Making the Most of Education

  • Video Overview:

    According to a counselor at Operation Bright Future, a truancy prevention program, 21- to 24-year-olds who are not high school graduates earn $14,000 less per year than their peers who have a high school diploma. When compared with peers who have earned a college degree, the amount doubles to a nearly $30,000 difference.
    It’s important for teens to understand that an education translates into not just more money but more job choices and more job satisfaction in their future. Dropping out of school offers little hope for teens who want to make a solid living, be financially stable and enjoy their future jobs.

    Discussion and Self-Reflection Questions

    • What jobs do Melissa and Ingrid list as those you can get without an education?
    • According to Martin Segura of Operation Bright Future, what is the average salary for a 21- to 24-year-old who DID NOT graduate from high school? What is the average salary of a 21- to 24-year-old who DID graduate from high school? What is the numerical difference?
    • What does this last comment in the video mean to you: And later on is the rest of your life?
    • What things would you like to have in the future ((consider both things you can buy and things you would like to attain, such as parenthood)? Are those things attainable without a high school education? Why?
  • Making the Most of Education

    About the Program

    Teens like to spend money on clothes, cars, music, phones and internet downloads. Many work at a minimum wage job to earn spending money but plan on making more money as they grow into adulthood. But what happens when teens don’t graduate high school? Watch this real story to hear from students about their hopes, dreams and the reality of needing a solid education.

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