JAM24Seven, Inc.

To Volunteer please fill out this survey: (https://forms.gle/FBxcxrqJCLNUrBpt6)

To Donate click on Donate now.

To Amplify click the Share link and send it to everyone that would understand why this is important - so, everyone!


Why We NEED To Act

Low-income public school students and communities have been neglected for far too long.  Right now these students and their families are in critical need of help due to the exacerbating effects of COVID-19.

Schools emptied their budget and reserves to make it through last school year's shutdown.  This year budgets have been cut and many schools can't afford basic supplies let alone computers and PPE.  Schools that were struggling before are doing worse now, and the social and educational divide is growing exponentially wider.  This confluence of circumstances is The COVID Crush.  As a result, some low-income and minority students are on the verge of missing out on a year or more of school.

We all knew about the rampant educational inequities amongst our K-12 schools and should have acted sooner.  We can no longer sit idly by.  Dr. King said, ”The time is always right to do the right thing.”  Now is the time to act.  Please join us and Volunteer, Donate, and Amplify!

Below is the plan for us to be a Solution Together.  Please help the children most in need.  


To Volunteer please fill out this survey: (https://forms.gle/FBxcxrqJCLNUrBpt6)

To Donate click on Donate now.

To Amplify click the Share link and send it all over the universe,  scream it from the mountain tops, and talk about it...in person or over the phone...with real people.


Here’s What’s Going On…

This school year is unlike any before it for countless reasons.  Faced with unprecedented challenges and seemingly never-ending logistical hurdles educators and parents around the globe are doing their best to provide quality education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While there is so much that will be new during this academic school year, some things will remain constant.  One of the unfortunate realities that many have come to accept is that the quality of public school education is significantly different from one school to the next, and from one community to the next.  Moreover, these disparities are often correlated to the social and economic makeup of the communities where the schools exist.  Many of the reasons for this ongoing tragedy are tied directly to structural, historical, and political reasons our country is hopefully starting to grapple with in earnest, but we won’t address in full here.  Suffice it to say - Public Education in the US is Not The Same for ALL Kids and that’s NOT FAIR.

Children and Families Need HELP.  Let’s Be a Solution Together.  Read On…

[WAKE UP CALL - The amount of Public School funding has unsurprisingly been proven to correlate to results.  Not All Schools get the same Funding and the amounts they receive are Not always based on Need.]


Low-Income Public School Are Being Neglected…Again

With that context, we can predict what is likely to happen to the quality and disparities in education as a result of this pandemic.  The schools and students that were struggling under ideal circumstances have already begun to be further compromised in this current environment, which is proving to be supremely complicated for even the best schools with the most resources. 

Common public school challenges such as underfunding and overcrowding are being exasperated during the pandemic, particularly in low-income and predominantly minority communities.  Teachers in overcrowded schools were unreasonably being asked to support 30 or more students in one class.  Trying to teach that many students in part or entirely virtually significantly complicates that process.  Additionally, students’ access, or lack thereof, to resources such as technology is reducing or eliminating many students' ability to participate virtually. 

Some of these issues were created by the pandemic and others are longstanding obstacles.  They will hopefully all be addressed structurally by the Federal government in the not too distant future.  However, in the meantime, we can and should do our part to be a solution rather than continuing to wait for our government to get its act together.

School boards, unions, principals, the government, and the like aren’t giving educators or parents clear direction on what to do and expect.  In fairness, that’s at least partially because much of this has never been done before and they are all trying to figure it out on the fly like the rest of us.  Regardless, with everyone moving full speed in different directions the kids who have been historically disadvantaged are on the brink of being manifestly left behind for what may end up being a year or more of school (@TheCOVIDCrush).

That’s Not OK!

We Must Do Better!

[WAKE UP CALL - Grade School students from low-income neighborhoods are Much Less likely to enter college.  The graduation rates from college are even more disheartening.]

Children and Families Have Needed HELP.  Let’s Open our Eyes and Hearts.  Read On…

To Volunteer please fill out this survey: (https://forms.gle/FBxcxrqJCLNUrBpt6)

To Donate click on Donate now.

To Amplify click the Share link and send it all over the universe, ask your employer or school to join you, and talk about it...in person or over the phone...with real people.


Why It’s Critical

Once the impact of the pandemic and the associated financial fallout took hold many families began to struggle to meet their most basic needs.  While government subsidies certainly kept many from desperation, that lifeline has run out while the challenges remain.

When schools went remote at the end of last school year the challenges and stress were enormous.  The adjustment to virtual learning not only highlighted many of the disparities between economic and socially diverse communities, but it also unearthed new obstacles that had not previously been issues.  For example, if remote education was to be taught virtually it required all students and teachers to have access to technology capable of the task.  What schools quickly realized was that many children and families either didn’t have the hardware, or what they had was not up to the task.  Moreover, teachers were found to be in similar situations.  School boards did what they could to offer what they had and supplement where they could, but nobody was fully prepared for what was necessary.

