wisewords
and get their GED [General Educational
them and that they’re worthless, or if
Development] certificates. A member
they feel unsafe physically and emo-
of our group came up with the concept
tionally.
of ‘storefront schools’, and by the late
Kids don’t drop out because of
An interview with ‘60s, we had renamed them academies educational institutions, but because of
and prep schools, after the educational
many other issues. Perhaps their father
Bill milliken
concept that works for wealthy, suc-
spent time in prison, or maybe they
cessful people.
don’t have enough food in their stom-
by linda Sechrist
Eventually, our work became
ach or have been subjected to multi-
known as the Street Academy move-
generational poverty. Gangs are another
ment and caught the interest of Wall
part of the problem. To believe that
Street business leaders and 16 corpora-
every child comes to school with the
tions, including American Express, Time
same resources and support is wishful
and others. The riots that hit New York
thinking.
City spurred awareness, waking people
to the fact that the world was in big what are the basics for keeping
trouble.
kids in school?
Learning from our storefront acad-
emies, we recognized that they couldn’t
Milliken: Through experience, we have
begin to handle the flood of young
identified the five basics needed for ev-
people who need a second chance. The
ery young child: a one-on-one relation-
hands-on education our initial groups
ship with a caring adult; a safe place
received taught us two key principles
to learn and grow; a healthy start and
that would shape the future of our
a healthy future; a marketable skill to
work: programs don’t change kids, rela-
use upon graduation; and a chance to
tionships do; and our nation’s dropout
give back to peers and the community.
crisis isn’t only an education issue—it
Fulfilling these needs is what keeps kids
reflects a larger failure of the adult
in school and prepares them to succeed
community.
academically.
Such realizations led us to see
what school could be: an integrated
How do you see the dropout rate
and holistic one-stop destination,
affecting America’s future?
Founder of Communities in
where parents, extended family mem-
Milliken: A 30 percent dropout rate
Schools and author of
bers and the community come together
is morally wrong and economically
The Last Dropout: Stop the
and combine scattered resources that
insane. If we continue on our pres-
already exist, putting these to work in
Epidemic
ent course during the next decade, we
the most efficient way. Then we added
are destined to become a second-rate
the concept of a site coordinator, who
nation. Unless we bring all available
has the knowledge, training and time to
what is Communities in Schools
resources into play and weave them
connect students with the people who
(CIS)?
in a holistic way that fosters the five
care and can back it up with expertise.
basics, this will be unavoidable. Just
Mentoring becomes the bedrock.
Milliken: CIS is the nation’s largest one example of how our present course
The school becomes the delivery point
community-based dropout retention is playing out is in the Philadelphia area
of resources in the categories of human
program for keeping kids in school to school system, which loses the equiva-
services, health services, business,
ensure that they get their diplomas, lent of the city’s entire population in
recreation, employment services, law
which is part of helping them learn how dropouts every year.
enforcement, civic groups, universities,
to prepare themselves for life. CIS is This epidemic is not spread equally
tutors, mentors and legal assistance.
now in 3,400 schools, working with 1.3 across the country or among races.
million kids annually. Among minorities, the dropout rate
what have you learned about
is almost 50 percent. A report from
How did the concept come
why kids drop out?
Johns Hopkins University shows that
about?
50 percent of the dropouts are occur-
Milliken: The years I spent working with
ring in just 1,900 schools in 27 states.
Milliken: Early in the 1960s, a handful kids on the streets showed me that the
We will be zeroing in on these dropout
of caring, enthusiastic, dedicated peo- seeds of dropping out are sown long
factories and need everyone to become
ple came together to hold classes in an before students reach their teen years.
involved.
effort to prepare students in Harlem to Children can’t begin to learn if they’re
pass the high school equivalency exam convinced that nobody cares about Visit
CommunitiesInSchools.org.
Collier / Lee Counties
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