2006年VOA标准英语-Program Helps US High School Dropouts Turn to W

By Brian Wagner
Washington, DC
27 October 2006
 
watch report High School Dropouts

Finishing high school in the United States is a basic necessity for most young people to get a stable job and support themselves. But every year, more than 1 million students drop out before graduation. VOA's Brian Wagner reports on one program that is teaching woodworking to high school dropouts, to motivate them to build a better future.

 
Cedric Spicer
Cedric Spicer can explain the process of building a small wooden box, called a "hope box" from start to finish. He starts by cutting wood to form the frame of the box. Then he carves a decorative² pattern into the piece that will become the lid, which will be inlaid with wood of a different color.

He explains how the pieces of inlay are fitted into the carved depressions. "Do you see this piece of wood? It is inlaid already. I'm going to turn this piece into this piece," explains Spicer. "When you sand it down, it's going to make it a flat surface."

Spicer may sound like an expert, but he is a student at the Covenant³ House Artisans program in Washington. The program draws young people, who are struggling after dropping out of high school. Program director Matt Barinholtz explains the program's purpose.

 
Matt Barinholtz
"The agency sees that learning by doing is the easiest way to work with a young person that may be very turned off by learning, by listening, or learning by looking, or learning by thinking a lot about it. Learning by doing, that's what makes it work," says Barinholtz.

Here, young people learn skills to get a job as a carpenter or furniture-maker. They can also get help to earn their high school diploma.

The Artisans program is one of the services offered by Covenant House, a private welfare agency with nearly two dozen centers in North and Central America. It seeks to help homeless and runaway⁴ youth, as well as people who need help finishing high school or finding a job.

Elaine Hart turned to Covenant House and the Artisans Program for help to earn her high school diploma, and receive some job training. After completing the program, she now works part time at the shop, helping⁵ other young people like her.

"It feels good to be on the other side, because I can help the kids, like Larry and Matt, and the people at the Covenant House helped me to get my life back on the right track," says Hart.

Young people who come to Covenant House say it can be very difficult to find a job, or get ahead without a high school diploma.  Still, more than 1 million young people drop out of high school each year. Experts say the problem is especially severe in African-American and Hispanic communities, where about half of students fail to graduate on time.

 
Reg Weaver⁶
Those numbers are too high, says Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association, a teachers' union. "Our nation cannot continue to allow its intellectual capacity to drop out of school and drop out of society," says Weaver. "We are paying the price, folks, socially, economically and politically."

Weaver is calling on schools, parents, and the local and federal government to help find a solution. Experts say high school dropouts are more likely than graduates to live in poverty, go to jail, need welfare support, and abuse alcohol or drugs. Dropouts also make far less money than high school or college graduates, and that means millions of dollars in lost tax revenue.

President Bush has made education reform a priority of his administration. "We're living in a global world. See, the education system in America must compete with education systems in China and India," says Mr. Bush. "If we fail to give our students the skills necessary to compete in the world of the 21st century, the jobs will go elsewhere."

Despite recent reforms, experts say high school dropout¹ rates remain high. Part of the solution may be offering alternatives to traditional schools, says John Bridgeland, head of the public policy firm, Civic⁷ Enterprises.

"There are 11,000 alternative schools in the United States, and many kids dropping out from high school are going into these," says Bridgeland.

Bridgeland says such programs motivate young people, by showing how lessons in the classroom apply to their career plans. Those same lessons are on display at the Artisans woodshop. Shop directors say they do not expect every student to seek a job in woodworking when they finish the six-month program. But they do hope students gain the confidence and dedication⁸ needed to get ahead. 

1 dropout   

n.退学的学生；退学；退出者

参考例句：

• There is a high dropout rate from some college courses.有些大学课程的退出率很高。
• In the long haul,she'll regret having been a school dropout.她终归会后悔不该中途辍学。

2 decorative   

adj.装饰的，可作装饰的

参考例句：

• This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
• The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽，而且装饰效果很好。

3 covenant   

n.盟约，契约；v.订盟约

参考例句：

• They refused to covenant with my father for the property.他们不愿与我父亲订立财产契约。
• The money was given to us by deed of covenant.这笔钱是根据契约书付给我们的。

4 runaway   

n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的

参考例句：

• The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
• He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

7 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

8 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。