WAMU Features Two AoH Learners

Academy of Hope is pleased to share WAMU's “American Graduate” series, which kicks off its first article featuring two Academy of Hope learners, Saundra Walker and Grace McMillan, mother and daughter respectively. In this article entitled “Breaking the Cycle when Dropping Out Runs in the Family”, Saundra and Grace discuss the struggles they faced in high school, why they dropped out and how different it could have been had they and their children finished high school. Today this mother and daughter duo are attending classes together at Academy of Hope, picking up where they had left off in high school and working towards their GED certificates.  Hear their stories here and learn the top five reasons dropouts identify for leaving school. This article aired on Jan. 24^th, 2012 on WAMU 88.5, a local affiliate of NPR.  "American Graduate: Let's Make It Happen" is a public media initiative made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

NACo employees raise over $11K in support of Academy of Hope

NACo staff enjoying the 2011 Holiday Auction.

Corporate giving isn't just about writing checks; it can also be about having fun!  Each December since the early 1990s, the staff of the National Association of Counties (NACo) has held a Holiday Auction to raise money for a D.C.-area charity. Employees nominate various charities, and staff votes to choose one. This year, they selected Academy of Hope as their beneficiary and raised $11,300!

“NACo employees show their generosity year after year at our Holiday Auction,” NACo Executive Director  Larry E. Naake said. “This year’s total was among the highest we’ve ever raised, and we’re proud to be able to help an organization like the Academy of Hope, which is doing such important work in Washington, D.C.”

At the auction, employees bid on staff-donated items ranging from colleagues’ signature baked goods and libations to an autographed Jerry Rice football, homemade pierogies or a grab bag of memorabilia collected by employees during their business travel to the nation’s counties.  A “live” auction on a Friday is preceded by a silent auction the previous day. The association also kicks in money raised yearlong on its Friday “Jeans Days,” when employees can pay one dollar for the privilege of wearing denim. Watch a video clip from the 2011 auction at http://youtu.be/GinH7oddsO4.

NACo is the only national organization representing county government. Driven by a strong membership, it represents 3,068 counties across America. To learn more about NACo, visit www.naco.org. 

Academy of Hope is grateful for NACo and its staff for their generosity and incredible support!!