Help Support the Youth of Ferguson

The shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American teenager, on August 9, 2014, emphasized a growing need to bring social empowerment and race into the forefront of conversations revolving around how we, as a nation, must respond to these tragedies. The Center for Social Empowerment in Ferguson was officially launched one year later to fulfill this role. Its presence provides a neighborhood-based facility for social enterprise and community engagement. Through workshops, participants are challenged to observe and recognize the complex causes of violence and hatred so that they can continue to lead this dialogue within their own communities.

However, the children of Ferguson face unique challenges. August 14, 2014 was the first day of school but many children were not able to attend because schools located within the Ferguson School District were temporarily closed during the political unrest. School closures for similar reasons are not uncommon here. Sadly, as a result, Ferguson youth are getting further and further behind academically and are more likely to drop out by the age of 18.

 This coming September, The Center for Social Empowerment is spearheading a new campaign called Saturday Academy. This academy not only provides a safe place for children to be during the weekend but also aims to provide families what they need in order to catch up and flourish in school. Children ranging from 5 to 18 years of age are welcome to join. They will be exposed to hands-on science and technology lessons, efficient study habits, college prep courses, and much more! For our high school students, we are hoping plan trips to local colleges and universities throughout the state since many of our kids have never been outside Ferguson. During Spring Break, they will have the opportunity to tour colleges in Chicago!
 
Saturday Academy will also have workshops for parents. Ferguson parents, who are often also the product of an under-equipped school system, frequently lack the ability and means to navigate the school system or assist their own children with their homework. And, despite the best efforts of any well-equipped school, a lack of support at home can detrimentally affect a child’s chances for success. By attending our workshops, parents will learn how to become tutors for their children, the skills to handle parent-teacher conferences, learn what to do if there is a bullying problem at school, and so much more.

You can find out more about our organization and the work we do at here. 

Through these avenues, the lessons learned from Michael Brown’s death will not be forgotten. He will live on through our fight for racial and social empowerment not only in Ferguson but in all the communities we serve. However, our capacity to aid communities in their struggle is hindered by a lack of resources. Your donations will not only increase the magnitude and efficiency of our outreach but will also ensure the youth of Ferguson are given the opportunity to succeed. With your help, our Saturday Academy can fulfill every parents’ dream of seeing their child reach higher education and accomplish goals beyond their expectations.