Instilling confidence, character and knowledge in all our youth through mentoring, after-school programs, and ongoing support is critical not only to their individual futures, but also to the future of our entire community. Ensuring that today's youth avoid drugs, alcohol, and crime—and receive a quality education—is their key to a future filled with promise.

The Issues

• Twenty-one percent of our youth in Greenville County currently do not graduate in 4 years.

• Dropouts in Greenville County are twice as likely to be unemployed and are 2.5 times as likely to live in poverty.

• High school dropouts are 3.5 times more likely than high school graduates to be arrested and 8 times as likely to be in jail or prison.

• The number of jobs requiring education beyond high school is growing twice as fast as jobs that only require on-the-job training.

• Cutting the dropout rate in half in South Carolina would increase income in the state by $108 million.

United Way Responds

• Through funding after school programs, more than 4,400 youth are getting tools, support, and guidance to help them stay in school and be successful.

• United Way is currently researching and implementing best practice standards for after school programs to make the overall quality of the after school programs in our community even stronger.

• In Spring 2005, Greenville County Schools (GCS), United Way of Greenville County, and The Alliance for Quality Education partnered to form GRADUATE GREENVILLE to initiate and support a community-wide effort to improve high school success and increase the graduation rate. The goal of GRADUATE GREENVILLE is to increase the percentage of GCS high school students graduating within four years to 85 percent by 2010. A Community Action Plan was launched in 2006 to make this goal a reality. This will be accomplished by embracing a vision of high schools focused on the Three R’s for high school success: Rigor, Relevance and Relationships.

2007-08 Community Impact Funding by Focus Area (.pdf)