Mentors from the business community, local college students and fellow students at Mount Vernon High School may soon play a role in keeping their peers from dropping out.
The Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce has paired up with the school district to fulfill the Building Bridges state grant for the 2008-2009 school year.

The $250,000 grant aims at preventing drop outs and re-engaging students who have already dropped out, according to a chamber release last week.
The focus of the program, called “On Track, En La Via,” will be on students entering ninth grade this fall.

“Finding tangible ways to encourage students to succeed at what they do and to find ways to achieve their dreams is one of the goals of the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce’s Business Education Program,” said Pete Vander Meulen, owner of Diversint and chair of the Business Education Program, in a statement.