RALEIGH – Latest state statistics show that more than 23,000 students dropped out of high school in the 2006-2007 school year.

But the nonprofit group Communities in Schools of North Carolina wants to change that. They're calling on the public to get more involved in dropout prevention -- not only to keep kids in school, but to keep them out of gangs.

News 14 Carolina's Tracy Early sat down with Linda Harrill, president of Communities in Schools of North Carolina, to talk about the program, its intentions and how the public can help.

For more information, watch the entire interview or visit the group's Web site here.