The necessary dropout solution is to connect students with their own futures in as credible a manner as possible. Each student must know what dropping out means to their future opportunities. They must understand the real value of education. This message must be delivered in a manner students will accept and believe. Statements by teachers are not enough. Research studies and statistics alone are not enough. Statements by parent too often fail. Students must be placed in a situation where they can discover this message themselves, and embrace it! Schools need to be more active in this effort.

One way schools can connect students with their own futures was started in Dallas at an inner-city middle school in 2005. The project is called The Middle School Archive Project. It is described in more detail at www.studentmotivation.org. It is a popular program, especially with students. Now, in the Fall of 2007, the enrollments in the junior classes at the two high schools these students attend are 101 students more than last years enrollments. While it appears the project may be working, it has not yet been verified that this increase is due to students who wrote letters for the Archive back in 2005.

The Archive Project involves a 10-year rotating time-capsule system that provides a physical connection to the student’s future. The Archive itself is a 350-pound vault, bolted to the floor in the school lobby and under spotlights. It has 10 shelves inside to hold letters from the 8th grade students for 10 years. The letters are held until the 10-year reunion for each class. Each classes shelf must be cleared of letters so another class can have the same shelf for their letters to continue the tradition. Thus students always place an address on the envelope they use to hold their letter. It should be an address at which they may receive mail in 10 years if they are unable to come back for the 10-year reunion to pick up their letter themselves.

Students write their letter to themselves the last month of their 8th grade. This letter is about their achievements and stories from their life. It will document their efforts toward personal growth and their goals. It is recommended that it not be mandatory that they write the letter. That is a decision best left between them and their Language Arts teacher. However, only students who have written letters can participate in having their photo taken with the others in the class who wrote letters.

Students who have written letters will be able to pose with their letter, and their teacher, and the other members of their Language Arts class who wrote letters, in front of the Archive for a photo. After the photo they each, one by one, place their envelope into the Archive themselves. They will receive a copy of that group photo with information on the back about the Archive Project and the date for their 10-year reunion. Students immediately value these photos and sign each others photos after receiving them.

Almost all students say they will be back for the reunion. Even if only 5% return, a powerful witness will begin. At this reunion of 23-24 year old alumni they will be able to open the Archive and receive their letter back. They will also be asked about talking with current 8th graders about their experiences and any advice they would give the students. This “10 years of Wisdom Talk” will focus on questions like, “Would you do anything different if you were 13 again?”

With the 10-year reunions happening, each middle school student will see more clearly the focus on the future. They will be encouraged and challenged to think of what they will be doing in 10 years. How will they achieve those goals? As former graduates return to meet with students, students would hear from those who had gone before them 10 years earlier. What lessons will these alumni have to share?

If managed properly the annual mentoring value from returning alumni could become a priceless tradition to the benefit of not only current students but teachers as well.

Google “dropout cure” and the first hit is the Archive Project web site. There are already indications more students are staying in school due to having been in our school and involved in this project. Junior year enrollments are projected for 2007/2008 to go up by 78 students over the previous year at the main high school our students attend, Sunset High School. Work is now being done to verify that this increase is due to the 8th grade class of 2005, the first to participate in writing letters for the Archive Project, who are the Junior class of 2007/2008. We want schools to try the Archive Project, changing it as would best fit their school, and let us know of improvements they come up with. The idea is certainly free, and donors are easy to locate for the vault and hardware available at most home improvement centers. Our local Lowe’s Home Improvement Center donated everything we needed and volunteered the workers needed to do the installation. They loved the idea! (Our correspondance with them is linked from the web page.) Our PTA also loved the idea. Best of all, our students like the idea. It helps them take their futures, and therefore their studies, more seriously. It helps create the type atmosphere that minimizes gang influence as well as the many other negative teenage behaviors we are all too familiar with. The popularity and some of the results of the project are well documented in a 15 question survey given 400 8th grade students just before they started the letter writing process this May of 2007. Then the same survey was given again after students had finished their letters and placed them into the Archive. The results of both surveys are compared online at http://www.studentmotivation.org/school_archive_letter_process_survey_2007.htm. Please share this information with anyone who may be interested in improving our schools. If we can motivate our students to study the rest of the improvement needed in our schools should follow quickly.

www.StudentMotivation.org