"We are having a major, major problem, especially in urban America when you look at our inner city schools," the former Los Angeles Lakers star said. "We have got to get these young people educated, get them into the workforce."
EdisonLearning, an international educational service provider of 20 years, has worked with numerous school districts nationwide to help turn around underperforming schools.
EdisonLearning says their vision is to partner with Johnson by opening several Magic Johnson Bridgescape Learning Centers in urban communities throughout Los Angeles County. They say these centers would target high school dropouts and at-risk high school students by providing them added support to help them graduate high school.
Officials say they opened nearly 10 Bridgescape Learning Centers in urban communities in Ohio last year.
"Unlike a traditional school setting, the Bridgescape program is a blend of one-on-one and group instruction infused with interactive online offerings specifically tailored for each individual student," said Jeff Wahl, CEO of EdisonLearning.
EdisonLearning says partnering with Magic Johnson Enterprises is only one part of the equation. They say they need to get local school districts onboard to identify at-risk students and dropouts in their community.
They hope to open the first center in Los Angeles County in 2012.
