It’s hard to get an A or B when you’re already a grade behind.

Each morning, when the school bell rings, a warning siren should go off across our community. Young people are dropping out of school at an alarming rate. Children in poverty live face-to-face with barriers to academic progress and well-being. Among them: hunger, an absence of academic support, low parental involvement, limited medical and dental care. With barriers like these, it’s hard for young people to find a path forward. Or a reason to believe they ever will.

So where do we start? How do we begin to tackle this problem? The answer – middle school. The fact is this: Students who start 9th grade on schedule, reading at grade level, with grade-appropriate math skills are three times more likely to graduate high school than students who don’t. In a world that can so easily go sour, this is the sweet spot. Sixth through eighth.

Mentors needed. Immediately. Going through life without someone to show you the way is no way to live. Yet for many, there simply isn’t anyone there. You can change that. And change a life. United Way NCA and our partner, Deloitte, are bringing together nearly 30 mentoring organizations to connect mentors and students through the regional Mentoring Matters collaborative. There’s a kid out there who needs you. Sign up today.