Academic Abundance gets graduation dropout prevention grant
By Catharin Shepard
Published in News on October 31, 2010 1:50 AM
Local non-profit organization Academic Abundance, Inc. received a $175,000 dropout prevention grant this past week from the state Department of Public Instruction.
The academic group has operated for about a year in Wayne County, providing free job seeking and skills training seminars.
Now, it will also focus on a three-prong model of advising, mentoring and tutoring to encourage students at two Duplin County schools to complete their degrees.
Academic Abundance is partnering with Charity Middle School and Wallace-Rose Hill High School to offer support to students through volunteer mentors.
The non-profit earlier this year extended an offer to schools in the area to work with the group to help curb the dropout rate.
The group is seeking volunteers interested in serving as a mentor to a child during the course of the program, she said.
B.G. Kennedy, Duplin County Schools director of student support, said he was glad to hear of the grant award and excited about the possibilities it presents.
The program will serve approximately 50 middle and high school students in grades 6-10.
The dropout prevention program will start Jan. 1 of next year.