The Hidden Tsunami in North America

You have probably heard of high school dropouts in our communities and cities across North America.

Yet, do you know that in the USA and Canada combined, there are nearly 2 million young students, mostly men, quit middle and high schools every year without completing their degrees?

That is a gigantic mass of young people in North America, who are quitting not only on themselves, but also on their communities, cities and countries, to use the words of President Obama. And when? At a critical time where each and every talent is needed to meet the challenge of an increasingly highly competitive global marketplace!

Some experts have called this phenomenon the high school dropout crisis or epidemic.

I personally think this is more than a crisis or an epidemic: this is a gigantic tsunami!

Besides, it is a hidden tsunami, because on one hand, the majority of the North American population is not yet fully aware of the scope of these gigantic annual waves. On the other hand, they are not fully aware of the highly devastating potential economic and social impacts of these annual waves. All that will become obvious only a few years from now, but it will be too late to reverse the situation.

Upon a closer look, that is on average about 20 students every five (5) minutes. In other words, if we assume a normal class size of 20 students; that is an entire class that is being emptied by this hidden tsunami every five (5) minutes.
Can we afford leaving our governments alone handle this? Can we afford to remain indifferent?

Here is why we cannot afford to remain indifferent at all about this: several billions of dollars of potential revenue are lost every year, because the large majority of dropouts don’t hold high paying jobs. Moreover, each dropout would cost us collectively as taxpayers at least half a million dollars over the next two decades or so.

If you do the math, that represents an additional potential financial burden of at least one trillion dollars each year on the economy, if we don’t act together now to stop this continuous tsunami.

 What can I do to help?

I know that you care about your community, your town, city or country, therefore I assume that you are wondering what you, as a citizen otherwise taxpayer can do to help stop this hidden tsunami before it is too late?

My motto is “Together, let’s act now!” There are definitely many things we can do individually as well as collectively to help and here are a few:

1. All of us who believe in the importance of having an education, need to promote the value of education to our youngsters in ordinary conversations by sharing the opportunities we would have missed, if we weren’t properly educated.
2. Each one of us should get involved and commit to supporting non-profit organizations that have programs in place to promote education, to prevent dropouts or help dropouts return to school. And to use General Colin Powell’s words, “it is wrong that our young people quit school in the first place”.
3. Whether we are American or Canadian, we can support active campaigns such as the Grad Nation campaign in the USA or Pathways to Education programs in Canada, and particularly in Quebec, we can support the Back to School operation, the Trouve ta place roadshow and Youth Fusion, etc.
4. If you have a powerful personal or professional story of perseverance, you can share that with students in order to inspire them.
5. You can help raise funds to support non-profit organizations that are committed to this cause.

 What is Kofi doing to help?

In addition to speaking in high schools and colleges and raising the awareness about this hidden, dangerous and devastating tsunami in our North American communities, I am committed to raising funds to support non-profit organizations in Canada and the USA that have programs in place to promote education, to prevent dropouts and to help dropouts return to school. Therefore, I have launched the Inspired for Success in School^TM Campaign.

The purpose of this campaign is to raise several thousand dollars through the sales of my book in order to support non-profit organizations, such as America’s Promise Alliance in the USA, Pathways to Education in Canada and particularly in Quebec, the Montreal Hooked on School (Réseau Réussite Montréal), the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal (Chambre de commerce du Montréal métropolitain) and Youth Fusion (Fusion Jeunesse).

• If you are a US resident, my contribution will go towards the Grad Nation program by America’s Promise Alliance.
• If you are in Canada, that will go toward the Graduation Nation program by Pathways to Education.
• And particularly if you are in Quebec, my donation will go to reputable non-profit organizations in Quebec.