Mission & Purpose
Mission
Building on the legacy of our founder, General Colin Powell, we are the leader in forging a strong and effective partnership alliance committed to seeing that children experience the fundamental resources they need to succeed — the Five Promises (Caring Adults, Safe Places, A Healthy Start, Effective Education, and Opportunities to Help Others) — at home, in school and out in the community. Together with our partner organizations, we know the success of our children is grounded in experiencing these Promises. We are proof that the power of the alliance is greater than the sum of its separate parts.
Our Purpose
We focus on ending the high school dropout crisis and ensuring that students graduate ready
for college and the 21st century workforce. Our Grad Nation campaign, launched in 2010, is
the centerpiece of these efforts.
The situation is urgent: Every 26 seconds, a student drops out of high school. We cannot afford
to lose one out of four students to the dropout crisis – more than 1 million every year. For
African-American and Hispanic students, the likelihood of graduating is closer to only one in two.
Of those students who do graduate, many lack the basic skills they need to succeed. It is also
critical to start early, as early grade reading scores are a proven predictor of who will drop out.
The high school dropout crisis demonstrates a critical shortage of the Five Promises in the lives of millions of children.
Our Strength
Our more than 400 national partners and their local affiliates give America’s Promise a strong presence in every state and thousands of communities across the country. Our focus is on the young people and their schools and communities that need us the most. We unite dedicated individuals, organizations and communities working together to end the dropout crisis and ensure that every young person can live up to their full potential.