On September 19, 2009, the Richmond County School System (RCSS) in partnership with America's Promise Alliance hosted a dropout prevention summit.
The session consisted of individuals who presented information, a Youth Panel, and breakout sessions. This organized occasion was held at Davidson Fine Arts School. This event is one part of what RCSS must do to justify the grant from APA and support the five year plan.
RCSS recently launched a Facebook page and as of today has 240 fans. Like the RCSS website, the social network connection is still one way transmission from the RCSS. In support of the dropout prevention summit, I created a Ning, RCSS APA Dropout Prevention to allow those who want to support the effort virtually and remain informed about opportunities to assist RCSS students to be successful but cannot attend events.
Many people in Augusta, GA are not given opportunities to virtually interact with others and support the RCSS Mission statement which is, "to educate students to become lifelong learners and productive citizens." The RCSS APA Dropout Prevention Ning allows those to continue on the lifelong journey and be productive citizens. Another purpose of the RCSS APA Dropout Prevention Ning is to provide some assistance to RCSS diminish their perceived reputation as The Tower of Power and/or the Puzzle Palace.
People want to do something to see the students in Augusta graduate and be productive citizens but are not always sure where to start or what they can do. The RCSS APA Ning allows individuals to join others and become aware of things they can do to share knowledge and learn from others who yearn to see Augusta students succeed.
Want to help? Check out the RCSS APA Ning and join if you want to see students succeed.
America's Promise Dropout Prevention Summit is visiting 100 cities. Is your city on the list?If not, it is OK. The America's Promise website provides a list of resources if you want to conduct a summit and be proactive.The resources include tips, templates, reference materials and other resources to help you plan a successful dropout prevention event that integrates critical components for success.Some resources are shared from cities such as Detroit, Louisville, Tulsa, Denver, and some resources are consolidated by state: Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Colorado, Minnesota, and New York.Georgia is on the list for September 2009 with no specific date in Atlanta and Augusta. What disheartens me is the summit in Augusta is scheduled to be held at one of the ten high schools that does not have a dropout and wins numerous awards at local, state, and national levels. Mass transit is not available for the majority of Augusta to allow those who want to attend but cannot get downtown due to extenuating circumstances. RCSS will conduct this summit and then complain that parents and community members did not attend. Because we are sharing this information 6 months before the scheduled event, there is enough time for students, parents, teachers, and community members to get involved through their school board members and do what needs to be done, and if not...then conduct their own summit.Want to have your own summit? Check out the list for Steps to planning your own summit.
So many resources for those who want to do something. Check out the Action Plans, Youth Engagement, Special Needs, policies, and resources shared from other summits. What are you waiting for? Anyone and everyone can make a difference. From self-awareness and education through the website to volunteering at a local school or community center to the multitude of ideas from the America's Promise website. Remember, these are the future leaders and they will make the decision about who rocks your rocking chair.
