“Own Your Own Future” empowers Texas teens to take charge of their lives through education!!! Own Your Own Future is a student outreach campaign to encourage Texas youth to stay in school, graduate, and pursue their passion was recently launched by the Texas Education Agency through a grant from Bill and Melinda Gates. The campaign was launched through the internet and can be accessed at www.ownyourownfuture.com. The site is designed to show teens that graduating from high school is the first step toward college and a career. The campaign encourages Texas students to take command of their futures by graduating from high school and staying on track to pursue their goals. To connect with empower, and support Texas students, Own YourOwnFuture.com provides at-risk youth with career options tied to their passions and desires, all while reiterating the need to finish high school to make these achievements a reality. The site takes students through three main sections, including:

Want It – an introduction to the overall site, highlighting topics such as the impact of life choices and the earnings potential for certain jobs to motivate teens to stay in school to improve their future;

Find It – a searchable database allowing teens to select their interests and hobbies, such as science or painting, and receive suggested education paths and career options based on their selections; and

Own it – a question and answer section covering common issues and challenges facing teens today to inspire students to stay strong, focused, and in charge of their futures. Own Your Own Future will extend beyond the web site to reach Texas youth where they live, go to school, and play. Additional outreach activities include in-person, interactive events at local malls in the Austin, Dallas, Houston, and the Rio Grande Valley areas throughout the Spring; an opt-in text messaging program for students to receive information about local events and new web site content; online advertisements on social networking sites and videos; and in – school campaign materials. The Own Your Own Future campaign coordinates with other high school completion and success initiatives funded by TEA, all of which seek to increase high school graduation and college enrollment rates in Texas. The overall graduation rate in Texas is 80 percent. The information from this article has been reproduced from a press release from the Texas Education Agency. For more information about Own Your Own Future, please visit www.ownyourownfuture.com

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