MINNEAPOLIS-SAINT PAUL, Minn., March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --As access to skilled workers becomes increasingly vital to the U.S. economy, AT&T* is launching a quarter-billion-dollar campaign to help more students graduate from high school ready for careers and college, and to ensure the country is better prepared to meet global competition.

According to a March 19, 2012 report by Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, America's Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education, Minnesota has seen a 3.5 percentage increase in 2009 graduation rates, compared with data from 2002.

AT&T Aspire, already among the most significant U.S. corporate educational initiatives with more than $100 million invested since 2008, will tackle high school success and college/career readiness for students at-risk of dropping out of high school through a much larger, "socially innovative" approach. Social innovation goes beyond traditional philanthropy which typically involves only charitable giving to also engage people and technology to bring different approaches, new solutions and added resources to challenging social problems. The Aspire effort already has impacted more than one million U.S. high school students, helping them prepare for success in the workplace and college.

The greatly expanded effort centers on a new, $250 million financial commitment planned over 5 years. AT&T Aspire will build on that commitment by using technology to connect with students in new and more effective ways, such as with interactive gamification, Web-based content and social media. The company will also tap the innovation engine of the AT&T Foundry to look for fresh or atypical approaches to educational obstacles. Finally, AT&T Aspire will capitalize on the power of personal connections in the form of mentoring, internships and other voluntary efforts that involve many of AT&T's approximately 260,000 employees.

"AT&T Aspire works toward an America where every student graduates high school equipped with the knowledge and skills to strengthen the nation's workforce," AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson said while announcing the extended commitment during a keynote address at the second annual Building a Grad Nation Summit. The Washington, D.C., event convened by America's Promise Alliance (http://www.americaspromise.org/), Civic Enterprises (http://www.civicenterprises.net/home.html), The Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University (www.every1graduates.org/), and the Alliance for Excellent Education (http://www.all4ed.org/) brings together nearly 1,200 U.S. leaders to discuss progress and challenges in ending the high school dropout crisis.

"We applaud AT&T for its commitment to education in Minnesota," said Colleen Kaibel, director of the Check & Connect program for Minneapolis Public Schools. "With a previous grant from AT&T for more than $93,000, we were able to expand our Check and Connect intervention program at South High School and Anishinabe Academy. Through that program, we've had great success in increasing graduation rates of at-risk Native American students. We plan to respond to AT&T's RFP and hope we can earn a second AT&T Aspire grant through the newly expanded program."

Lacking a high school degree is a serious issue in the United States, where one in four students more than 1 million each year drops out, according to a March 19, 2012, report by Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, America's Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education. AT&T is the lead sponsor of this report. Education experts believe that the lack of a high school degree significantly worsens job prospects in a rapidly changing, increasingly sophisticated job market.

And, if dropouts find jobs, they earn less. On average, a high school dropout earns 25 percent less during the course of his or her lifetime compared with a high school graduate and 57 percent less than a college graduate with a bachelor's degree.(1)

The situation poses a serious risk to American competitiveness as corporations struggle to find talent, especially in the math and sciences fields. The dropout rate, along with inadequate training and education, is keeping many high-paying Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) jobs from being filled. And the situation is expected to worsen as STEM jobs grow a projected 17 percent by 2018. Workers in these positions typically earn 26 percent more than those in non-STEM positions.(2)

"Dropout prevention starts with caring adults who give students every chance for success," said Danielle Grant, Director of Indian Education. "AT&T's support of Check & Connect implementation with our Native American population at South High School and Anishinabe Academy in Minneapolis has brought at-risk students needed support through mentoring, advocacy, and tutoring. The dropout prevention intervention supported by AT&T was inclusive of families, school staff, and community agencies, bringing a whole child approach to engage in learning and find success in the classroom."

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AT&T Announces Additional Aspire Grants, Track Record of Success in Minnesota Schools