The Center will contribute to bridging the “achievement gap” and the “digital divide” that exists between students of different socioeconomic statuses. We hope to harness research findings, thinking, and presentations from those at the forefront of educational advances, those who are intricately involved in our schools and community agencies, and scholars, who might enable our community to be enlightened and energized to promote optimal educational experiences for our children. Good intentions are not enough. Without an organized effort to help change policy and practice in thinking about the future of education, we as a society will fail to give our children a fighting chance to keep the American Dream alive.

We expect to invite our students and those in our community to join us in active and rigorous workshops, including discussion and collaboration around important educational issues. We expect to offer opportunities to engage in workshops that can provide learning and skills to influence implementation of important new educational developments.Our primary purpose is to try to find better ways to help our students and members of our broader community in their desire and efforts to provide an enriched life, educationally and psychologically for their children. A second related purpose is to engage in collaborations together that focus on new inspiring practices, better understanding of the impact of non educational factors, such as the ways in which these factors influence the digital divide, the achievement gap, and the emotional development of children.

The schools and agencies whom we serve include some of the poorest in in New York City. Alongside homelessness, community factors such as racial discrimination, poverty, drug abuse, unemployment, lack of resources, and inadequate support also exist within the community. These factors, amongst many other social and environmental precursors, need to be considered when addressing the ultimate success of our educational system. These complex problems are in our own backyard and provide the rationale for our work. With the utilization of social, cultural and educational resources, the College and the CSFE can help mobilize the capacity for education in our communities. Specifically we would like to target a specific and well focused proposal based on some of the work of our presenters (Goal 1) and our workshops (Goal 2).