Valdosta City was honored on June 26, 2017, at the Georgia Municipal Association’s Annual Convention for being a leader in Georgia in the implementation of Great Promise Partnership (GPP).

GPP is a public-private partnership that empowers and equips 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 of recruiting and developing the next generation of workforce talent.

GPP was created to address two major needs in Georgia: the high dropout rate of high school students and the under-prepared workforce of Georgia, that is, untrained or unskilled applicants for skilled positions. GPP’s purpose is to give students the skills and support they need to graduate high school and become active members in Georgia’s workforce and economy.

Valdosta received the award because of the community-wide effort in support of at-risk students as they face challenges to graduation and life-long success.  GPP operates under the belief that all sectors of society - business, education, and political - are responsible for the success of young people, and in return, each sector benefits from that success.

“We’re excited to honor the City of Valdosta with the 2017 Great Promise Partnership Trailblazer Award for bringing the community together in support of our great young people,” said Mike Beatty, GPP’s President and CEO.  “Valdosta should be held up as an example for all of Georgia of what can be done if we work together to move a generation of young people away from failure to true participation in the American Dream.

Other communities awarded the Trailblazer Award were the City of Dalton, Athens-Clarke County, and Swainsboro/Emanuel County.