FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:               August 4, 2006

Number:          nr06-12

Contact:           Nan Powers Varoga,   713-658-1881 (o) 713-729-1639 (c)

                                                            nvaroga@houstonaplus.org

 

HELP DROPOUTS RETURN TO SCHOOL

 

Aldine ISD and Houston A+ Challenge are looking for volunteers to walk Houston area neighborhoods on Saturday, August 26 and convince high school dropouts to return to school.

 

The third annual “Reach Out to Dropouts Day Walk” is expanding this year to include all five Aldine ISD high schools.  Participating high schools are Aldine Senior High School, Carver High School, Eisenhower High School, MacArthur Senior High School and Nimitz Senior High School.

 

“People are always asking, how can I help?” said Michele Pola, Executive Director of Houston A+ Challenge. “The ‘Reach Out to Dropouts Day Walk’is the perfect opportunity for members of our community to help public education in Houston and be part of a unique and effective effort.  The success of our past two walks shows that this event is really making an impact on young people’s lives.”

                                                                                    

Houston ISD began the “Reach Out To Dropouts Day Walk”, a massive door-to-door outreach effort in 2004, in partnership with Houston A+ Challenge. Since then, armies of volunteers have helped persuade several hundred former dropouts to give school another try.

 

Last year more than 1,400 HISD employees and community volunteers, led by Houston ISD Superintendent Dr. Abelardo Saavedra and Houston First Lady Andrea White, a member of The Houston A+ Challenge Board of Trustees, went to neighborhoods around 16 high schools knocking on doors, talking to dropouts and urging them to come back to school. This year Houston ISD will expand its effort with plans to recruit 2,000 volunteers to visit homes of students from 20 HISD high schools on Saturday, August 26.

 

To volunteer for the Aldine walk, call Ben Wilson at 281-985-6202. To volunteer for the Houston ISD walk, contact Jesse Marche at Houston ISD's Student Engagement Department, 713-556-7017 or email jmarche@houstonisd.org.  Or visit www.houstonaplus.org to download a registration form.

 

About Houston A+ Challenge

Houston A+ Challenge is an independent, public-private education organization working to create lasting improvements in classroom instruction and student achievement.  Houston A+ partners with six school districts to develop relationships that build leadership capacity and result in higher student achievement. On the web at: www.houstonaplus.org.