Each day, more than 1,200 young men and women give up on their high school education, and, in many cases, on themselves.

Research has shown that 4 out of every 10 high school students drop out before graduation.  

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 Boost campaign follows the stories of 10 at-risk seniors from across the country that are struggling to finish high school. Directing audiences to visit a redesigned BoostUp.org, the campaign has created a virtual community of support for any teen struggling to make it to graduation. Utilizing mobile messaging in addition to the most popular social networking sites – MySpace, YouTube and Facebook – visitors to the Boost Website have multiple opportunities to give a virtual "boost" to the profiled teens, and the teens in their own lives.  

BoostUp.org serves as a hub, facilitating conversations and aggregating support, in addition to serving as a resource to parents and teens. All of these elements are designed to work together to encourage peer discussion about the importance of graduating from high school.  

Kids drop out of school for many different reasons, a few of them being:

– Didn't like school in general or the school they were attending.

– Were failing, getting poor grades, or couldn't keep up with school work.

– Didn't get along with teachers and/or students.

– Had disciplinary problems, were suspended, or expelled.

– Didn't feel safe in school.

– Got a job, had a family to support, or had trouble managing both school and work.

– Got married, got pregnant, or became a parent.

– Had a drug or alcohol problem.

What you can do to prevent your child from dropping out of high school

– Arrange for help with making up missed work, tutoring, placement in a special program, and/or a transfer to another school.

– Help them with personal problems, and/or arrange for professional help.

– Help them schedule work and family obligations so that there is also time to attend school.

– Help them understand that the choices they make — like marrying, becoming parents, falling courses, or behaving badly enough to get suspended — can seriously disrupt their ability to finish school.

– If students do become pregnant or parents, help them find school and social programs that will meet their special needs.

– If all else fails, help them find a GED program and encourage them to stay with it until they get an alternative high school diploma.

Information from the Ad Council and www.focusas.com/Dropouts.html