Why Are Students + Parents Not Taking Advantage of “Say Yes” Program? [KNOW THYSELF COMMUNITY WEDNESDAY]

The facts: In 2012 the high school graduation rate for Buffalo Public Schools was 47 percent. One in three adults living in the city of Buffalo is illiterate.

Western New York employers increasingly report they have to hire from outside the region because the local workforce does not have the skills required for success in today's knowledge-based economy.

In December 2011, after an unprecedented cross-sector, collaborative effort on the part of Western New York leaders, Say Yes to Education, Inc., a foundation based in New York City, selected Buffalo as its second "Say Yes" city. They committed $15 million dollars to fund research and reforms in the Buffalo Public Schools, including the creation and coordination of out-of-school services for students and their families, such as summer and after school programs.

In partnership with Say Yes to Education, Western New York individuals, civic leaders, businesses, and foundations are incentivizing graduation from the Buffalo Public Schools (traditional and charter) with their commitment to provide graduates up to 100 percent of the tuition needed to attend participating public and/or private collegiate and post-secondary institutions through the Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship Fund.

There are a lot of students and parents who have heard about this program, but instead of taking the initiative to research and get more information, they procrastinate, make excuses and go on hearsay!

The time is NOW to be responsible, PARENTS! If you have students in public and charter schools in the city of Buffalo and would like to continue their education after high school you have until April 1 to apply for the “Say Yes” program!