Penn Foster Joins America's Promise Alliance and its GradNation Campaign

SCRANTON, Penn., July 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Penn Foster, a leader in career-focused online and hybrid education with a commitment to addressing the middle-skills gap in America, today announced it has become a partner of America's Promise Alliance (America's Promise), an alliance that works to improve outcomes for young people and increase graduation rates across the country.

As one of the largest licensed private high schools in the country with over 45,000 students, Penn Foster's online- and blended-learning solutions are tailored to the needs of at-risk and non-traditional students. This includes adult learners, students that prefer alternative education to public schools, or those that require non-traditional school hours. Penn Foster will seek to replicate its success in meeting the needs of these students through partnerships with other America's Promise partners to ensure that more of the nation's young people and adults finish high school and enter the workforce or postsecondary education.

"The mission of America's Promise so closely aligns with our own values, especially with its focus on bringing educational opportunities to students who have not had success in the traditional system,"  said Frank Britt, CEO of Penn Foster. "As a member of America's Promise, our goal is to form partnerships with other members to make accredited high school diploma programs accessible and achievable for the underserved population who have dropped out of high school or are at risk of dropping out. By helping these learners earn their high school diplomas, we aim to build up their confidence for success in future careers and further academic pursuits."

Penn Foster will be an active partner in supporting the work of the GradNation campaign, a large and growing movement of dedicated individuals, organizations and communities working together to increase graduation rates. GradNation's goal is to raise the national high school graduation rate to 90 percent by 2020, with no school graduating fewer than 80 percent of its students on time.

Penn Foster has several regionally and nationally accredited high school diploma programs currently in place aimed at students who do not complete high school in the traditional manner, including:

• High School Completion Program: This program allows students without a high school diploma the opportunity to complete their high school studies and either continue their education, develop their career track, or enter the workforce. High School Completion partners include career colleges and post-secondary institutions, at-risk youth organizations and non-profits, as well as corporations.
• Dropout Retrieval Solution and Credit Recovery Programs: These affordable, accredited high school completion programs enable school districts to tailor an offering to at-risk students or those who have already left the system.

"Creating stronger communities where youth feel supported and encouraged is essential to America's future strength and vitality," said John Gomperts, president and CEO of America's Promise Alliance. "By coming together in common purpose, we demonstrate our commitment and the fact that we all have a role to play in the success of children and youth, and we are infinitely more powerful as a united force.  We're thrilled that Penn Foster has joined this movement."

About Penn Foster
Founded in 1890, Penn Foster has been a leader in career-focused distance and hybrid learning for more than 100 years through its high school, career school and college. Through direct enrollment by students as well as partnerships with schools and businesses, more than 13 million people have taken Penn Foster-enabled courses to further their education debt-free and better position them for life success. Today, Penn Foster graduates 25,000 students yearly and enrolls more than 100,000 new students each year in programs designed to address the gap in middle skilled careers. Penn Foster combines affordable career-ready education with a flexible delivery model ranging from pure play online to onsite hybrid learning solutions—all of which are made possible by a cloud-based technology system that makes content available anytime and anywhere and connects students to their peers and instructors. For more information, visit www.pennfoster.edu

About America's Promise Alliance
America's Promise Alliance is the nation's largest partnership dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth. We bring together more than 400 national organizations representing nonprofit groups, businesses, communities, educators and policymakers. Through our GradNation campaign, we mobilize Americans improve on-time high school graduation rates to 90 percent by 2020, so young people are prepared for college and the 21st century workforce. Building on the legacy of our founding chairman General Colin Powell, America's Promise believes the success of young people is grounded in the Five Promises—Caring Adults, Safe Places, A Healthy Start, Effective Education, and Opportunities to Help Others. As a partner, Penn Foster will have early access to all America's Promise commissioned research, tools and information.

To learn more about America's Promise Alliance, visit: www.americaspromise.org.

Press contact: Emily Hendricks
Company: Havas PR
Phone: 917.403.8550
Email: [email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140710/126005

SOURCE Penn Foster