Education has always been important. As is giving back to the community. There is no place like being in the classroom, learning and creating and developing life skills. Schools are the foundation of any community. When a community loses its schools; it loses more than a building; it loses its life force and hope for a better tomorrow. It is as losing the key to their future.

There are communities struggling to reach their children and give them a sense of hope and pride in their future. How is it possible, where there is already devastating poverty, that children are being deprived a school in their own neighborhood? Schools being closed in record numbers in most urban cities; causing children to have to walk through gang infested, drug infested, dangerous situations just to get to school. There needs to be change for the better, before these children are lost to the devastating plight of poverty that has ravished many of those that came before them.

In order to change the status and condition of one's community, you must start with the schools. The primary mission should be to foster the exchange of positive ideas, and taking every initiative that will bring about the desired results for the educational community. Commitment to reaching every parent and student, and equipping them with the tools and support necessary to abolish the high percentage of truancy, below average test scores, and poor learning conditions is absolute paramount. The goal of every parent, teacher, community and its leaders, should be to be certain that every child in, every neighborhood is given the best educational career and support needed to succeed in life. And, the assurance that every parent is armed with the knowledge to help make a substantial difference in their child’s educational pursuits.

One cannot sit idly by an allow a generation of children to be pushed along like cattle, in order to make budget cuts, and reforms that have nothing to do with the well being of each and every child in said communities. Education should be the goal for every parent, community, and leader of each state, city and county. Education is the only way to break the cycle of poverty that continues to ravish countless families from generation to generation.

Keeping the schools open is key, but not enough. Neither is equipping schools with new supplies. Offering communities a place where both parents and children can come for tutoring, mentoring, encouragement and life skill training can help to facilitate the necessary changes that will ensure a turn around in a school's overall performance. These incentives are necessary to the progress and success of turning a bleak situation into a promising future for schools, communities, teachers, students and parents.

Parents and leaders must work together with the Principals and teachers and form a task force that will benefit both sides, but especially the students. Not another school should close in an urban city that already has its battle with obstacles that make it difficult for many children. School for many is a safe-haven, and their only way to break the cycle that they are constantly faced with.

There are communities that are standing up and making their voices heard. They are taking matters into their own hands despite the opposition that they are faced with on a daily basis. The more people that take on this same attitude, the more we can help to save the next generation.

For every parent, mentor, guardian; please note the following information and please pass along:

The Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) Scholarship Fund offers scholarship opportunities to any under-served student across the United States

Please share.

Scholarship Notification
Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation

APPLICATION DEADLINE is May 31, 2013
Eligibility Requirements
Qualified applicants must be a high school senior, college student, and/or between the ages of 18-25, pursuing studies at a vocational or trade school. All applicants must be a US Citizen and complete the on-line application no later than the published deadline date, which is May 31, 2013.

The Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation is unique in that it offers scholarships to single mothers, children who attend alternative schools, students who have earned a GED, students with grade point averages of 2.0 and students who have previously been incarcerated, etc. but desire a higher educational opportunity. This group is generally not the recipients of college scholarships and is typically ignored by the Board of Education.

The Shawn Carter Foundation offers scholarship opportunities to any under-served student across the United States who desires a higher education. One of the key questions asked by the Foundation when students apply for a scholarship is: What are your plans to give back to the community?.

CLICK LINK TO APPLY TODAY!!! http://www.shawncartersf.com/apply/