LPS, city partners, sponsor Community Conversation

Originally published on: October 13, 2009

“Help us help all our students graduate from high school – be part of the solution!”

The Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) Board of Education, in partnership with the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools and the United Way of Lincoln-Lancaster County, invites the public to attend a two-meeting Community Conversation starting in October.

The community event will address and identify solutions to the major issues that impact students who do not graduate from high school; issues that often go beyond the school classroom and involve family support systems, poverty, mental health issues, and community and societal challenges.

“This is a bold vision for our community as we ask the public to come together and join us in this critical discussion,” said LPS Superintendent Susan Gourley.   “We believe in the power of community engagement, as we look for additional ways to improve our graduation rate, one of the most important issues in education today.”

Gourley stressed that students who fail to graduate from high school have a serious and long-lasting impact on the entire community.  “The achievement of a simple high school diploma creates measurable benefits that ripple through the fabric of a city.”

A diploma has enormous benefits in increased wages and accumulated wealth – for the individual and for the community, she explained.  A diploma also translates into a more comfortable and secure lifestyle for the graduate, fewer health issues, the decreased likelihood of receiving government assistance or going to jail, and the decreased likelihood of continuing the cycle of poverty in families.

The public is asked to join in the conversation and attend two meetings scheduled at Lincoln High School (LHS) located at 2229 J Street.
•    6-8:30 p.m. on: Thursday, Oct. 15
•    6-8:30 p.m. on: Thursday, Nov. 5

“This discussion is vital to the long-term success of our community,” said Steve Navin, Chair of the Board of Director for the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools.  “Every high school diploma is a building block that provides bright options for graduates and adds to the skilled workforce that will shape our community for years to come.  All opinions are welcome and appreciated."
 
Brian Wachman, Executive Director of United Way of Lincoln-Lancaster County, agreed.  “We believe this partnership will allow us to engage the community in a meaningful discussion, resulting in action steps that help youth of all backgrounds and ethnicities graduate from high school.”

Wachman pointed out that one of United Way’s two major funding areas is “Investing in Lincoln’s Future: Our Children,” an initiative aimed at ensuring all children are ready for kindergarten, and then succeed academically by 5th and 8th grades, so they graduate from high school and pursue continuing education or meaningful employment.

The October conversation will begin with a presentation explaining and exploring major factors identified in the lives of LPS students who drop out of school.  In November, working as a collective, participants will begin to identify community solutions and develop recommendations for how the community might come together to increase the high school graduation rate and lower the dropout rate.

“We hope you will join us in this Community Conversation,” Gourley said.  “Together, we can address this community challenge.  Together, we can ensure a better life for all our students – a better future for our community’s future citizens and leaders.”

The two meetings are free and open to the public.  No advanced registration is necessary.  Doors open at 5:30 p.m.  Participants should use the front door of LHS  and are welcome to park in the north parking areas.  Handicapped access is on the northwest corner of the building.

Leadership Lincoln will help facilitate the two evenings.  Other organizations also joined as additional partners.
American Red Cross
Arnold Heights Neighborhood Association
Asian Community & Cultural Center
Center for People in Need
City Impact
Clyde Malone Community Center
Community Health Endowment of Lincoln
Cornhusker Place, Inc.
Doane College
Family Service (Lincoln)
Heartland Big Brothers Big Sisters
Human Services Federation
Huntington Elementary School
Indian Village Neighborhood Association
Indian Center, Inc.
Lighthouse
Lincoln Action Program
Lincoln Community Learning Centers
Lincoln Council on Alcoholism & Drugs, Inc.
Lincoln Journal Star
Lincoln Medical Education Partnership (SCIP and Young Families)
Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department
Meadowlane Area Residents Association
Mourning Hope
NAACP (Lincoln)
Nebraska Children & Families Foundation
State Farm Insurance
TeamMates Mentoring Program
Prescott Elementary School PTO
Woods Charitable Fund, Inc.
YMCA Lincoln