The Monti - American Graduate Special is an hour of true stories from the front lines of North Carolina’s high school drop out crisis. It's hosted by Jeff Polish. He's the founder of The Monti, a local non-profit whose stated mission is to create community through the story-telling. For this collaboration with WUNC, Jeff sought out North Carolinians with personal stories to tell about the struggles that get in the way of a successful high school education.
He found students, teachers and adults still dealing with their decision to drop out of high school. Jeff worked with each of the chosen storytellers on their narrative -- but in the end it was up to each of them to stand up in front of a sold out audience and speak from the heart. The program was recorded at Motorco Music Hall in Durham NC.
It's made possible in part by The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, GlaxoSmithKline, The Goodnight Educational Foundation, Joseph M Bryan Foundation and listeners who support North Carolina Public Radio WUNC.