the need

To introduce urban students to positive and caring adults who can ensure they don’t have to navigate life’s toughest challenges alone.

the numbers

EDUCATION FAILURE

Some target New England cities have a graduation rate as low as 71.7%. In our pilot school, the graduation rate is as low as 58.1%.  

JOB MARKET

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the unemployment rate of high school dropouts is 47% higher than graduates.

ECONOMIC EFFECT

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics states that getting students to complete high school raises their average income by $9,400 a year. High school dropouts, on the other hand, earn an average of $375,000 less than a high school graduate, and $1,000,000 less than a college graduate over a lifetime.

The cost to taxpayers for every person who does not complete high school is $1,400,000 over the course of his or her lifetime.

FAMILY DISINTEGRATION

Male and female students with low academic achievement are twice as likely to become parents by their senior year of high school, compared to students with high academic achievement.

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INCARCERATION

High School dropouts commit about 75% of the crimes in the US and constitute 70% of the prison population in our state. Incarceration is the fourth largest expense item in the Massachusetts budget.

the crisis

Students living in low-income, underserved and overlooked cities in New England are facing a complex set of problems. Many of them lack positive adult relationships in their lives. The lack of support and guidance results in unacceptable graduation rates, and these dropout rates correlate directly to serious social issues:

  • Increased teen pregnancy
  • Substance abuse
  • Negative effects on mental health
  • Crime, gangs, and incarceration
  • Unemployment around 47%
  • Even those who work are unprepared for the workforce
  • High costs to city, state and federal government for all of these

the reality

Every urban student wants to have a successful life and is inherently capable of making one. But the reality is that most of them do not have adults in their lives who can help them overcome their challenges and achieve their potential.

the opportunity

Elevate New England is building the relationships that help students across Lowell and Lawrence prosper economically and socially, as well as achieve their goals after high school graduation. With your support, we can take this transformative program to even more New England cities and help tens of thousands more students.

imagine if no one

showed you they cared.

“About 10 years ago, we took some businesspeople down to tour the Canyon City Prison System. It was a big deal – covered by NBC Nightly News. On national TV, the prison warden said, ‘We are the fastest growing industry in America. And, you can put us out of business if you solve one problem.’ He said, ‘I will give you a hint. It is not the drug problem, or the gang problem, or the education problem, or the socio-economic problem. It is a relationship problem… We profile every prisoner who comes into our front door… And, virtually all say, ‘I would not be here if somebody really cared about me when I was younger.’”


JAY CLEARY
ELEVATE USA BOARD MEMBER

how we take action