Support The Solid Ground Foundation


In 2018, I, Timothy A. Ambrose, committed to create a program that would detour students away from the school-to-prison pipeline, and encourage education in a demographic where literacy is underrepresented, the state of Louisiana. The team will install after school tutoring programs, college preparation for ACT/SAT, and peer-mentoring/counseling for students. The problem that we are confronted with is that there are greater incarceration rates than retention rates, and it is of a compelling interest to this initiative. It  becomes a problem in the community when more foreigners have access to education and native born citizens do not.

By entering this program students will gain a sense of academic confidence, career preparation for post-graduation, and an understanding of the importance of self imagery at all times. Here students will formulate unique plans to outline immediate pathways towards their careers, leading individuals to superiority and prestige. The ultimate purpose of The Solid Ground Foundation is to contribute to the promotion of a more just and humane society by preparing its students to assume roles of leadership and service in a global society. 

  As one of the leading aspects we want to focus on is Identity, and how it leads to miseducation, which often times leads up to misunderstanding young individuals. The program serves as a bridge in the gap between young and old, educated and miseducated, those who are grounded and those who are not, and developing a universal cohort amongst all groups. 

  Another unique aspect of the program is the reasoning to why we must encourage education. It becomes priority when students realize that education has direct effects to their given situations. The reason why they must educate themselves is far more important than their current circumstances, and this program will ensure that message is delivered loud and clear.

  Lastly, the most crucial aspect of the program is change. Everything is temporary except for change, and we must be hopeful in our youth and guide them along the right path. We know that on the contrary many of our young individuals are judged as adults in the criminal justice systems around the nation, and the small chance that they had to make a better future for themselves was taken away because of that judgement. 


  It is our purpose to address the school-to-prison pipeline and then divert those individuals who are in that system toward a future with longevity, hope, and prosperity. With Louisiana being ranked as the last state for education and first for incarceration, this program will shine bright in a state that is in dire straits per education.

As a team we plan to encourage at-risk youths to engage in academic excellence via the opportunities provided by the program we’ve created. We are going to engage with the youth in seminars displaying hands-on activities dealing with conflict resolution, the importance of self-imagery, and the power of networking with people of other backgrounds.

My commitment is different because I am different and unique, although many initiatives have attempted to construct such programs alike to defeat the problem. I have studied mass movements from the greatest civilizations, and I have studied the deliverance from oppression by grounding my research in the truth and unbiased dialogues.

As a transfer student in my third semester, now a senior, I have helped charter a new collegiate council for the Knights of Peter Claver Catholic Organization. My junior year I was involved in the Admission Office's activities, such as giving tours of the school to prospective students, and  also a student worker in the office. In addition, I was the vice president of the SGA at my former college, where I spearheaded a pilot program titled "Think-30". Think-30, a program geared towards helping students graduate on time and save money while in college. I carry myself professional, as some would say, "the only student known for wearing a suit to school everyday". I am currently serving as President of the College Democrats at Xavier University of Louisiana and Grand Knight of Knights of Peter Claver's first and only collegiate unit.



As a leader, I strongly believe in being the change we want to see in the world and having a solid foundation to do so. Additionally, I have journeyed through several leadership books, the latest being the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell. Throughout my tenure in my undergraduate studies I have fostered many study forums and through that gained many mentees. While on my journey I noticed that I follow the trends of the most educated men of color from the state of Louisiana, such as Norman C. Francis, Alexander Pierre Tureaud, and Ernest Morial. As the newly elected Mayor of New Orleans, LA, Latoya Cantrell told me, "It is now time to step up and continue carrying the torch for the next generation.” 
Former Mayor of New Orleans, LA
Marc Morial & Myself
Mayor of New Orleans, LA
Latoya Cantrell & Myself.

Timothy Ambrose
New Orleans, LA 

This campaign is part of the 2018 Clinton Global Initiative University Commitments Challenge.