Recognising that every 26 seconds a student drops out of school in the U.S., National Grid has taken action and donated $750,000 to City Year’s 'Whole School, Whole Child' programme, which is specifically designed to help keep students in school and on track to graduate.

National Grid will be the northeast regional sponsor of this important programme, covering funding for Whole School, Whole Child in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and New York.

City Year’s 'Whole School, Whole Child' programme focuses on positive interventions for underserved elementary students and addresses three key indicators for students most at risk for dropping out -- poor attendance, unsatisfactory behaviour and course failure in Math and English.

Under its three-year Whole School, Whole Child sponsorship, National Grid will provide:

• financial resources to sponsor more than 200 volunteers in New England and New York who help improve attendance, behaviour and course performance at the elementary and secondary levels;
• numerous volunteer opportunities for National Grid employees where they can engage in the communities served National Grid and work with City Year corps members to improve education; and
• sponsorships for several special events focused on community service.