UrbanFUTURE's Solution to Eliminating the Academic Achievement Gap

The following post is text from a recent grant request that UrbanFUTURE submitted for the Bank of America Neighborhood Builder's program. This represents UrbanFUTURE's strategy and vision for solving the academic achievement gap in urban schools.

Poverty is an age-old problem in our nation’s urban communities. In order to solve this problem, the educational achievement gap must be bridged—one community cluster at a time. UF defines the community cluster according to the public school system’s geographical zoning. Each “community cluster” revolves around a hub middle school and the elementary schools that feed it. Utilizing the community cluster approach, UF reaches every school-aged child in a given zip code who shares a common educational path.

Once the cluster is defined, UF approaches supplemental education by recognizing the isolation that exists between three primary groups – the home, the school and the community. Our key initiative is the UrbanFUTURE Restoration Model, which seeks to repair the traditional bonds between home, school, and community that poverty has broken. UF staff brokers these connections and is housed within the school building, allowing the school to serve as a center for these groups to connect through our innovative mentoring and tutoring programs. Through this community-cluster based restoration model, we are addressing generational poverty at individual, institutional and community-wide levels.

The primary objective of the Restoration Model is to ensure that 4th through 8th grade students possess the academic acumen to master high school as well as the mindset to see and believe in their possibilities. To achieve this vision, UF focuses on five key outcomes: literacy, academic growth, character formation, parental involvement, and career preparation. The combination of these focal points creates a formula for success in eliminating the achievement gap.

This is what UrbanFUTURE believes will solve the academic achievement gap and in turn help communities out of poverty.

Exploring Possibilities

UrbanFUTURE students at Mann Elementary are getting a chance to go out and explore careers in their community. So far this year, Mann explorers have researched careers in art and law. In January the group visited an art gallery and learned first-hand from a local artist. Craig Downs is a self-taught artist who has spent the past seven years creating a bold and unique style to call his own - he also happens to be an UrbanFUTURE mentor! Craig was kind enough to invite the Explore! Club to Urban Eats (3301 Meramec St.) for a personal showing of his paintings. The students were also given a chance to create their own masterpieces using Craig's paintings as inspiration. Their artwork will be displayed at the local Hartford Coffee Company (3974 Hartford St.). Lloserf, a 5th grade student at Mann had this to say about Explore!, "I think Explore! Club is fun and interesting. I liked going to see my mentor, Craig. I learned to be a great artist you have to keep trying and trying."

Explore Club also had the opportunity to visit the Old Court House where they reenacted the Virginia Minor Trial and learned about women's suffrage. Students had the opportunity to learn about the specific roles and responsibilities of lawyers, judges and juries. They also learned about the constitutional amendements that afford U.S. citizens a fair and speedy trial.

In March, students are exploring careers in law enforcement. Last Friday they had a chance to visit a police station to learn about the different roles of police officers. Keep exploring those possibilities!