Our American family is bound together by caring individuals who make it their mission to serve others. During National Mentoring Month, we pay special tribute to the men and women who enrich the lives of our young people and fortify the unbreakable bonds between one generation and the next.
Mentors know that helping a child unlock their full potential begins with care, guidance, and support — which is why my Administration is proud to celebrate mentorship nationwide through programs that help young people see the strength within themselves. We created the Corporate Mentoring Challenge, which encourages businesses across our country to open or expand mentoring programs that equip our youth with the tools to achieve. We have connected young men and women in the Washington, D.C., area with mentors at the White House, and we have partnered with groups across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to build pathways to summer job opportunities for low-income and disconnected youth. And since 2010, we have worked to build strong connections between children and responsible adults through our Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative.
A supportive mentor can mean the difference between struggle and success. As we mark this important occasion, I encourage all Americans to spend time as a mentor and help lift our next generation toward their hopes and dreams.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 2013 as National Mentoring Month. I call upon public officials, business and community leaders, educators, and Americans across the country to observe this month with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
Two years ago Laura B. and Giovanni G. (founder of LAM) got inspired to make a difference in the life of young underrepresented students by pairing them with LAM members for a mentorship program. The program has evoled to include career fair participation at high schools and University visits for these students. We’ve paired over 100 mentors/mentees and hope to continue this growth!
With the help of LAM Member Masha as our pro-bono lawyer, we have been approved as a 501c.3 organization by the IRS!
What does this mean?
Section 501(c)(3) is the portion of the US Internal Revenue Code that allows for federal tax exemption of nonprofit organizations. An entity must be organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes. One of the biggest distictions is that donations are tax deductable and we can apply for various grants! This source of income will help our organization grow, hire individuals, and really make an impact.
With this, EDGE is currently in a high momentum stage of growth. EDGE is a three board-member organization: Laura, Giovanni, and Jorel with new upcoming volunteers as various Committee Chairs. We continue to look for qualified mentors and volunteers.
Interested in joining our team as a mentor or volunteer? Please send an email to info@myedgeucation.org!
For more information, or to give a donation, please visit click here.
If you’re part of a corporate organization that supports 501c.3, please send an email to Giovanni – giovanni@myedgeucation.org to discuss opportunities for partnership.
New report examines enrollment history, achievement gaps, and persistence in school for English Language Learners (ELL) students and reclassified ELL students as compared to non-ELL students. The study uses statewide individual-level data sets merged from students’ entry to exit in the state’s public school system for graduate cohorts of 2006, 2007, and 2008. Results show that after accounting for academic achievement, behavioral issues, background, and district contexts, the longer a student is designated as an ELL, the more likely he or she is to drop out. This relationship may suggest that protracted ELL status leads to higher incidence of dropping out of high schools.
The article was published last monthby the National CCenter for Research on Evaluation, Standards, & Student Testing (CRESST) titled “Relationships among and between ELL status, demographic characteristics, enrollment history, and school persistence”
On December 1st we will be hosting private screening of Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s film, Miss Representation. This exclusive event will explore how mainstream media directly contributes to the under-representation of women and minorities in key leadership roles by cultivating demeaning stereotypes and rigid gender roles.
Following the screening, we will host a panel discussion on how to best empower our youth today.
Space for this event is limited and registration for is required. Please RSVP by November 28th
The current status of Latinos in the U.S. – Challenges and opportunities
The rapid growth rate of Latinos living in the United States has been a major center of controversy for the last couple of years covering heated debates around the numbers of legal foreign-born immigrants, U.S. born Latinos, and unauthorized immigrants. Aside from the debate, numbers don’t lie, and the numbers released by the 2010 census make Latinos the largest minority group in the United States accounting for 16% of the total population. What is even more powerful are the projections; according to the Census bureau, that percentage is expected to nearly double by the middle of this century.
While one in four American children is Latino, we have the lowest education attainment levels in the nation. According to the White House Report on Latino Education, more than 17.1 million Latinos age 17 or younger live in the U.S., comprising more than 23 percent of the country’s youth and nearly 22 percent of all K-12 public school enrollments. However, less than half are enrolled in early learning programs. Only half of the population earns a high school diploma on time, and when those students do, they’re half as likely to be ready for college. To date, more than 87% of Latinos do not hold a bachelor’s degree. Our college drop-out rate is 2.5 times higher than that of African Americans and 3.5 times higher than that of white Anglo Americans according to a report released by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in 2007.
The pressing questions are then: Why Should we care? What can we do?
As the second largest population group in the United States, the educational attainment of Latino students is connected to the nation’s growth and success. As the Latino population grows, the U.S. economy becomes more and more dependent on its success.
It is imperative that Latino students break the cycle benefit from full access to educational experiences of the highest quality.
When it comes to what actions to take there is a simple one: let’s give back. As professional Latinos with the drive, determination, and passion to excel we have a responsibility to cultivate the next generation of Latinos through mentoring and sponsorships. Mentoring has been proven to be highly effective in connecting students with leaders in the community, particularly in conquering the academic and social disengagement from school that leads to dropping out. An overwhelming number of Hispanic youth in the country does not have professional role models within their own family; mentors are important in ensuring success and providing the students with professional guidance, support, and access to resources.
We have started, are you ready to join us?
EDGEucation is a program that centers on inspiring and leading youth, through pairing students with leaders from their communities and educating students on the numerous options they have after high school. The goal of EDGEucation is to increase the graduation rate among underrepresented groups in California by leading and creating inspirational programs and connecting positive role models from within the community with students. Our vision is to level the playing field and aid underrepresented groups attain better opportunities after graduation by leading, inspiring, and working with prospective role models from within the community, to push education to the edge, and make education attainable for everyone.
If you are ready to make a difference or if you want to learn more about EDGEucation, we invite you to join us for our Mentor Mixer and Recruiting event.
