Join State Farm® in Making Dropout Prevention Your Business

Mississippi’s dropout problem affects each of us. After all, Mississippi’s students are our future. The young people in our classrooms today will make up the workforce of tomorrow. And an educated workforce is essential to economic development and our long-term success.

Education is the force with which we drive economic development and the key to solving many of the social challenges we face. Dropouts are more likely than high school graduates to be unemployed, on welfare, living in poverty, in prison, or single parents whose own children drop out of high school.

The cost to dropouts and their families is immeasurable. The economic burden to Mississippi is approximately $458 million annually.

That’s why we’re asking everyone to get involved and help keep students On the Bus toward graduation. Teachers and schools cannot solve the problem alone. It will take parents, businesses, churches, civic groups and others getting On the Bus and working together in a spirit of community.

We've saved a seat for you. Join us On the Bus.

Contact your school district and ask how you can become involved in the local Dropout Prevention Team. Leaders from your school district and dropout prevention coordinators can help you understand your own community’s dropout rates and provide suggestions on what you or your business can do to help. Some of those suggestions may include:

• Offer internships, job shadowing, and service learning opportunities to students.
• Adopt a school or an individual classroom.
• Give employees who are parents time off during the work day to participate in school activities or attend teacher conferences.
• Encourage employees to volunteer during or after work hours through Junior Achievement, the Boys and Girls Club or other organizations that provide in-school or after-school programs such as mentoring, tutoring, etc.

Although there is no single solution to the dropout problem, there are some proven strategies that can make a positive impact:

• Early childhood education. Starting kindergarten ready to learn is the best way to set students on a path to graduation. Students who start out behind typically stay behind. More students are retained in kindergarten and first grade than at any other time.
• Parental involvement. When parents monitor their children’s grades and communicate with their teachers and schools, students attend school more regularly and perform better academically.
• Relevant learning. High quality teachers and classroom instruction make learning interesting and relevant to real life experiences.
• Opportunities for real-world learning. These are available through internships, job shadowing and service learning. Students who are exposed to careers and workplaces recognize the connection and begin to see their education as more relevant to their futures.
• Relationships with caring adults. Having a mentor helps at-risk students feel valued and motivated to stay in school. A mentor who contributes even a small amount of time can have a significant impact on an individual child.
• Successful transitions. Giving extra support to students during key transition points (elementary to middle school, middle school to high school) can help them adjust to changes and make a positive start in their new environment.

Read about Destination Graduation: Mississippi Adult Summit and watch video of Governor Haley Barbour and Alma Powell talking about the relationship between dropouts and Mississippi's business community.