When: Saturday, November 14, 2009 9am - 1pm

Where: Fulton High School

Why: Knox County, like the rest of the nation, has been struggling with low graduation rates.  Steps have been taken at the state and local levels to address this situation and now we have the opportunity for community members to come together and learn what they can do to help support schools’ efforts to secure a better future for our students.  Educators can not do this alone. This event offers the opportunity for all community members to learn about the current situation, hear about successful dropout prevention strategies, and work with educators from their community to develop a plan to increase graduation rates together.

How: The day will begin in a general session with John Becker of WBIR as the MC.  The session will include testimonials, an expert panel discussion, and a presentation about the impact of dropouts.  Following this general session, attendees will break into high school communities to learn about what can be done in their particular community.  All attendees will then enjoy a complimentary lunch and reconvene to wrap up the days work.

Who: Every person in our community: parents, students, educators, business people, grandparents, people without children, anyone who cares about the development of our community.  Some may believe that if they do not have children in school then there is no reason for them to be involved.  On the contrary, poor high school graduation rates affect us all!  High school dropouts earn less money therefore they pay less in taxes creating a lower tax base and dropouts are more likely to need social services.  These are just a couple of the reasons why everyone in our community should be involved.