139. Avoiding Dropouts through School-to-Career Support with Ken Smith

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Helping youth who have dropped out of high school is important, but what if we could prevent the dropouts altogether? That’s the idea behind Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG), championed by this week’s podcast guest, Ken Smith.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the president and CEO of this 40-year-old non-profit organization, Ken is working to ensure that America’s most vulnerable youth succeed after high school and secure good jobs. And they do that through mentorship and career-focused educational opportunities inside schools.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Attendance has been pointed to by state leaders as the most pressing issue in schools. But it’s not about getting students into seats, which is a symptom of a bigger issue. What’s missing is connection. And without programs like JAG, we risk losing a big part of our next generation.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">JAG has served more than 1.7 million students to date in 39 states and Ken’s vision has that impact doubling over the next few years. I’m incredibly impressed with the resources and opportunities that JAG will add in the coming years and I have no doubt that Ken will reach his goal.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">About Ken Smith:</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr. Kenneth M. Smith serves as President and CEO of Jobs for America’s Graduates, Inc. (JAG), the nation’s largest, most consistently applied model of high school retention and school-to-career transition for high-risk young people of great promise.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 1979, Mr. Smith worked with Governor Pete du Pont of Delaware on the design of the first statewide test of the JAG Model and has served as President and CEO since its inception.  JAG currently serves 75,000 young people annually, in more than 1,450 high schools, middle schools, and out-of-school programs in 39 states.   Over 1.4 million youth have been