Flash forward to several months later as we embark upon a new school year, the situation is significantly worse.  The technology that was available to low-income schools at the end of the last school year is still insufficient.  Much of the hardware and software is outdated and incapable of performing necessary tasks.  A portion of those devices are now in disrepair from a hasty rollout and lack of preparation and training.  There are also more students in need of technology.  All of this is coupled with a significantly reduced budget and the need to spend what remains in the coffers to purchase PPE and retrofit learning environments.  The result is that many schools are on the verge of acute critical need.  And, as is so often the case, particularly in the current environment, these issues are not top-line news alerting the public to the emergency that it is.

Children and Families Have Needed HELP.  How far will we let it go?  Read On…

[WAKE UP CALL - Some public school teachers were, and will be, forced to teach virtual classes from their cell phones because that was the most capable piece of hardware they have access to!]


What Can Be Done

While we may not be able to create educational equity for all students this coming school year (Not YET!), we can certainly help buoy the students, educators, and families in need of the most support.  We can assist the communities that are going to suffer the most from the repercussions of the pandemic and @TheCOVIDCrush.  We can also stem the increasing divide between the social and economic communities. 

We can help the schools that don’t have the independent ability to rise to this challenge and ensure some children aren't left behind.

Let’s save the kids from @TheCOVIDCrush.

It has always taken a village to raise children.  At moment our respective villages are being asked to stay socially distanced.  Now, as much as ever, we need to show who We The People are and Demonstrate What We’re All About.


We NEED All Hands On Deck.

It’s time to bring in the Virtual Cavalry.

[WAKE UP CALL - Many Public Schools can’t afford to purchase Basic School Supplies - including Crayons and Paper!  Some are planning to keep their windows open all year, even during the Rain and Cold, because that’s the only way these rooms will be able to circulate air.]


To Volunteer please fill out this survey: (https://forms.gle/FBxcxrqJCLNUrBpt6)

To Donate click on Donate now.

To Amplify click the Share link and send it all over the universe,  reach out to your prior school(s) and get them involved, and talk about it...in person or over the phone...with real people.


Here’s How WE Are Going to Help

We are appealing to individuals who understand what’s going on isn’t fair and want to do something about it.  YOU.  Those that believe educational equity should be a fundamental goal of public education.  YOU.  Those that are no longer interested in waiting for the government, their employer, or others who seemingly have the position or ability to rectify the situation to do what’s right.  YOU.  We are looking for people willing to take some responsibility for the circumstances in which we live.  YOU.

What We’re Doing:

With enough support, we’re going to do everything we can to provide what the Local, State, and Federal Government hasn’t.

What the schools Can’t Succeed Without…

More Teachers
More Resources
More Attention

More Teachers - Virtual teachers and teacher’s assistants can counteract issues of overcrowding, distracted students, and overwhelm.  They will potentially create the ability to work in smaller groups and offer individualized instruction.  Additionally, by giving headteachers access to teachers who can work with students after school we’ll create opportunities for reinforcement or continuations of lesson plans. 

Resources - We will use the tax-free donations raised to provide the equipment and resources necessary for children to learn in this environment.  Whether this means computers, wifi, printers, materials, etc., we are going to try to get every student what they need, and hopefully more.

Support - We are seeking to provide tech support and training for all users.  As well as make efforts to connect resources to provide social and emotional support during these unprecedented times.  Our aim is to support the students' needs whether inside or out of school so they have the ability to focus and thrive. 


How We’ll Do It:

Mobilizing ALL AVAILABLE resources…

We NEED Volunteers! - We need people that are willing and able to help.  Of course, we’ll need as many skilled and trained educators as we can gather.  However, we also need folks that may not have any formal teaching experience but are capable of helping kids in grade-school - K-12, including Grandparents, family, friends …every and anyone.  If there is a will, we will try to find a role.

Additionally, we’ll need volunteers with functional expertise to help with administration, operations, logistics, and technology deployment.

We are optimistic many of these folks will volunteer their time.  However, with enough funding, we hope to at some point be able to offer an hourly rate [Side Note - this program could create jobs too!!].   Of course, hourly wage workers can/will only be assigned if there are sufficient resources.

Ultimately we will be connecting this virtual cavalry of volunteers with assignments that align with their background.  Where possible, we’ll connect teachers and participants that are in close geographic proximity so the participants will start with some common ground and familiarity, and to give the new relationship the potential to grow beyond a virtual connection when it becomes safe again to do so.


What Volunteers! Can Do - Some examples of the breadth of need include:

Assist a headteacher to educate in a synchronous virtual environment.

Assist a headteacher by working with students in small groups with or without support.

Provide reinforcing or supplemental education before or after school hours.

Help students with specific subjects or tasks.

Help students explore new areas of learning and support their interests.

Provide specialty training in subjects like STEM, Language, Art, Music, etc.

Read Books to and with students.

Sing songs and conduct Dance Parties.

...and more.
 

