• May 20, 2010

The PepsiCo Foundation is extending and increasing its funding of Diplomas Now, a collaborative program by three organizations -- City Year, Communities In Schools and Johns Hopkins Talent Development -- to reduce the high school drop-out rate in select U.S. cities.

During City Year's National Leadership Summit in Los Angeles this week, the Foundation announced that it will invest $6 million in Diplomas Now over the next three years, building on a $5 million grant to the program made in 2008.

The new funding will support expansion within the program's current Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans and San Antonio locations and support the addition of new cities, including Detroit.

Nearly 7,000 U.S. students drop out of school daily, according to PepsiCo. Diplomas Now works with the nation's most challenged middle and high schools to help students at risk of dropping out of school. The program combines whole-school reform with student support and an early-warning system, working in partnership with school districts, administrators, teachers and students. It also provides health and physical activity activities across the whole school and for targeted students before, during and after school.

In its first year (2008-09), Diplomas Now exceeded its goal of achieving a 25% reduction in indicators of students being off-track for graduation within schools where the program was implemented, according to PepsiCo. --Karlene Lukovitz