Randall Woodfin just gained even more favor within his governing Alabama city.
Mayor Woodfin introduced the Birmingham Promise Initiative via Twitter Aug 27th. He stated:
“Starting in 2020, any Birmingham City School student that walks across the graduation stage will have the opportunity to attend any in-state two or four year college tuition free.”
Thanks to this great lead in the education system, high school graduates have the option of attending any of the 61 colleges or universities in Alabama.
Superintendent of BCS Lisa Herring and Mayor Woodfin released a statement explaining:
“More than 45 percent of our students are living in poverty, and only 50 percent of BCS students advance to post-secondary institutions. Birmingham is home to more than 26,000 young people looking for work, a disproportionate share of the nearly 90,000 Jefferson County residents are unemployed or underemployed.”
Living in the Birmingham city limits and having attended Birmingham City Schools (BCS) for a full 12 years are the primary requirements to be eligible. Any student who's attended for less than 12 years may be assisted with an amount equivalent to their time in school.
Juniors can also benefit from the initiative. Along with high school seniors, they can apply for an apprenticeship and get paid $7.50/hour with "participating companies." Not only that, but they will also have the ability to continue their work experience with that company after graduating!
Now that's smile to smile about! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Photo: Birmingham Promise Initiative website/Mark Almond