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Poverty and lack of privilege in Jasper County is a cycle perpetuated by academic failure and a lack of strong positive role models. This cycle can be overcome through mentoring programs. Giving the students of Jasper County Public Schools the opportunity to create friendships with caring volunteer mentors will allow them to learn of new opportunities and experience different lifestyles that can lead them to academic, social, and professional success and out of the cycle of poverty.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation 2006 Kids Count Project indicates Georgia has an overall rank of 44 nationally for the well-being of children. Two key reasons for ranking so low is that Georgia ranked 48th in graduating its children from high school and our ability to prevent teen births ranked 41st in the nation. Furthermore, the 2000 Jasper County census identified the following: 41 percent of single mother homes lived under the poverty level; 24 percent of children lived in single-parent homes; 20 percent of the population’s families with children warranted poverty status; 9 percent of persons aged 25 years and over had less than a ninth grade education and 21 percent did not have a high school diploma. Sadly, 38 percent of grandparents were responsible for raising their grandchildren.
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An article in the September issue of Atlanta magazine examines which cultural forces and societal troubles contribute to our state’s low high school graduation rates. The article analyzes the following: “By 2014, more than 30 percent of Georgia’s jobs will require postsecondary education, according to the Department of Labor projections. That’s grim news for the 311 or so Georgia students who drop out every school day - and for Atlanta’s communities and businesses. The state’s high school graduation rates are among the lowest in the nation. Students from low-income families may lack support at home. When parents work multiple jobs, kids are left to motivate themselves to complete homework and get themselves to school. Disadvantaged students struggle against a “culture of low expectations” from parents who don’t yet understand the value of education. Dropouts from Georgia’s class of 2007 will cost more than $15.4 billion in lost wages, taxes, and productivity over their lifetimes. If we can increase the high school graduation rate and college registration rates of male students by just 5 percent, the state stands to gain nearly $276 million a year. |
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