May 8, 2008

Courtesy of wishtv.com

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Members of the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce made a promise last year. To improve graduation rates in all Marion County public high schools.

The chamber admits the program, called "Common Goal," is ambitious. They want to increase graduation rates from 70 to 80 percent by 2011.

The students involved in the program are enrolled within Arsenal Technical High School's small school.

It's a perfect fit for the mentors Common Goal has recruited and put into place. Right now, there are 115 trained adult mentors in 3 high schools. But, they still need to hire six graduation coaches.

They also need to recruit and train 2,000 more adult mentors by the fall of 2009. And, though the mentors only have to commit to two one hour meetings a month, a spokeswoman said even that contact is meaningful.

"For these students having somebody show them that they are special enough to show up for, and take time out of their day for," said Jessica Heiser of the Chamber of Commerce.

The Indianapolis Indians organization is getting involved in Common Goal and they are starting at the top.

Cal Burleson (`74), the Vice President and General Manager of the team, is mentoring students.

"As you learn about those things, and you begin to develop a feeling for how they persevere, with those challenges, it's encouraging to me to want to try and offer some mentoring, wherever I might be able to do that," said Burleson.

Intervention strategies for 13 high schools have been developed. Graduation coaches will be on board and even internships will be arranged.

For Storm Cosby it's coming into contact with a successful adult.

"They are just telling us what helped them to succeed at life, and they're like helping us out like with the same stuff, so we don't fall in the same traps that they did," said Cosby.