VOLUNTEERS STILL WELCOME FOR FOURTH ANNUAL
REACH OUT TO DROPOUTS WALK
SEPTEMBER 8, 2007
CITYWIDE
 On September 8, 2007, four Houston-area school districts will participate in the Reach Out To Dropouts Walk, a citywide effort to persuade student dropouts to return to school and graduate. Born out of a collaborative effort between Houston ISD, Mayor Bill White's office and Houston A+ Challenge, the annual walk pairs community volunteers with educators who visit students’ homes and encourage them to return to school.
Previous events have produced exciting results. Since the walk's inception, volunteers have persuaded more than 3,900 students to return to school. Last year in Houston ISD alone, nearly 600 students committed to return to school, and of the 2,280 students recovered throughout the remainder of the school year, more than 200 graduated in May, according to Houston ISD.
More than 60 students returned to school last fall in Aldine ISD, during the district's first year participating. For this year's walk, Spring Branch ISD and Alief ISD will join the walk for the first time.
To volunteer in the following school districts:
Volunteers in each district will be assigned to a team (including at least one school representative) and participate in a one-hour training session. Volunteers also will be provided with a script, a map/directions and identification cards.
On the morning of September 8, groups will walk through the school neighborhoods, visiting homes of dropouts, from approximately 9 a.m. until noon. Volunteers will return to their respective schools at noon to drop off the information they have gathered.
In previous years, many students have come directly to their schools on the day of the event to re-enroll; other students will require follow-up consultation with school personnel. All participating districts have integrated the walk into their ongoing dropout prevention plans.
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