Asheboro and Randolph County Students Advised to Get a L.I.F.E.
asheboro, cooper thornton, education, l.i.f.e., learning is for earning, randolph county, school,
Asheboro and Randolph County students have a directive from business leaders and educators: Get a L.I.F.E.
The acronym stands for Learning is for Earning‚ a communitywide awareness campaign that encourages students to stay in school and help preserve the county’s future workforce.
The program is a joint venture of the Asheboro/Randolph County Chamber of Commerce‚ the Randolph Program for the Rural Carolinas and Asheboro City and Randolph County Schools‚ says Cooper Thornton‚ chairman of the chamber’s Business and Education Committee‚ which is spearheading the effort.
“Speaking with school administrators‚ one of the most glaring problems schools are facing‚ and not just in Randolph County or North Carolina‚ is the dropout rate‚” says Thornton‚ marketing director at First National Bank. “We decided that’s where we wanted to focus our energy – helping to stem the dropout rate‚ and as a secondary goal‚ we wanted to try to connect local kids to local careers.”
The committee‚ with a dozen members from all parts of the community‚ has been at work for more than 18 months to put together the Get a L.I.F.E. initiative‚ Thornton says.
“Through several brainstorming sessions‚ we came up with the name and a logo‚” he says. “It’s been very well received. We tried to create a brand with some youth appeal to get through to the audience we are trying to reach.”
Thornton says the committee’s aim is to increase awareness in the community as a whole‚ and more specifically to help schoolchildren think about their futures.
“Obviously‚ educators are very much aware of these issues‚” Thornton says. “But we want students to think about what kind of life they want beyond school. And if they are unwilling to learn for the sake of learning‚ let’s add an incentive for financial relevance in their life.”
The Business and Education Committee put together a PowerPoint presentation on the topic and has shown it to school guidance counselors seeking their support. The committee has also presented the program to community groups and is raising funds to pay for marketing materials.
“Our initial goal is to raise $20‚000 to put towards posters for schools‚ DVDs of the PowerPoint presentation outlining the program‚ lime green awareness bracelets for students‚ as well as window clings and bumper stickers‚” Thornton says.
The next step is to determine how local businesses can get involved beyond a financial commitment‚ he adds.
“We’d like businesses to take a more active role in recruiting young people and making contacts with them while they’re still in school‚” he says.
Story by Anne Gillem
Photo by Brian McCord
