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Youth Voice: How Limited Representation of Black Men Almost Limited My Life

May 31, 2018

To make matters worse, coaches and peers encouraged me to continue playing sports because it could pay for my education. So I spent countless hours and days training and practicing in different sports, hoping to land an athletic scholarship…which took away from any participation in extracurricular activities and volunteering experience that aligns with my current career aspirations.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Youth Voice, Black/African-American, School Discipline, Using Data, College Gap

promises: Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign, GradNation State Activation

Our National and Moral Responsibility to Young People

April 18, 2018

Adults often complain that kids today don't respect their elders. But what happens when it's the other way around? What if young people are the ones who are not getting the respect and dignity they need to be successful in school and life?

Type: Opinion

TAG: Using Data, Family Engagement, Special Populations, School Discipline, Black/African-American, Hispanic/Latino

promises: Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: Center for Promise, GradNation Campaign

Youth Voice: The Hidden Practice Pushing Students Out of School

February 28, 2018

Much has been written about the problems with zero-tolerance discipline policies, but there’s another practice in Minnesota that contributes to school pushout without the attention: suspending or expelling students for “discretionary violations.” Under Minnesota Law, educators can dismiss youth if the “willful conduct...significantly disrupts the rights of others to an education.” There are a few major problems with this.

Type: Opinion

TAG: School Discipline, Equity, Black/African-American, Special Populations, Youth Voice

promises: Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign, GradNation State Activation

Youth Voice: How Mass Incarceration Imprisons the Black Community

January 05, 2018

What is the biggest issue facing your community and what should be done about it? This is the question select Dunbar High students answered in a two-minute "Project Soapbox" speech in participation with the Mikva Challenge, an organization that develops youth to be empowered, informed, and active citizens. This story is an edited version of 10th grader Zarea Boyde’s speech. Boyde was a finalist at Mikva Challenge D.C.'s citywide Project Soapbox competition in December.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Black/African-American

promises: Caring Adults, Safe Places

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign, Youth Voice: Racial Justice

America’s Broken Promise to Black Girls

March 22, 2017

To mark Women’s History Month, writer and activist Ola Ojewumi examines how African-American women have historically helped drive social change—and how they can help African-American girls overcome the challenges they face in America’s public educations system today.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Black/African-American

promises: Caring Adults, Safe Places

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation State Activation, GradNation Campaign

Youth Voice: The Meaning of Wellness Has Changed. The Community Needs to do the Same.

February 09, 2017

What are the biggest barriers to wellness young people face? The findings of a new five-city Center for Promise study of young people—by young people—might surprise you. Here’s one Philadelphia youth researcher’s perspective.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Black/African-American, Youth Voice

promises: Safe Places, Caring Adults

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign, Center for Promise, Youth Voice: Racial Justice

How Learning About Black History Changed My Future

February 08, 2017

In honor of Black History Month, a former teaching assistant reflects on the role that courses and films on African American history played in shaping his outlook on education. This story is part of the “90 for All” series, which examines the challenges facing traditionally underserved students, particularly low-income and homeless students, English language learners, students of color, and students with disabilities.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Black/African-American, Low-Income

promises: Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation State Activation, GradNation Campaign

I Am Not My Diagnosis

December 19, 2016

This story is part of the “90 for All” series, which examines the challenges facing traditionally underserved students, particularly low-income and homeless students, English language learners, students of color and students with disabilities.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Black/African-American, College and Career Readiness, Early Childhood

promises: Caring Adults, Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign

Black Lives Matter. But Young People Ask, ‘Do They Really?’

November 16, 2016

When I walked into the government classroom at Thurgood Marshall Academy before last week’s election, I immediately noticed the teacher’s T-shirt: “Democracy is a verb.” I was there as an adult guest judge for the seniors competing in the Mikva Challenge, in which students give two-minute “soapbox speeches” about issues they care about.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Black/African-American, Low-Income

promises: Caring Adults, Safe Places, Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign

Five Women Who Represent Five Promises

March 23, 2016

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Alliance Engagement Team at America’s Promise decided to celebrate prominent women in history who embody each of these promises. While there are many more who could have made the list, here are five women we think of when we think of the Five Promises.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Special Populations, Black/African-American, Low-Income, Students with Disabilities

promises: A Healthy Start, Caring Adults, Effective Education, Opportunities to Help Others, Safe Places

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign