With a graduation rate of just 41%, Banneker High School has been named an alert school by the Georgia Department of Education (GADOE). Alert Schools are those that need to raise student achievement on statewide assessments in areas such as the graduation rate.
During the last two school years, Future Foundation provided college and career readiness programs to Banneker students. These programs have been so successful that every Banneker senior who has gone through our College 4 Careers program graduated.
Now we’re increasing our involvement with Banneker and strengthening our relationship with the school’s students by opening a satellite afterschool site at the school.
Slated to open in mid-September, the site will offer after-school enrichments such as a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program, robotics, and even a student-run newspaper.
“We provided our college and career readiness program at Banneker for the last two years,” said Future Foundation Program Manager Otha William. “It includes college and career readiness assemblies that cover everything from the importance of starting the college preparation process early to the importance of developing a college and career plan, setting goals, and how to stay focused and motivated.
Otha says the new Banneker site will extend the services that Future Foundation can provide to students. “We saw the opportunity to expand our presence, and offer stronger programming to help improve the graduation rate.”
The new site is funded with a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant from GADOE. It will also be part of our work with the College Park Enrichment Collaboration (CPEC), for which Future Foundation received a $900,000 grant from United Way in 2013.