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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAn effort to raise the high school graduation rate in Indiana has attracted an additional $937,500 in corporate contributions, the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce said today.
The contributions bring to $1.7 the total raised for Common Goal, a Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce program aimed at boosting the graduation rate to 80 percent by 2012. That would be an increase of 10 percent.
Pacers Foundation sparked the latest set of donations by donating $500,000 and urging others to match the money.
The match donations were led by JPMorgan Chase, which contributed $300,000, the chamber said.
AT&T contributed $200,000; Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Community Health Network, St. Vincent Health and Ivy Tech Community College each contributed $100,000; WellPoint Inc. donated $25,000; and State Farm Insurance gave $25,000.
The program includes mentoring, graduation coaches, reading programs, computer-aided instruction and internships.
It reaches 20 high schools in 11 Marion County school districts.
Common Goal was rolled out on a pilot basis in 2007 and implemented fully in 2008.
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