If it takes a village to raise a child, that village must be accountable for providing that child with an adequate education. Unfortunately today, too many Hoosier children are left unprepared. According to data from the Indiana Department of Education, nearly 13 percent of Hoosiers do not graduate from high school with their class, and those that do are often not fully equipped to succeed in college and future careers.
Without a high school diploma, students are left with few options and minimal opportunities for the future. When students drop out the consequences extend far beyond the individual. Over the course of 25 to 30 years, a dropout student can cost a community as much as $500,000 in public assistance. On the other hand, a high school diploma can add nearly $500,000 in earning potential during a worker’s career.
To help ensure Hoosiers are receiving the support they need from an early age, I will be introducing the Transition-To-Success Mentoring Act that will provide vulnerable middle-school students with individual attention to help them overcome the difficult transition to high school and put them on the right track for college and a career. If passed, participating students will develop and execute a plan for academic progress with the assistance of a school faculty member or volunteer from the community known as a “Success Coach.”
There is no excuse for allowing any child to fall through the cracks of our education system. Not only can mentoring make a difference academically in the lives of youth, it can create an environment for greater engagement in positive activities beyond the classroom. According to the National Mentoring Partnership, mentored youth are 55 percent more likely to be enrolled in college than those who do not have a mentor, 81 percent more likely to participate regularly in sports or other extracurricular activities, and 78 percent more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities.
We all win when young people can connect with trained, caring mentors. Improved grades, reduced dropout rates, workforce readiness, and better integration into the community result from strong relationships with positive role models.
To learn more about this bill, and other items I am working on in Congress by visiting my website at carson.house.gov. You may also sign up for my weekly e-newsletter The Carson Courier to receive periodic updates on my activities in Indianapolis and in Washington, D.C.
