"The drop-out crisis in our country is real, 30% of our high school students never graduate. Teaching entrepreneurial skills, NFTE's leadership, is a big part of the answer. I was lucky enough to have them as a great partner in Chicago, ... so I want to thank NFTE for their remarkable work, not just in Chicago, but around the country. Collectively, we have to end this drop-out crisis... and NFTE is going to help us get where we need to go as a country."
- The Hon. Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education
Award-winning filmmaker Mary Mazzio created an extraordinary documentary that chronicles the inspirational stories of teens from low-income communities striving to defy the odds as they compete in NFTE’s annual business-plan competition entered by 24,000 students across the country. The film, TEN9EIGHT, received its first public screening on July 1st at the Aspen Ideas Festival, where it was given a passionate introduction by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Secretary Duncan's introduction of TEN9EIGHT, and the film's trailer:
 U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, and Rodney Walker, NFTE alum and narrator of TEN9EIGHT |
Rodney Walker, one of the students featured in the film, Mary Mazzio, and NFTE’s CEO & President Amy Rosen had the honor of meeting with Secretary Duncan while at the festival. The sold-out screening, which was met with a standing ovation, was followed by a panel discussion between Mary, Rodney and Amy, and was moderated by Steven Brill. A champagne reception completed the evening, and guests were served Popsy Cakes, the delicious treat created by Jessi