NHED and Graduation Alliance join forces to offer mentoring success

CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire Department of Education, which strives to support students throughout their academic careers, has partnered with Graduation Alliance to provide children in New Hampshire with mentors to help them successfully navigate school. 

For some students, obtaining a high school diploma may seem like a daunting challenge. In an effort to provide these youth with a strong support network, a reason for academic engagement and motivation to walk across the stage on graduation day, this partnership is critical, according to Frank Edelblut, education commissioner. 

Graduation Alliance will be implementing its attendance recovery program called ENGAGE New Hampshire, which is designed to stabilize and improve student attendance and academic performance. The program includes outreach to and ongoing academic and individualized coaching support for district-referred students who are disengaged, chronically absent or academically at risk. 

“One of the objectives is to assist these youth and provide them with guidance, coaching and mentoring to make certain that they have all of the resources and incentives they need to attend class, complete homework and successfully finish the path to graduation,” said Edelblut. “It is our hope that these students will avoid isolation and instead navigate to achievements through the support of academic coaches.” 

The program will launch with participation offered to 2,000 secondary and middle school students. 

Once enrolled, outreach counselors will use different strategies to connect with students and families to offer them ongoing aid using an academic success coach that provides personalized assistance for academic performance challenges, navigating academic resources and mitigating social emotional barriers so students can focus on learning. 

“Since 2020, ENGAGE has supported more than 115,000 families across the country,” Graduation Alliance CEO Ron Klausner said. “New Hampshire, like most of our nation, has seen a dramatic increase in chronic absenteeism over the past few years, and ENGAGE New Hampshire will allow school districts to provide students with additional layers of academic and social-emotional support and adult mentorship without creating more responsibility for already overburdened teachers and staff. We’re excited to promote school engagement and high school completion in the state of New Hampshire through this partnership.”

The $936,000 contract for services is funded with federal COVID-relief funds, and will run through Sept. 30, 2024.