Despite the number of educational organizations, the achievement gap between high-income and low-income students continues to grow. In 2005, only 11% and 8% of black eighth graders were proficient in reading and math, respectively, compared with 37% of white students (NAEP). Often communities need after school programs or alternative schools but aren’t aware of what options exist. Similarly, there are schools and education organizations doing great things, but not enough people know about them.

It is difficult for children today to make the right choices when it comes to healthy eating, especially in an urban setting. Just down the street from our elementary school are two pizza shops, a McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Simply walking home from school in need of a snack will undoubtedly tempt them to eat something with high fat content and little nutritional value. Many parents are uneducated about proper nutrition and pass along poor eating habits to their children. When picking a child up from school, it is all too easy to cruise through the drive-in window.

The pageant stereotype scares some young people away - but the thousands of community aware and active young women who are part of the Miss America's Outstanding Teen organization know that it is not a "pageant," but truly a platform to, not only earn scholarship money, but make their voices heard. (You know, like in Miss Congeniality - "It's not a pageant - It's a scholarship program!") With a crown on your head, people stop and listen. It's a chance to change your community, or change the world.

When children do not move and exercise, a variety of long-term problems arise. Obesity, lack of attention span during class, lack of ability to work as a team, lack of want to take risks. All research shows that without play, children grow up to be non-productive adults. We could not let our students be in this position, just because our playground was 12 years old, rotting, too small and as the kids say "too boring". We will ensure after this playground build that all of students are moving around during recess and after-school getting all of the benefits of PLAY!

Children in the city of Rochester face violence and negative influences every day. We give them opportunities to connect with the positive in our community - and a chance to shine as they learn that they are capable and worthy members of our city! What an awesome year they have as they take field trips to area colleges, businesses, parks, museums, artists studios and homes in the area to capture images which they use in our program. They print their own photos, mount and exhibit them in galleries, scan and print them in a professionally produced book.