Action Tips: Educate Yourself on Issues of Inequality

Educate yourself on issues of inequality: at your school, in your state, globally.

These sites provide vital information and statistics on what has been called the "silent epidemic." Consider the facts: every 29 seconds another student gives up on school, resulting in more than one million American high school students who drop out every year; nearly one third of all public high school students—and nearly one half of all African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans—fail to graduate from public high school with their class; there are nearly 2,000 high schools in the U.S. where the typical freshman class loses 40 percent of its students to dropouts by their senior year! The high school dropout epidemic is taking an immense toll on our communities and our economy. Dropouts are much more likely to experience personal hardship, be dependent upon government assistance, or end up in jail. Their earnings will likely be much lower than high school graduates and far lower than those who go to college. Worse yet, children of dropouts are more likely to become dropouts themselves, which perpetuates the tragic cycle. Educate yourself!

For more information go to the following websites.

www.boostup.org

www.whatkidscando.org

www.americaspromise.org

www.silentepidemic.org