Making the Case to Reduce Dropout Rates

Each year, thousands of high school students drop out of our public schools for many reasons; however, one of the top reasons is that they are unable to meet passing standards for standardized tests in the different states.  It is an indisputable fact that although many students cannot meet passing standards on these tests, these students are intelligent, driven, and will likely be a positive force in society.

Over the past 8 years, Orion High School has worked with individual, socially conscious, people, who have attempted to raise funds to allow dropouts to attend our school, and graduate with a legitimate high school diploma.  Orion was one of the first digital schools in the country to receive regional accreditation and NCAA approval.  Over the years, we have recovered over1500 dropouts in Mississippi, Texas, and Georgia. 

We are seeking to expand our reach across the USA, by providing the lowest cost high school diploma program for dropouts.  We have dubbed this recovery program the RenewU Program, as a reflection of the passion that we have toward assisting young people (and adults) through this empowering process.

The Crowd Funding will provide 500.00 scholarships for individual dropouts to attend and graduate from Orion High School.  In return, we will require that our graduates pay it forward by sponsoring another dropout.  Through this effort, we will create a significant dent in the high percentage of dropouts in the country.

Coupled with this effort, we will be creating a scholarship fund to require our graduates to enter into two and four year colleges and universities across the country.  We know this can occur, because 99% of our recovered dropouts have entered into colleges and universities in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Georgia.

The Orion High School graduates will be required to take four courses, the first of which is a mobile-ready productivity course that requires them to engage in productivity tools with the purpose of utilizing those tools toward a comprehensive project.  The students will also be required to earn a communication credit by their full participation in a Senior Project that is intended for them to utilize their productivity skills to create that project.  The Project is an intensive partnership based project that requires students to go well beyond the one-stop volunteer program (such as volunteering for a weekend to collect trash).  These projects, led by Orion High School mentors, require students to create a project that will enhance the local community, state, or nation.  Some examples of past projects include the opening of a non-profit Christian-based organization aimed at fulfilling locally needed resources; the building of a non-profit site in order to enhance opportunities for a state run agency; and many more.

All students must spend at minimum, four months at Orion High School (often a bit more).  During the last month, we will prepare the students for entrance into college by ensuring that FAFSA forms has been filled out and submitted.    Students entering into this program, funded by this project, must submit a letter of interest; must have been a high school dropout; and must have the goal of entrance into college; career aspirations; or military service.

Help us through our crowd funding effort at: