In America today...
...Only 1 in 2 children of color graduate high school
...Of those who do go to college, only 28% of African American and 16% of Latino students actually graduate with a degree
...This, at a time when, over the course of their careers, college grads project to earn $1 million more than those with just a high school degree
...A time when high school drop outs are 4x more likely to be unemployed; close to 50% more likely to be incarcerated
...And, in spite of a doubling of per pupil expenditures and a tripling of the number of teachers hired in US public schools, these gaps have persisted for decades with no improvement on graduation rates or in core subject scores.
What if I told you I had an antidote? Would you invest in that solution?
What if I told you the Obama Administration and State Leaders are considering ways to help scale our idea of a "second shift" of educators who partner with failing schools to extend the learning day? What if I told you that dramatically more of our students will therefore graduate high school and go to college; that we can do this for a fraction of the cost of what school districts pay for the regular school day? What if the only way we could get this public support was through matching charitable donations from people like you.
Would you contribute to our campaign to raise over $100,000 by March 15th?
My goal is modest in comparison...just $2,500. But it is part of a larger grassroots push to match public/private support at a time when we most need it.
I have many reasons why I believe passionately in our work. But don't take my word for it, click on the youtube video to the left to get a sense for how our program affects our students' lives. Arielys Morales is now a Sophmore at Northeastern University. She was once a student in our program. She is one of 10,000 students who we have served in Massachusetts in over 15 years. With your help, we'll serve another 10,000 students like Arielys in a third of that time.
Just think of her if you have any doubts about the impact of your donation. And thanks for believing in our kids...and in one educational reform that's working.