Advocacy Project

As I was conducting research for this project, the numbers I found were absolutely astounding. Detroit public high schools have a graduation rate of less than 25 percent and the educational system is 400 million dollars in debt. While these numbers are staggering and the truths they proclaim are a tragedy, the situation in our great metropolitan area is not irresolvable. What I have found within my research and my own personal experience is that ordinary, everyday people are rallying against this tragedy and are working to solve this problem. I am encouraged to see that non-profit organizations are mobilizing and are committed to seeing these issues resolved.


Non-profit organizations operate under the ideology that ordinary citizens can combat and remedy the problems we face in society. Groups like City Year, ACCESS (the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services), Pro-Literacy for Detroit, churches, and various other religious organizations, are stepping up to the plate and are working to resolve this educational crisis.
Schools are limited in what they can accomplish in terms of developing extra-curricular activities and after-school programs. There are simply not enough funds to ensure that every child receive the individual attention that they may need. Programs that supplement education are not developed because school districts can barely secure enough funding to keep schools functioning at minimal levels. Many schools cannot meet federal requirements and the standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act.


NPOs are stepping up and are working to alleviate such pressures. Because non-profits receive private funding, they have the means to create literacy programs and to provide educational assistance and to develop community enrichment projects. Many are doing just that and the positive results we have seen from such organizations are undeniable.


I would encourage every student to get involved in their communities some way, some how. Volunteering is a great way to affect change within society and many organizations lack personnel. Holocaust Survivor, Elane Norych, once stated:
“We are not expected to solve the world's problems with one grand deed. Quite the opposite, the sages instruct that we improve the world through the practice of decency in our daily behavior. Many people performing many small kind and decent acts on an everyday basis adds up to improvement on a global scale. Changing the world is within the reach of every one of us. Once we understand our capabilities, we cannot avoid our responsibilities."


This is by far one of my most favorite quotes and I am a firm believer in philosophy. Changing the world is within the grasp of each and every one of us. Each and every one of us has the capacity to make a difference. Whether it be tutoring a child who struggles with multiplication, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or taking a kid out for ice cream, every single person has the ability to change a life for the better. Let us therefore resolve to change the world act by act, deed by deed, and day by day. Once we understand our capabilities we cannot ignore our responsibilities.