, D.C. Event: “Creating Pathways to Great Futures” by
Increasing High School Graduation Rates
When: Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010, 11 a.m.
Where: National Press Club, 529 14th Street (Corner of F Street and 14th Street), 202-662-7500
What: Because the dropout crisis is not just a school, youth or parent issue – it’s a community issue and a societal issue, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) will announce a nationwide effort to reframe the conversation, calling on every American to do their part to curb the escalating high school dropout rate. BGCA national spokesperson and alum Denzel Washington will join education experts at the National Press Club, to discuss the graduation decline and BGCA’s collective response.
The goal of this new effort is to help every Boys & Girls Club member graduate from high school on time, prepared with the attitude, knowledge and confidence to succeed and achieve a great future.
Attendees/Interviews: • Denzel Washington, Club Alumnus, and Academy Award-Winning Actor
● Dr. Robert Balfanz, Johns Hopkins University, Associate Research
Scientist, Alliance for Excellent Education
● Roxanne Spillett, President/CEO, BGCA
● BGCA 2010 – 2011 National Youth of the Year
● Robbie Bach, President, Entertainment & Devices Division, Microsoft
● Ashanti Douglas, entertainer, Club alumna, YOY Ambassador
WHY? Dropout Crisis Numbers:
• One-third of America’s children do not graduate from high school. For Latino and African-American males, the rate skyrockets to 50 percent. Every 25 seconds, another teen drops out of high school.
• Nationally, 1.3 million students in the Class of 2010 failed to graduate with a high school diploma.
• The U.S. is the only industrialized country where young people are less likely than their parents to obtain a high school diploma.
The BGCA Difference
Boys & Girls Clubs across the country have already seen dramatic evidence that a holistic youth development strategy works in enhancing academic performance. According to a Harris Survey of Club alumni:
• 90 percent of alumni graduate from high school or obtain a GED.
• Nearly two-thirds reported that Club staff contributed to their success in high school.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org)
