GradNation Acceleration Grant (2018)

GradNation | America's Promise Alliance | AT&T

Program Purpose

In 2010, America’s Promise, along with its campaign co-conveners, set the national goal of a 90 percent graduation rate by 2020 and created the GradNation campaign to mobilize efforts towards that goal. Over the past several years, practitioners and youth-serving organizations have refined the practices, policies, and relationships needed to successfully support young people to high school completion. In addition, they have collectively deepened their knowledge of the barriers young people face in reaching that milestone.

With a national graduation rate of 84.1 percent in 2015, progress has been made and a continued urgent commitment is necessary to accelerate progress towards 90 percent. Progress for young people is happening at the state and community levels, in collaboration with schools. The GradNation Acceleration Grant is intended to support existing state- and community-level efforts that are poised to support even more young people.

With generous support from AT&T, America’s Promise will invest in two states and three communities to support more young people toward the critical milestone of high school graduation.

The application period for this funding opportunity closed in November 2017.

Learn more about the Grantees.

Program Goals

Accelerate Graduation Rate Progress through the GradNation Action Platform
Accelerate Progress in Priority States

America’s Promise Alliance seeks to support local efforts poised to impact high school completion and the national graduation rate. Overall, proposals should describe a state- or community-level effort that demonstrates (1) an understanding of school-level and community-level graduation rates and related data, (2) a collaborative relationship with high school(s) and/or the district, and (3) a commitment to meet the needs of students most at-risk of not graduating: low-income students, Black and Hispanic/ Latino students, students with disabilities, English-language learners, and those served by low-graduation rate high schools.

America’s Promise will fund two states and three communities in the 10 priority states that are poised to accelerate their impact on young people in one or more of the six priority areas in the GradNation Action Platform.

The GradNation Action Platform

Together with partners working with young people across the country, America’s Promise developed the GradNation Action Platform to serve as a framework for the type of work a community must do to graduate from high school graduation – a key milestone to ensure a young person’s economic opportunity and life success.

Proposals must directly relate to one or more of the GradNation Action Platform areas.

For more information on the GradNation Action Platform, visit here.

Intended Outcomes

Increased graduation rates.
Shared learning for adoption and replication in other states and communities.
Strengthened local capacity to improve outcomes for young people based on young people’s needs and strengths.

Expectations of Grantee During Project Period

Attend convenings with other grantees.
Provide quarterly progress reports and participate in quarterly progress calls; participate in annual onsite visits.
Share success stories with the GradNation learning community and public forums, including cooperation with America’s Promise Alliance digital and media efforts.

Support for Acceleration Site Grantees

Biannual opportunities to collaborate with other grantees on implementation, partner development, and measuring progress and success.
Media and digital communications support to disseminate best practices and connect with other communities.
Connections with the more than 400 partner organizations in America’s Promise Alliance that are committed to improving outcomes for youth.