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.

UrbanFUTURE Student Speaks

From time to time, we will have some of our students write blog posts with their mentors or tutors. Not only is this a great chance for us to share with you what they are working on, it gives students another medium to practice and improve their writing skills. This week, Chebryelle, a 4th grade student at Mann, writes about the time that she spends with her mentor Theresa.

In UF we have been setting goals and we are building charactor. Me Chebryelle and my mentor Theresa have been setting our own goals like my (ACADMIC) goal is to complete my homework before for doing any thing else. My (CHARACTOR) goal is to belive in myself.

I like Uf but you guys should stay longer. So that we can learn more and still have fun. OH did i mention that i like tutoring because she teach me how to do multiplication fact she taught me my 11's and 9's and she taught me a 9 trick and it is pretty easy.


when i grow up i want to be a singer,lawyer,teacher, and a typer. and to be one of those i have to stay in school and be BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and get good.