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Albuquerque: Up to 150 at-risk students at Rio Grande High School will have some targeted assistance beginning this fall as a result of an innovative drop-out reduction effort announced today by PNM, Public Service Co. of New Mexico; Albuquerque Public Schools; and the non-profit Rio Grande Educational Collaborative. PNM is providing a $100,000 challenge grant to get the program started, and APS has agreed to match it. RGEC has agreed to raise an additional $100,000, for a program total of $300,000. The 14-week program will target at-risk students and attempt to "re-engage" them in the educational process before they actually quit school. The program involves four separate units, including an academic assessment and ropes course; hands-on work in a multi-disciplinary, architecture based design studio, to build student self-confidence; computer-based instruction; and a period for transitioning back into high school, to GED completion, or into a community-college setting. "This partnership is an opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of students," Supt. Brad Allison said. "This is a great example of business working hand-in-hand with the schools to benefit the entire community," said Jeff Sterba, PNM's chairman, president and CEO. "This also fits very well with our other efforts to help teachers and students in classrooms throughout New Mexico." Rio Grande High School and the RGEC recently signed an agreement to form an "off-site membership" educational facility and will launch the program in September. RGEC was created in 1998 to help improve schools and learning in the Rio Grande cluster and has several educational reform programs in place.
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