Taco Bell Foundation for Teens and Mark Wahlberg Open "Graduate to Go Studios" at Boys & Girls Clubs

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens (TBFT) will launch "Graduate to Go Studios" with the unveiling of a new multi-media recording studio at the L.A. Harbor Boys & Girls Club in San Pedro, CA. The L.A. site is one of four studios built at Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation, and will include year-round projects and job shadowing field trips for teens, to encourage them to stay in school and graduate.  

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The sobering fact remains that three out of every 10 students in U.S. public schools still fail to finish high school with a diploma. That amounts to 1.3 million students lost from the graduation pipeline every year, or almost 7,200 students lost every day.(1)  For this reason, the studio program was developed by TBFT and the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, as part of its national "Graduate to Go" initiative to help combat the graduation crisis.

The "Graduate to Go Studios" is a mentoring program with college-like projects and a year-round curriculum to help teens learn about music and film production.  In addition, the program will offer job shadowing experiences at local entertainment companies and with media professionals to show teens how their dedication and hard work in the studio will apply to careers.  

"Many generous people helped me along the way when I was a kid and I want to do the same for others," said Mark Wahlberg. "I am excited to encourage and empower teens through the 'Graduate to Go Studios' and ultimately see more of them stay in school and in their Clubs because of this program."  

At the opening celebration of the L.A. Harbor Studio, Mark Wahlberg, TBFT Executive Director, Bob Fulmer, Boys & Girls Club of L.A. Harbor President Mike Lansing, and the teens participating in the studio program will all speak about the importance of the new studio program.  They will also address the urgent need to solve the high school graduation crisis impacting our country, through sharing personal stories and experiences.

"We are thrilled to launch 'Graduate to Go Studios' in partnership with the Mark Walhberg Youth Foundation," said Bob Fulmer, Executive Director of TBFT. "Music and film are powerful ways to draw teens in and the real-world experiences gained through this program will help demonstrate how obtaining a high school diploma can positively impact their future."

The launch of the studio at the Boys & Girls Club of L.A. Harbor is the next big step for the TBFT "Graduate to Go" program.  In Los Angeles alone, over 80,500 students dropped out of the Class of 2010(2).  The studio works to end the high school dropout crisis by encouraging local high school students to take advantage of the clubs resources.  In order to be eligible for studio time, teens must maintain strong grades and be enrolled in school.  Mentors are also trained to provide necessary support and resources to those teens who are struggling in school.  

"Graduate To Go" is a multi-year initiative led by TBFT to shine a spotlight on the nation-wide high school dropout crisis and encourage teens to get their diplomas. The initiative also helps fund real-world experiences such as college and business camps, job training and college preparation – experiences proven to motivate teens to stay in school. This year the TBFT will distribute more than $4 million in grants to nearly 350 organizations to support programs designed to provide teens with an experience of life after high school.  Actor and producer Mark Wahlberg serves as the "Graduate to Go" ambassador and co-creator of "Graduate to Go Studios."

About the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens

The Taco Bell Foundation, Inc., also known as the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens (TBFT), a non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation, is committed to addressing the growing number of high school dropouts in the U.S. by collaborating with like-minded individuals and organizations to provide at-risk youth with mentors and real-world experiences that will motivate them to stay in school and achieve more in life.  Since 1995, TBFT has donated more than $28 million to support teen programs at Boys & Girls Clubs of America and other teen-serving organizations with the help of on-going customer, franchisee and employee donations.  For more information about TBFT, visit www.graduatetogo.com and find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/GraduateToGo.

About Taco Bell Corp.

Taco Bell Corp. ("Taco Bell"), a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., (NYSE: YUM), is the nation's leading Mexican-style quick service restaurant chain. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, signature quesadillas, Grilled Stuft Burritos, nachos, and other specialty items such as Crunchwrap Supreme®, in addition to the Why Pay More!® Value Menu. Taco Bell serves more than 36.8 million consumers each week in nearly 5,600 restaurants in the U.S.

(1) "Diplomas Count 2009: Broader Horizons - The Challenge of College Readiness for All Students," Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center (June 9, 2009)

(2) Alliance for Excellent Education

CONTACT:  Ronna Waldman
212.614.4942
[email protected]

SOURCE Taco Bell Foundation for Teens