Education Access and Youth Empowerment

What Does Education and Youth Empowerment Encompass?

Education Access in the United States:

In education, the term access typically refers to the ways in which educational institutions and policies ensure—or at least strive to ensure—that students have equal and equitable opportunities to take full advantage of their education.
Education inequality: The unequal distribution of academic resources, including but not limited to: school funding, qualified and experienced teachers, books, and technologies that socially excluded communities. These communities tend to be historically disadvantaged and oppressed.
Public School: A free, tax-free school controlled by a local governmental authority.
Quality Education: An education that provides all learners with capabilities they require to become economically productive, develop sustainable livelihoods, contribute to peaceful and democratic societies, and enhance individual well-being.
Private School: A school that is established, conducted, and primarily supported by a nongovernmental agency.
Charter School: A tax-supported school established by a charter between a granting body (such as a school board) and an outside group (as of teachers and parents), which operates the school without most local and state educational regulations so as to achieve set goals.
Special Education: Classes or instruction designed for students with special educational needs.
First Generation College Student: A student whose parent(s)/legal guardian(s) have not completed a bachelor’s degree.

Student Organizations

Aces for Athens: Mentoring local elementary and special needs students through the game of tennis!

Asha For Education: Asha Athens works towards promoting the education of underprivileged children in India by providing financial assistance and support to the NGOs focused on education projects. Volunteers of Asha work closely with the project partners in India, while locally organizing fundraisers and community awareness events.

First Book: First Book volunteers and fundraises to provide underserved children in Athens with age-appropriate reading materials and help raise the literacy rates in Athens-Clarke County.

Uplifting Parents @UGA: Uplifting Parents is an apolitical, nonreligious club that works to provide student-parents with support, resources, knowledge of their rights, and advocates for their needs.

Whatever it Takes: WIT is a student-led organization that is committed to combatting educational inequality in Athens. They work with local schools and provide mentor programs.
- Learn more here!

Over 80% of the kids in public schools in Athens are on free or reduced lunch (the national rate is just about 51%).
Clarke County School District (CCSD) students are 55% black; 20% Hispanic; 19% white; and 6% Asian or multiracial.
The racial/ethnic disparities between the school district population and the county population can be attributed to the student population at UGA, and the disparities between a predominantly white university environment and a majority black local school system are reflected in high dropout rates, poor health outcomes, high teen birth rates and student achievement gaps.
Clarke County- In terms of the county’s public schools’ white students are 3.2 times more likely to be enrolled in at least one AP course when compared to black students, despite 50% of the district consisting of Black students. Additionally, 77% of all expelled students were Black compared to 7% of white students, a similar ratio is present when looking at out of school suspension rates.

Community Organizations

Athens Tutorial Program: The Athens Tutorial Program provides academic assistance, improving learning skills, and providing basic life skill enhancement and cultural enrichment opportunities to at-risk K-12 students.

Books for Keeps: BFK is an organization that works to provide students in Clarke County with books for the summer. It is a research based program that works to end the "summer slide". They are also one of our lovely community partners!
- View service opportunities here!

School Garden Network: The School Garden Network is a partnership of Athens organizations that have come together to make sure that every school in Athens-Clarke County has a school garden that is accessible to enhance instruction that engages students, staff, families and the community.

Courses at UGA