-- American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen Initiative Achieves Success
In Partnership with Over 1000 National and Local Organizations --
OCTOBER 22, 2013, WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) today released a new report from the Everyone Graduates Center at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education confirming the impact that public media stations continue to have in helping to improve high school graduation rates. Through American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen initiative, stations have engaged over 1,000 partnerships with businesses, schools, faith-based and other nonprofits working together to help young people stay on the path to a high school diploma and graduate with their peers.
“Public broadcasting stations set the stage for long-term commitments to improving the educational and life outcomes for youth at risk of dropping out,” said Dr. Robert Balfanz, co-director of the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University School of Education. “The true power of public media to improve civic life lies in their unique assets combined with their national reach and community relationships.”
Over the past three years, American Graduate has demonstrated public media’s commitment to education and its deep roots in every community it serves. Through programming that educates, informs, and inspires, public radio and television stations — locally owned and operated — are an important resource in helping to address critical community issues, such as the dropout rate.
Over 1700 hours of national and local content, including American Graduate Day, have brought disparate organizations together and inspired local citizens to become American Graduate Champions, donating time and other resources. As part of a survey among American Graduate community partners conducted by the Everyone Graduates Center, respondents confirmed that public media stations told the story of the dropout crisis in a way that enabled more people to get involved.
“Public media has achieved this success by raising awareness and building knowledge of the issue, highlighting proven solutions, and fostering community action toward common goals – key strategies identified by education experts as essential for progress,” said John Bridgeland, CEO, Civic Enterprises, and co-author of Building a Grad Nation report.
Further, in addition to national partnerships with Alma and Colin Powell’s America’s Promise Alliance, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and many others, more than 75 public radio and television stations in over 30 states have launched on-the-ground efforts working with community and at risk youth to keep students on-track to success. Through forums and screenings, teacher professional development and parenting workshops, youth media training and film festivals, public broadcasting stations have also worked directly with 120,000 parents, students, teachers, community leaders as part of American Graduate. Community partners reported that public media facilitated greater focus and collaboration among community organizations and that students’ participation in American Graduate programs resulted in their increased commitment to school, to graduating, and to preparing for their future.
“The accomplishments of the American Graduate initiative on behalf of the nation’s youth could not have been realized without the service and dedication of public media stations, the guidance from John Bridgeland and Dr. Bob Balfanz, and the partnerships with America’s Promise Alliance and over 1000 other national and local organizations,” said Pat Harrison, President and CEO, CPB. “We are pleased that this report affirms public media’s impact and look forward to continued progress for the country in collaboration with our stations, producers and communities.”
