Madison Represented at the Graduation Walk
It’s the goal of every school and school district to provide students a great education and, ultimately, a high school diploma that helps each of them be ready to succeed at their next stage in life.
But, unless the graduation rate is 100%, work remains to make sure every high school senior can put on a cap and gown, and walk across stage with a diploma in hand.
At Des Moines Public Schools, a number of tactics are at work contributing to the steadily increasing graduation rate, from academic support labs at each high school to providing greater access to rigorous courses to increasing support to extracurricular activities.
But one tactic in Des Moines also involves good old-fashioned shoe leather.
For six years, volunteers have hit the streets of Des Moines, going door-to-door to talk with students and their parents about the importance of completing or returning to high school.
When the 2014 edition of the Graduation Walk took place on Saturday, August 23, it turned out to be the biggest and most successful one yet. The success was in no small part thanks to great partners at United Way of Central Iowa and Wells Fargo.
“A big thank you to all of the volunteers for their time and enthusiasm,” said Ruth Wright, the At-Risk Specialist for Des Moines Public Schools who also helps coordinate the annual event. “As a result of a strong team effort 1,260 homes were visited; and volunteers spoke to 530 people; including 188 students and 205 parents/guardians.”
More than 340 volunteers gathered early Saturday morning at one of six DMPS high schools. As luck would have it, the early morning rain started to let up just as teams of 2-3 volunteers each headed out to all corners of Des Moines.
Each team had a list of recent dropouts as well as students who were falling behind in the credits needed to graduate. They also had information to share with students about the support available to get back on track to graduate.
“It was an honor to be part of the Hoover effort I really felt like we made a difference today,” added Elisabeth Buck, Chief Community Impact Officer for United Way of Central Iowa.
In other words, never underestimate the difference a knock on the door can make.