Governor Kim Reynolds.
A program that aims to prepare high schoolers for the work world is expanding in four Iowa districts and the expansion is financed by a $100,000 donation from AT&T.
Governor Kim Reynolds went to a pep rally in Boone High School to announce the district is one of the expansion sites for I-JAG — which stands for Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates program.
“In today’s knowledge economic, graduating from high school and being prepared to go to college or build a career is absolutely the new minimum for success,” Reynolds said.
There are 2800 students participating in 49 different I-JAG programs today. In addition to the expansion in Boone’s high school, I-JAG programs will be launched at Iowa City West, North Scott in Eldridge and the George Washington Carver Academy in Waterloo. Greg Linde of Principal Financial Group, the chair of the I-JAG board of directors, also spoke at today’s event.
“I-JAG consistently exceeds the national JAG standards,” he says. “We have an average graduation rate of 93 percent for the past 18 years.”
Ninety percent of Iowa students who’ve participated in the program have gone on to college, joined the military or landed a job.