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What does this mean?

Helping Young People Graduate and Thrive in the Future

The AT&T Aspire program aims to remove barriers to academic success and career growth and help all students — regardless of age, gender or income.

The average high school graduate can expect to earn an annual income of $30,627. That’s $10,386 more than someone who does not complete high school. But graduation gaps persist between students of different races, ethnicities, income levels and special needs. Currently, one out of six students fail to graduate with their class.

Through Aspire, AT&T supports programs that are improving the nation’s high school graduation rate. Sixty one percent of Aspire Students who were off track to graduate moved on track after one year in the AT&T Aspire program; 8 percentage points better than their peers.

AT&T is also part of the Grad Nation campaign to drive America to a 90 percent high school graduation rate by 2020. When Grad Nation launched the campaign in 2010 with AT&T’s support, the graduation rate in the United States was 74.9 percent for the class of 2008. By 2016, the rate was at an all-time high of 84.1 percent.

It’s not only about high school graduation. In 2013, students from high-income families were eight times more likely to have a bachelor’s degree by age 24 than their peers from low-income families. AT&T also supports Lumina Foundation’s goal of increasing the number of Americans with high-quality postsecondary degrees or credentials to 60 percent by 2025.

“Statistics tell us that two-thirds of all jobs created in this decade are going to require some form of post-secondary education, whether that’s a traditional four-year degree, community college, certifications or some other kinds of credentials,” says Charlene Lake, senior vice president for Corporate Social Responsibility, AT&T. “Today only about 45 percent of adults in the U.S. have achieved that level of education. We think by supporting those goals and encouraging other companies to support those goals, we can further this initiative and give opportunities to youth.”

To celebrate a decade of AT&T Aspire, AT&T recently awarded $9.25 million to 10 organizations across the country who help serve underserved students stay in school land prepare for their next steps in their lives.

To inspire educators and the private sector to help prepare students for the future, download the guide: “Leading the Future for Students, for Educators, and in Technology – Transforming education today to build the workforce of tomorrow.” Click here to learn more.