Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

- Nelson Mandela

This country's Founding Fathers such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson intended for the United States Of America to become a place with “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” for every citizen and resident of this nation, while establishing a foundation for freedom and equal opportunity for all, regardless of their race, religion, gender, and sex.

According to an NPR article titled, “Why America’s Schools Have A Money Problem,” in 2013, the Chicago Ridge School District in Chicago spent $9,794 per child, while a school in Chicago’s affluent northern suburbs, Rondout School, spent $28,639 on each of its 145 students and 22 teachers. Urban schools such as those part of the Chicago Ridge School District suffer from diminishing resources such as teachers and classrooms, simply due to the fact that they cannot afford those extra things, whereas, in suburban schools such as Rondout School, every student has an “individualized learning plan” and also have teachers that are extremely qualified with “a decade of experience.”

Dr. Linda Lemasters, an associate professor at George Washington University, in her article, “Disparities Between Urban and Suburban Schools,” emphasizes the consequences of the funding disparities in urban schools when mentioning that they are prone to “inferior facilities, less adequate teachers, and an incomparable curriculum” (qtd in Wright) when compared to suburban schools with adequate funding (EFC.org). Due to studies like these and their findings, many Americans find the urban students culpable for their shortcomings, however they are unable to see that the failures of the students are the unfortunate consequences of an underdeveloped and underfunded educational system.

Since almost 30% of urban students are likely to be living in poverty than a mere 13% of suburban students, according to a study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, urban students were more likely to attend schools with higher concentrations of low income students. Due to the the fact that a majority of urban high school students seem to come from imperfect households, student morale and expectations such as doing homework and participating in after school activities start diminishing, ultimately hindering the growth that the students could demonstrate if they had access to the the right resources and environment.

Other than raising awareness to frequent racial stereotyping and providing teens of color with a platform to share and comprehend such experiences, it is also our goal to provide those underpriveleged teens of Chicago's urban, underdevloped public schools with the resources and support that priveleged, suburban students have always had access to.

Pursing a Higher Education

College

The first step to pursuing a higher education is finding a passion that can transform into a successful career. Take this personality quiz to find your prospective careers. The second step in this process is to find a major that aligns with your chosen career. Once you've chosen a career and a major, it is time for the third step where you find a university that is perfect for you in terms of the size, teacher to student ratio, tuition, location, etc.

Once you click on the the college search image from above, you will be taken to the actual website known as collegeboard.com which is a perfect resource in order to find a univeristy that meets your needs.

While trying to find the right unversity, here are some tips to follow and red flags to avoid during the college application process from the college admissions counselors themselves.

The College Board is an excellent resource to refer to in order to find a way to pay for the college tuition, which is the last and final step to pursuing a higher education.

Community College

If you are one who is not interseted in going to a four or two year university, attending a community college is an excellent, and less expensive alternative to obtaining a degree, and then purusing a successful career. Once you have identified your passions, your career, and your major, the last step is to find a community college near you.