For many low-income students, school is their only place where they have access to technology, food, and safety.
The school shutdowns brought on by COVID-19 were stressful for families across all socioeconomic backgrounds, but for poorer students, it was far worse.
Imagine if the only place you could get breakfast or lunch was at school.
Imagine if the only stable adults in your life were your teachers.
Imagine if the only access you had to technology and the internet to learn, study, and submit homework was in a computer lab.
Imagine being worried about whether or not you would make it to the next grade level because of all the lessons you missed out on.
Imagine all of this being taken away from you overnight.
COVID-19 was hard on everyone, but when you're at an economic disadvantage, daily challenges are compounded to a significant degree.
In a report from the Utah Education Policy Center, "In normal circumstances, students who miss more than ten days of school are 36% more likely to drop out." There were a lot more than 10 days of school lost during COVID-19 in the spring months and we have no idea how many more days will be lost when the fall term begins. The gaps in achievement that many educators and administrators worked hard to close on behalf of their lower-income students have practically gone to waste.
On top of this, many schools will be faced with budget cuts that remove special programs that serve as a beacon of hope for many kids with precious few opportunities. With no motivation to continue their education due to so many odds stacked against them, the likelihood of poorer students dropping out of school increases by the day.
Thankfully, there are non-profits like ACE Scholarships that help low-income students get out of underperforming school systems and into private schools where they can have an actual chance to thrive, reach their potential, and graduate on time. While we can't predict when another shutdown order will happen again, one thing that a scholarship like this can do is to equip low-income students with better, more efficient resources to keep them in school and on track to graduate.
COVID-19 made us count our blessings and be grateful for so much, but many individuals were left with far less than they had at the beginning. Helping rebuild a community after a pandemic starts by taking care of the most precious resource we have—our children. If you wish to contribute to the ACE Scholarship mission and help get kids out of poverty and onto the road of academic and personal success, click HERE to donate.
