NEWS RELEASE — Take Stock in Children programs in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties recently garnered recognition with an Excellence Award for successfully providing at-risk youth with volunteer mentors, college readiness curriculum and college scholarships.

Across the state Take Stock in Children students have a high school graduation rate of 92 percent, with 87 percent of the students going to college.

Take Stock’s graduation rate exceeds the state’s average graduation of 57 percent for students living in poverty, with only 28 percent enrolling in college.

Escambia County’s program, operating under the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation, currently serves 118 students.

Santa Rosa’s program, under the operations of the Santa Rosa Education Foundation, serves 96 students.

Both counties received the award at Take Stock in Children’s College and Career Readiness Summit.

With more than 250 participants, attendees learned from national leaders about the latest data on youth poverty, mentoring, college readiness skills and career pipelines.

“This award is a source of great pride to both our programs and highlights our dedication to changing lives of our students through this program,” said

Sally Lee, program coordinator for Take Stock in Children in Escambia County. “Our students are counting on us to make the difference in their lives to ensure they succeed academically and professionally.

To donate, volunteer or learn more about Take Stock in Children, contact Sally, Escambia County, 469-5458, [email protected] or Angi Brown, Santa Rosa County, 712-2264, [email protected].

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