We wanted to do this because we wanted parents to know that there is good living available for their kids, even if they don't make it through college.

Every individual face, a grandmother or grandchild or parents and their two kids, they're all there waving at you and they've all come to see you, it's as simple as that. They're not there simply by chance and that's very, very humbling.

[Parents can't get enough of the report cards.] In previous years at the State Fair, ... the department had kids throw beanbag frogs into holes. Last year, we printed out 5,000 school report cards instead. Parents would come up and say, 'I'm thinking of moving, or using open enrollment. Can you print out a report card for this neighborhood school, and the schools close to it?' What a change!

I bring it up, and the kids are so relieved and the parents are so relieved. But they would probably go without asking the question otherwise, which is really dumb.

Parents like the idea of staying connected with the kids.

For the parents, it's a little window into what's popular and a way for them to relate to their kids more.