By: Silvana Wilson, Montclair State University
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” -Nelson Mandela
Education is one of the most valuable tools given to individuals of all ages. The quality of education can vary, and the difference between a good education and a bad one can determine your future.
Not only does a proper education teach you knowledge, but it teaches you to become a better citizen.
The Significance of Childhood Education
No matter what race, gender, and class you come from, education should be a part of your life.
It has been proven that there is a ten percent increase in an individual’s income for each extra year of education they receive. Education has been known to be “The Great Equalizer.”
If every single child were to be given the same exact education with the same exact resources, it would help communities and entire countries begin to become more equal and help lower the gap between under-resourced communities and resourced communities.
Educating Youth Where It Matters Most
Under-resourced communities often struggle with less access to higher-quality education. These communities need and deserve education the most.
A child’s academic journey starts with a proper education. If not given the necessary tools to learn and grow effectively, children may be left with improper or unfinished education.
Under-resourced communities need help in receiving a proper education through elementary, middle, and high school. In addition, they face barriers when working to achieve higher education such as a college degree and onward.
The biggest issue when it comes to helping under-resourced communities is usually funding on a state or local level. Many of the school districts are underfunded resulting in:
- Teachers getting paid less and/or less experienced instructors
- Less access to resources or lower-quality resources
- Lower access to advanced placement courses (primarily in STEM courses such as math and science)
- Low levels of state and local spending on school resources such as instructional materials
Endless Opportunities and Benefits from Education
Education has the potential to unlock opportunities for employment, access to resources, and acquisition of skills that enable individuals not just to get by, but to prosper.
In an analysis by the GEM Report on education and poverty reduction, it has been shown before that over sixty million people in the USA could escape poverty if all adults had an extra two years of some type of education.
If all adults completed high school, over 420 million people would be able to get out of extreme poverty. This alone would cut the world’s population that is currently in poverty in half. According to The World Bank Reports, there are 719 million people in poverty.
Education can help children with knowledgeable skills such as reading, writing, math, and critical thinking skills. It can also help develop them socially and emotionally.
Overall, a universal education can help everyone. Not only would it help communities, but entire countries. A proper and fair education would not only help individuals but the economy as a whole.
Resources for Education
One major way to help under-resourced communities is through supporting programs such as Write on Sports. The non-profit, Write on Sports, seeks to provide academic and literacy support to middle school students in under-resourced communities.
WoS affords them the tools and teacher resources that they may not be granted in their own schools or communities. Financially supporting programs such as this one help, but even volunteering time and resources can make a difference in a child’s life.
Education is one of the most important tools and rights every child should be given.
Write on Sports: Who We Are
Write on Sports (WoS) is a non-profit literacy organization that helps middle school students develop writing and reading skills. The program uses project-based learning, empowering students to self-select a topic of interest and authentic learning experiences which include a field trip, to strengthen writing skills. Write on Sports offers after-school writing programs and workshops in addition to summer writing camps. During the summer of 2024, Write on Sports will be hosting summer camps in multiple New Jersey counties in addition to camps in California, Colorado, Indiana, and Rhode Island.
To learn more about Write on Sports, click here.
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