Donations! - Fortunately there is much we can do without any money.  However, there is SO MUCH more we can do with it. 

Donations will allow us to provide technology, supplies, and increased logistical support.  Additionally, our partnership with Jam24Seven ensures that all donations will be tax-deductible.

Like many charitable initiatives, to a certain extent, we will only be constrained by the limits of our funding.  So PLEASE, give whatever you can, your business can, your organization can and we will expand the capabilities and the reach of the program accordingly.  These services are needed in communities All Over the Nation (and around the world).

Financial support may also help pay those that require an hourly wage - which will dramatically expand the potential group of volunteers we will have access to.  And it will create jobs for so many of our current and former teacher and after-school workers who we should all be supporting now too.

Amplification! - Please help us quickly spread the word.   Use the share link to send out to your social platforms, text, and email your friends, schools, and employers, or even call someone and tell them about it....like, on the phone...talking through your texting device.

Spreading the word about this initiative does several things.  It brings more people into the orbit of the plan so we can hopefully attract more volunteers.  It brings @TheCOVIDCrush into the consciousness of more people to hopefully generate more donations and expand the reach of the services.  Getting the word out will also bring the underlying issues of educational inequities to the fore and hopefully generate more attention, conversations, and efforts to help decrease the social, economic and educational divides.

Unprecedented times have handed us some extraordinary challenges.  It’s always important, particularly during times of uncertainty, to look around and think about what other folks may be experiencing.  Empathy can help guide us all forward collectively.


Longevity - Supplemental support is something many students could benefit from.  In fact, additional support is exactly what some public schools need to counteract the systemic disadvantages they consistently face.  If we hope to approach and achieve educational equity, this is the type of program that could be employed to offer additional support when and where needed.  As such, all efforts made by and through this initiative need not only address the current acute need.  This program can set the stage for needed support of our underachieving public schools for years and decades to come.

Partnerships - We hope to form strategic partnerships that will bring additional resources into the fold to support children, families, and schools.  Please reach out to us or connect us with any individual or business that may be a good candidate.

Evolve and Expand - As we generate a feedback loop we will improve our processes and efficiency.  As we gain more resources and knowhow we will continue to expand to as many schools as we have the capacity to help.


Let's Go:

We don’t have much time, so we need to run fast and hard.

Let’s be the change we want to see.

And let’s make a difference together.


Volunteer!
Donate!
Amplify!

Thank you for your time and attention

Thank you for your Belief in EQUITY


To Volunteer please fill out this survey: (https://forms.gle/FBxcxrqJCLNUrBpt6)

To Donate click on Donate now.

To Amplify click the Share link and send it all over the universe, ask your friends to join you, and talk about it...in person or over the phone...with real people.


Updates and Research:

So far we have volunteers, including:

Parents
Grandparents
Aunts / Uncles
Graduate School Students
Undergraduate School Students
High School Students
Retired Teachers
Retirement Community Members
Attorneys
Paralegals


We are excited to launch the initial programs in New York City in partnership with public schools in the Harlem section of upper manhattan.  An emblematic neighborhood that has demonstrated both the strength and structural disadvantages of minority communities.  We are pairing low-income public schools with some of New York’s elite universities.  In a juxtaposition uniquely present in New York, top-tier university students and categorically disadvantage public school students living a mere few blocks away will be brought together to reduce the enormous divide between their worlds.  We have also already begun gathering resources nationally as we prepare to roll out the model more broadly.


This initiative was created by the thought leaders in creative Impact initiatives at Kaleidoscope Agency (www.kldscope.com). 


Informational Links [in no specific order]:


https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/12/technology/laptops-schools-digital-divide.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/29/magazine/schools-reopening-covid.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/10/16/coronavirus-peru-remote-learning-inequality/?arc404=true

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/a-mississippi-teacher-alternates-between-two-groups-of-students-and-she-knows-one-is-falling-behind/2020/09/25/90926be2-e931-11ea-970a-64c73a1c2392_story.html
           
https://morecaucusnyc.org/2020/08/25/a-letter-to-families-of-all-new-york-city-students/

https://www.ewa.org/blog-educated-reporter/schools-experiment-allay-inequitable-impact-covid-19

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/19/upshot/coronavirus-home-school-parents.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2020/05/06/during-covid-19-underperforming-school-districts-have-no-excuse-for-standstill-on-student-learning/

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/27/nyregion/nyc-public-high-school-admissions.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/09/27/nyc-principals-no-confidence/

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/27/education/coronavirus-schools-classrooms-teachers.html?name=styln-coronavirus-schools-reopening&region=TOP_BANNER&variant=1_Show&block=storyline_menu_recirc&action=click&pgtype=Article&impression_id=cab930b0-e8cf-11ea-b325-07636abd5d3f

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/26/world/covid-19-coronavirus.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/09/27/florida-education-commissioner-orders-miami-open-schools-earlier-than-planned/?itid=sf_education

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/world/africa/Kenya-cancels-school-year-coronavirus.html