THE LAST DROPOUT: STOP THE EPIDEMIC!

A Dropout Epidemic Threatens America. Can We Reclaim our Kids' Future in Time?

Did you know that almost one third of our public high school students fail to graduate? Young Americans who drop out of school have little hope for a decent future. Without a high school diploma, they're far more likely than their peers to be unemployed, live in poverty, suffer from poor health, become dependent on social services, and go to jail. Half of all prison inmates are dropouts. Can we turn around this tragic waste of young lives with the right help at the right time?

In his compelling new book, THE LAST DROPOUT: STOP THE EPIDEMIC! Bill Milliken offers hope for a brighter future. Bill, founder of Communities In Schools (CIS), the nation's leading community-based organization for helping kids stay in school, reveals the enormous cost to American society from our failure to give kids the things they need to stay the course and graduate.

Stopping the dropout epidemic is everybody's business—all of us have a stake in the achievements and the well-being of future generations. THE LAST DROPOUT is a powerful call to action—from moving stories of early efforts to help kids at risk on the streets of Harlem to a proven program for organizing the resources needed to keep kids in school and help them thrive.

And the time to take action is now. As Bill says in his powerful book: "The dire consequences for these young people are mirrored in the costs to American society—to you, your children, and the future of our country. Dropouts are costing us billions of dollars in lost wages and increased social supports, including medical care and welfare benefits. Each youth who drops out of school and later moves into a life of crime or drugs is costing the nation somewhere between $1.7 and $2.3 million.

The dropout epidemic is creating a divided society whose consequences will be devastating for all Americans, not just the young people themselves. It is at once a practical disaster for our economy, a human tragedy for the children and families concerned, and a justice issue that confronts every citizen."

In THE LAST DROPOUT: STOP THE EPIDEMIC! Bill offers a blueprint for change. Read about the work of Communities In Schools (CIS), an organization enlisting the help of many leaders in education, business, and the faith community to build networks of community support services that work in the public schools. CIS already reaches more than one million at-risk students and their families annually in more than 3,400 American schools.

The dropout crisis is not just about education! THE LAST DROPOUT describes the practical and proven methods used by CIS to bring community resources into the schools. Working together to give kids the nonacademic support and care they need, communities can free the schools to do the job they were designed to do—help kids learn and gain the knowledge and skills they need for a happy, hopeful, prosperous future. Our society can only survive and thrive when all members are given the opportunity to fulfill their potential, to be independent, productive, and caring.

"Epidemics spread, but so do the forces for good. When a community carries out its commitment to help children succeed, it also builds the relationships and trust that can take on any challenge."

These are the basics that every young person needs and deserves:

Learn more about his work at http://www.CommunitiesInSchools.org. All author proceeds from the sale of this book will go to Communities in Schools. "One of the Top 100 Nonprofits Most Likely to Save the World ..."