| Kids of Honor® is an award winning organization recognized for excellence in nonprofits - selected because our participants graduate from high school. Each high school dropout costs communities over $260,000 during his or her lifetime. Yet for only $250 per year, we keep each of our students engaged in school. Our model is collaborative, successful, and effective. High School Graduation – It’s important to all! Graduation is an exciting time for most of our young people. Sadly, about a third of American youth won’t participate in that celebration. For a variety of reasons, these students ‘Drop-Out’. It’s a choice that costs our community and students in a variety of ways. “My kids graduated so it really doesn’t impact me,” you might think. That thought could not be farther from the truth. Dropouts cost everyone! According to a 2008 study by the Alliance for Excellence in Education, one dropout costs the nation approximately $260,000 in lost earnings, taxes, and productivity. Increasing the high school graduation rate and college matriculation for male students by only 5 percent would lead to combined savings and revenue of almost $8 billion each year. One high school graduate saves states an average of $13,706 in Medicaid and expenses for uninsured care. States could save more than $17 billion if those young people earned high school diplomas. The same study tells us that, on average, a high school graduate lives six to nine years longer than a dropout. High school dropouts are far more likely than high school graduates to be arrested or incarcerated. A college graduate will earn, on average, $1 million more than a high school dropout. Dropping out is literally a million-dollar mistake. It’s a mistake 1.2 million American youth make each year. Locally, about 25% of our youth make this huge mistake. Please join me in congratulating all of our successful graduates. And as a community, also join me in my efforts to empower all of our youth to become engaged with school. As taxpayers, it's a wise investment. For students, it's worth a million bucks. |
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This project is partially funded through the Wicomico Partnership for Families and Children, the Local Management Board for Wicomico County, with funding from the Governor’s Office for Children/Children’s Cabinet Interagency Fund.
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