Current issues | Education

Our education system in the US is failing us - literally and figuratively.  We have a responsibility to provide our youth with the quality education that is the fundamental right of every citizen -- and without it, our kids don't have an opportunity to succeed!

Here's what is plaguing us as a nation - our high school dropout rate is staggering; we are no longer the global leader in college grad rates; our children are ranked very low in math, sciences, and reading.  This is no longer an inner-city problem -- this is a national epidemic.

President Obama stated in an exclusive interview with EBONY Magazine in September 2010: "For the country, it's critical.  For African-Americans, its the civil rights issue of the 21st century." As we celebrate the revolutionary efforts of civil rights leaders as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this month...here are more stats for you to ponder (also courtesy of EBONY Magazine and other sources):

 -  Nationwide, three out of every 10 students drop out of high school.  For Blacks, that number is half - and growing.  Further, it is estimated that every 46 seconds of every school day, a Black male student drops out of high school.  That's enough students to fill two classrooms every hour and an entire high school each week;
 -  As a nation, the United States has dropped from 1st to 18th place in high school graduation rates among developed nations;
 - Our students rank 25th in math, 17th in science, and 14th in reading [According to a recent report from the Programme for International Student Assessment]

President Obama urges us to do 5 key things in the EBONY Education Special in September --
1. Expect the best from our children...and nothing less!
2. Turn off the television and video games and prioritize reading (mandatory, not optional!).
3. Don't get numb to violence in our communities.
4. Help kids to understand the power and influence that knowledge brings them.
5. Inspire children to give back to their communities by finding service opportunities.

Isn't it great that Project Still I Rise is doing all of the above and more to ensure that we raise up a generation of young and emerging leaders to build a foundation for our future.

Donate today at http://www.psir.org/.