Uniting to increase the graduation rate

The United Way of Anchorage campaigns year-round within the community to create lasting impacts on those in need. They have held the vision of promoting assistance for members within the community by encouraging everyone to focus on education awareness, income stability, and access to health. This non-profit organization works to connect individuals to the right resources when they need a helping hand. There are several programs and projects that exist statewide. The United Way is the connection to route individuals in need to the appropriate neighborhood programs.

This year the United Way of Anchorage wants to shift their focus on an important issue that was formulated by their annual Community Assessment Project (CAP) report. These reports are released every spring which gathers data about Anchorage’s economic, education, health, natural environment, and public safety landscapes. Starting in 2006 when this report was first assessed, the United Way has been able to gather view on the quality of life from families in the city. This year’s local data collection reflects their new primary focus: increasing the graduation rate. This is also in correlation with rejecting the amount of violence and substance abuse within youth members.

Pam Scheve, the Donor and Relationship Manager of the organization, is going around to different areas of the community to promote this campaign. She likes to start her workshops by simply asking what volunteers know about the organization and what exactly it does for the community.

Scheve says, “Most people can’t answer what our organization does, but they know we’re out there. We want to educate and spread the word about The United Way and our vision.”

To increase the graduation rate, the United Way of Anchorage established Anchorage United for Youth (AUY). This diverse leadership group commits to helping youth reach their potential by following a shared community plan and focusing on strategies for youth success.

“The more youth succeeds, our community succeeds,” says Scheve during one of her presentations. This is the trend the organization wants to set forth for the long run.

In the 2007-08 school year, the high school graduation rate was 64.3%. This is nearly 2 out of every 3 high school students graduating, which is sufficiently low. After implementing a shift towards improving this graduation rate from the United Way of Anchorage, there was a noticeable increase in the following 2008-09 school year with a rate of 70.5%.

"It's wonderful to see the rates increasing," says Scheve, "but that doesn't mean we should stop. We need to strive for more."

The percentage of high school students who use alcohol has decreased significantly as well. The CAP report reflects the numbers starting in 2005: about 76% of youth admitted to alcohol consumption at least once; 41.3% of youth still currently consume alcohol; and 27.9% admit to being binge drinkers. The 2009 numbers show a decrease of several percentage points in all areas: 66.5% of youth admitted to alcohol consumption at least once; 34.9% still currently consume alcohol; and 22.6% are considered binge drinkers. This is based on a completely voluntary survey by Anchorage high school students. This reflects a positive impact on what Anchorage United for Youth can do and will continue to do.

Anchorage United for Youth has created several opportunities for young adults that help to develop more positive and supportive environments. A good example is the Step-Up program which kept 29 at-risk teens off the streets and in the classroom during the 2009-10 school year. Through United Way partners, 313 youth were able to receive clinical substance use and mental health intervention and treatment. These numbers are from the recent CAP report.

Giving time and acting as positive mentors towards youth is the biggest help the United Way is asking for from volunteers and advocates of the community. Scheve recommends visiting www.liveunitedanchorage.org to learn more about how to help and how to get more information on the various community partners.