Taking careers to class: Mobile Area Education Foundation hopes programs will reduce drop-out rate

From:  Mobile Press Register

Numerous education foundations initiate programs to positively impact their communities by increasing the number of graduating students.  A foundation in Alabama is working collaboratively to decrease the drop-out rate in a metropolitan community.

The Mobile Area Education Foundation, the Southwest Alabama Workforce Development Council, and the Mobile County Public School System are working together on a workforce awareness program.  The program entitled “CHOICES” is available to all fourth grade students in the Mobile County Public School System. Launched in 2008 the program has engaged 200 speakers to date which interacted with approximately 12,000 students. 

Volunteers are solicited and assigned to a fourth grade class to share their career, the reasons why this occupation was chosen, required skills to be successful, and emphasize that the importance of their education is the best chance for future success.

According to Jane Clark Dailey, a teacher at Clark School of Math and Sciences, “The speakers introduced them (students) to companies and fields of work that they have very little knowledge about.  Many of them are undecided about career paths, and they are being forced to make these decisions at a very young age.  Any education we can give them about what is out there is the Mobile area, as well as the world, will give them the power to make better decisions.”