I was delighted to welcome Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings and United Way student leaders and Wisconsin representatives to my Senate office this week.

Jennings and the NFL have teamed with United Way with a goal of cutting the high school dropout rate in half by recruiting 1 million volunteers to tutor and mentor youth across the country.

Wisconsin has one of the highest high school graduation rates in the country, but there are still too many students in our state who don’t make it to graduation day. It is so important for adults to get involved in their communities and find ways to inspire, mentor, and motivate youth to work hard in school.

High school graduates earn, on average, about $130,000 more over their lifetime
than those who drop out of school, and nearly two-thirds of our new jobs over the next decade will require at least some post-secondary education or training, making a high school diploma that much more important.

I'm working in the Senate to improve graduation rates. Last year I introduced the Fast Track to College Act, which would allow more students to earn college credits for free while still in high school, helping to keep more students engaged in school through their high school graduation, and preparing them for continued success in school or a career.

Jennings is partnering with United Way Team NFL to encourage more adults to make the time to get involved in their communities by mentoring youth at risk of dropping out of school.

To learn more about how United Way and the NFL are working together to help more kids succeed, visit www.UnitedWay.org/team-nfl.