During his speech, President Obama highlighted Communities in Schools and Big Picture Learning’s Met Center in Rhode Island as examples of programs already working to not only keep kids in school, but to help them achieve high school diplomas and envision future success. He said: On March 1, 2010 President Obama and Secretary Duncan joined General Colin Powell and America’s Promise Alliance Chair Alma Powell for the announcement of Grad Nation — a 10-year campaign to mobilize America to reverse the dropout crisis and help America’s children be prepared for success in college, work and life. During his speech, President Obama highlighted Communities in Schools and Big Picture Learning’s Met Center in Rhode Island as examples of programs already working to not only keep kids in school, but to help them achieve high school diplomas and envision future success. He said: “Of course, getting it right requires more than just transforming our lowest performing schools. It requires giving students who are behind in school a chance to catch up and a path to a diploma. It requires focusing on students, from middle school through high school, who face factors at home, in the neighborhood, or in school that put them at risk of dropping out. And it requires replicating innovative ideas that make class feel engaging and relevant — because most high school dropouts in a recent study said the reason they dropped out was that they weren’t interested in class and they weren’t motivated to do their work." "So that's why we'll build on the efforts of places like Communities in Schools that make sure kids who are at risk of dropping out have one-on-one support. That's why we'll follow the example of places like the Met Center in Rhode Island that give students that individual attention, while also preparing them through real-world, hands-on training the possibility of succeeding in a career." "And that's why we'll invest in accelerated instruction in reading and math to help students who've fallen behind make up credits and ultimately graduate on time. It's also why we'll foster better alternative high schools and transfer schools, where students who have dropped out and who are at risk of dropping out, can return to the classroom and earn their diploma."