America’s Promise Alliance is the nation’s largest partnership dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth. We bring together more than 400 national organizations representing nonprofits, businesses, communities, educators and policymakers.
We focus on ending the high school dropout crisis and ensuring that students graduate ready for college and the 21st century workforce. Our Grad Nation campaign, launched in 2010, is the centerpiece of these efforts.
The situation is urgent: Every 26 seconds, a student drops out of high school. We cannot afford to lose one out of four students to the dropout crisis – more than 1 million every year. For African-American and Hispanic students, the likelihood of graduating is closer to only one in two. Of those students who do graduate, many lack the basic skills they need to succeed. It is also critical to start early, as early grade reading scores are a proven predictor of who will drop out.
Our History
America’s Promise grew out of the 1997 Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future, when the nation’s living presidents united to affirm that all Americans bear responsibility for the well-being of our children and youth.
Under the leadership of Founding Chairman General Colin Powell and current Chair Alma Powell, our work has always revolved around fulfilling Five Promises in the lives of young people: caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, effective education, and opportunities to help others. The high school dropout crisis demonstrates a critical shortage of these fundamental resources in the lives of millions of children.
Research and experience show that the Five Promises change lives, regardless of a child’s race, the neighborhood where they live or their family’s income.
Our Strength
Our more than 400 national partners and their local affiliates give America’s Promise a strong presence in every state and thousands of communities across the country. Our special focus is on the kids and their schools and their communities that need us the most. We unite individuals, organizations and communities working to end the dropout crisis and ensure that every young person can live up to their full potential.
For more information, visit www.americaspromise.org.
