High School Dropout Prevention

Sponsor Organization: U.S. Army
Campaign Website: www.boostup.org
Volunteer Agency: Publicis New York

Approximately 7,000 high school students drop out every school day, which translates to one in three students. Once students make the decision to drop out, they lack the tools to compete in today’s society and diminish their chances for greater success in the future. But the decision to drop out of school does not happen overnight; it comes after years of frustration and failure. Often, those that drop out have run out of motivation and have no source of support or encouragement in school or at home.

The goal of the Boost campaign is to support, encourage, and create an identity for those who may be at risk of dropping out. By featuring the real stories of potential graduates at risk of dropping out, the campaign encourages teens, parents and adult influencers to give struggling students in their own communities the boost (encouragement) they need to stay in school and graduate.

The PSA campaign drives audiences to www.boostup.org, where visitors can send a boost to profiled students or anyone in their own community. They will also find resources for students, parents and others wishing to help at risk students.  

Thanks to a variety of national resources, celebrity-recorded wake-up calls, and above all, the support of student peers, the Boost campaign is providing tools for local communities to keep their students on the path to graduation.