Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Heemann.
Lori, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started my career in education as an inner-city high school teacher in the Chicago Public Schools and then, in a school on the south side of Fulton County, Georgia. After having my own children, I went to work for the educational non-profit Communities In Schools of Georgia. Later, I was hired by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to run the federal educational program Learn and Serve for the State of Georgia. While at DCA, I was put on a project to help develop a program to address both high school dropout rates and workforce development. Great Promise Partnership (GPP) was born. GPP was modeled after Southwire Company’s 12 for Life program but with an expanded scope to include all employment sectors in communities across Georgia.
GPP students spend part of the day at their regular high school assignment and part of the day at a job learning a real job needed by the employer while earning a paycheck. Students also receive life skills training, mentoring and tutorial help.
In 2013, DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty and I left DCA to concentrate on GPP, which became a 501(C)3 non-profit.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road in the area of funding. Finding funding for a non-profit is always difficult.
Other challenges have been to convince schools that all that is good for students, even at-risk students, doesn’t only happen in the classroom AND to convince employers that if they want a skilled workforce, they have to take a more of a hands-on approach in training their future employees.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Great Promise Partnership – what should we know?
Great Promise Partnership is a public-private partnership with the mission to empower and equip at-risk students to complete high school while gaining real-world job skills and experience, creating a path to personal success and the workforce of the future. Engaging with GPP offers Georgia employers an opportunity to address the critical need for recruiting and developing the next generation of workforce talent.
GPP currently works with more than 80 employers and 40 high schools in 30 communities across Georgia. I’m most proud that since 2011 more than 800 at-risk students have graduated with real work experience ready for full-time employment and post-secondary education. We average only a 2% dropout rate which is significantly lower than the general population of high school students.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Knowing I wanted to make a difference for those students who are often left behind.
Honesty. Tenacity.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gppartnership.org
- Phone: 404-694-0328
- Email: info@gppartnership.org
- Instagram: greatpromisega
- Facebook: Great Promise Partnership
- Twitter: GreatPromiseGA
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