A new program to increase the graduation rates of African-American high school students in the Des Moines area is asking for help from the faculty and staff at Iowa State.

Partners in Economic Progress hopes to “work with African-American students to get the graduation rate to 100 percent within five years,” said Billie Martin, executive director of PEP. The organization will focus mainly in the metro Des Moines area.

“The current graduation rate for African Americans in the Des Moines area is 50.3 percent,” said Steve Johnson, executive director of PEP.

“One hundred percent graduation rate in five years is an extremely ambitious goal we have, but it’s a goal we hope to reach,” Johnson said. “One way of doing this is by mentoring students by finding creative ways to get kids motivated and integrate them back into the public school system to meet the academic goals required for graduation.”

PEP has been in the Des Moines area since March, and members believed it was time to take an active role in the community “because African Americans are playing an important part in the Des Moines community,” Johnson said “We want students to know there are people to help them.”

Students interested in being mentored will be paired with people throughout the Des Moines area, such as business people, community members and adults from surrounding schools, including faculty and staff from ISU, said Thomas Hill, vice president for Student Affairs.

“The role of the mentor is to guide students and give them advice and support in their academic and career interests,” Hill said. “Mentors look at the individual needs of students. Mentoring will hopefully motivate students and provide a role model, showing that someone cares and is interested in the student.”

Other goals of PEP that the group hopes will be achieved as a result of mentoring, Martin said, include 100 percent post-high school education such as college and university education, on the job training, vocational and trade schooling and entrepreneurial and specialist education.

Any faculty and staff members interested in this community project may contact Martin at 286-4926.