Promises to Keep—The Story of Project Promise

Abstract

Project Promise, funded under the auspices of the Jacob K. Javits Gifted Students Education Act, was implemented in selected school districts in three states: Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri. Each state modified the project to fit local needs. Designed to provide leadership opportunities to identified middle school students, especially those from low socioeconomic environments, Project Promise supplemented in-school curricular options with a home visitor. The home visitor's task was to serve as a liaison between students' families and the school. Their role, however, grew in importance as they assisted families in obtaining both social services and information about career and college opportunities. After providing a brief overview of the project, this report more fully explains the role of the home visitor, how school districts modified curriculum to suit student needs, and how the leadership activities affected students in the project.