100.7 Jack FM San Diego Radio & DSC- sandiegojackTim Shelton launch dropout prevention campaign: 26 Seconds

Tim Shelton launch dropout prevention campaign: 26 Seconds

 (Photo Source: brettdawson)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXZ0iyQjTAc

San Diego After-School All-Stars and San Diego State University Basketball Star Tim Shelton Launch Dropout Prevention Campaign, "26 Seconds"  

Shelton and After-School Program to Raise Awareness on America's Dropout Rate

 SAN DIEGO (Jan. 20, 2012) — San Diego After-School All-Stars (ASAS) presents "26 Seconds," a new fundraising initiative that encourages the community to donate $26 to help curtail the rapidly growing rate of high school dropouts. Every 26 seconds, a high school student drops out, with 50 percent of dropouts coming from urban school districts. San Diego State University (SDSU) Aztecs basketball star, Tim Shelton, joins students and community members to support the 26-day campaign with the goal to raise $26,000 to help keep kids in school.

ASAS selects 50 students at-risk for dropping out annually to attend CampUs as part of its "We Are Ready" initiative that intervenes at the middle school level with enrichment and preventative programming. During the five-day program, students experience college life as they stay in the student dormitories and attend daily workshops that focus on cultural diversity and promote diverse learning environments to prepare students for high school and beyond. The program is helping decrease the growing rate of high school student dropouts, which reaches approximately 1.2 million students annually, half of whom are from minority groups.   

Tim Shelton, senior forward on the SDSU basketball team, will serve as the spokesperson for the new initiative encouraging fellow students to get involved. The cause is near to Shelton's heart as he experienced hardship while living in a homeless shelter with his mother and brother and later found himself joining a gang at age 11. Thanks to a local after-school basketball program, Tim found his passion for basketball and did not become another 26-second statistic.

"Tim's personal experience with the same obstacles that our students are going through speaks volumes to the kids," said Tyree Dillingham, executive director of San Diego After-School All-Stars. "He inspires them to follow their dreams and is a standing testament to the impact that after-school programs can have on the lives and future of our youth."

Supporters can donate $26 and create their own fundraising page to encourage family and friends to help end the high school dropout crisis. The 26-day campaign will kick-off Thursday, Jan. 19 and conclude on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at the SDSU versus New Mexico basketball game at Viejas Arena. In partnership with Tim Shelton and the SDSU cheering section, "The Show," each donor will receive a t-shirt to wear to the Feb. 15 game to signify their support.

San Diego After-School All-Stars provides after-school programs to underprivileged and at-risk students in Sweetwater, National City and San Diego Unified School Districts. For more information on 26 seconds and CampUs, visit www.SDAfterSchoolAllStars.org.

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About San Diego After-School All-Stars
Since 1992, After-School All-Stars has been the leading national provider of high quality, comprehensive, school-based after-school programs that include independent learning, academics, and enrichment. The organization's mission is to keep children safe and help them achieve in school and in life.  More than 80,000 at-risk youth benefit from these programs in 12 U.S. cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego, San Jose and South Florida.  The San Diego Chapter provides after school programming in 20 school sites in the county, including elementary, middle and high school. As one of 14 affiliates of the national After-School All-Stars, the San Diego chapter is backed by best practices and a fifteen-year track record of giving children a safe after-school alternative while developing the skills to increase school performance and success in life.  For more information on the San Diego chapter, visit www.SDAfterschoolAllstars.org.