InesMalti

6thperiod
EnglishIB52

Prompt
:WriteanessaypersuadingtheaudienceonyourissueandreflectingonyourTGPLANproject.

UnlockingTheirPotential
Theclassroomissparselydecoratedpaintchippingawaytorevealthecrackedwalls
underneathshowyearsofwearandtear,neglect.Thefewbooksontheshelfareoldandworn,
theirweatheredcoversandfadingtitlestothepointofalmostbeingillegibleshowtheirage.One
loneposterinthecornerofthebackwalldisplaysachildwithahappygrinbeingpulledupwards
byaredballoonthewordsunderneathitreadTheskysthelimit.Theschoolteachercherished
theitemintheclassroom,hopingthestudentswouldseeitandperhapsitwouldbrightentheir
dayabitandhelpthemrecognizetheirpotential,assheknewtheypossessedit.Shewasyoung,
theteacher,butthelinesbetweenherbrowsandtheconcernandempathywrittenonherface
suggestedshewasfeelingstressedandoverwhelmedbythededicationtoherstudents.Manyof
thechildrensclotheshadtearsorfithaphazardly.Theirfaceswerewindbeatenandtheirsmiles
seemedtobeovershadowedbyatingeofsadness.Althoughtheywereyoung,someonlyfive
andsixyearsold,theyheldacertainmaturitythatwassimilartothoseofthedustybooksonthe
crumblingshelf.Theyhadbeenthroughmorecircumstancesintheirlivesthananychildevery
should,deprivingthemofahealthyandhappychildhood.
Thisclassroomcouldfitalmostanywhereintheworld.Andinsomeplaces,evenhaving
aclassroomandateacherisabelovedgift.Whenoneenvisionsthisclassroom,itiseasyto
imagineapoorschoolinalowincomeschoolinSoutheastAsiaorAfricaaswemostoften
associatepovertywiththeseareasoftheworld.Butzoomintothelocallevelinourhometownof
AustinTexasandthishypotheticalclassroomanditsstudentscouldfitin,rightinourown
neighborhoods.Asofearly201415%ofAustinchildrenor28,000kidsliveinextremepoverty
inAustin(Singh).ManyofthesechildrenattendlowincomeorTitleOneschoolsandalthough
theymaystillreceivethesameschoolsuppliesandlunchasstudentsatamoreaffluentschool,
manyofthemlacktheemotionalandcognitivetoolstosupporttheireducationalcareertobejust
assuccessfulasstudentsfromhigherincomebackgrounds.Thisissuehaswagedawarforwhat
isknownastheachievementgapandcontinuestoaffectstudentsandtheirfuturesallacross
thenation.
TheseedforourTGPlanprojectwasplantedinJanuarywhenthesophomoreclasswas
travelinginCostaRica.Oneofourgroupmembersvisitedafincaoralocallyownedfarminthe
tinyvillageofLaArgentinaandhadtothechancetoplayasoccermatchwithoneofthe
familysboysinspiteofpresentlanguagebarriers.Wewereexposedtopovertyasthetourbus
drovepasttheshantytownsofSanJoseandourencounterwiththemodestschoolintheBribri
townofBambooinEasternCostaRica.Afterformulatingourideabackhome,werealizedwe
couldincorporateourownpersonalexperiencestorallyforourissue.Agroupmembers
stepfathertaughtattwolowincomeelementaryschoolsinthecommunitywhohelpedprovide
resourcesforexpertinterviews.Ihaveacousinthatteachesatanimmenselyunderfunded
elementaryschoolinRoundRockanditwouldbeanunderstatementtosaythestudentscoming
throughthedoorshavehadtoughlives.Somehavewitnessedaparentbeingshotatwhileothers
haveexperiencedthepsychologicaleffectsofhavinganabusiveoralcoholicparentinthe
household.Someoftheimplicationsofchildrengrowingupinlowincomehouseholdsis

disillusionmentwithschool,frustration,highdropoutrates,teenpregnancyandcrime(Tamez
AVANCE).Formanyofthesevulnerablechildren,schoolistheirsafeplace.Sometimesthe
onlyescapefromlifeathomeortheonlymealtheywillreceivethatdayislocatedintheshelter
ofaschool.Thus,itissoimportantthatschoolsareapositiveandhealthylearningenvironment
forchildrentonurturetheiremotionalandbehavioralneeds.
Thecampaignandadvocacyorganization,DoSomethingestimatesthat40%ofchildren
growingupinextremepovertyarenotpreparedforprimaryschooling.1624yearoldsfromlow
incomeschoolsareseventimesmorelikelytodropouthighschool.Thisisknowntomanyinthe
educationfieldastheachievementgap.(WhyInvestments).Themotivationtostayinschool
startsearlyinadolescenthood.Itisestimatedthat60%ofthebraindevelopsbeforetheageof
three.Ifchildrenareencouragedbyparents,peersandteachesearlyintheireducation,theyare
muchmorelikelytostayinschoolandpursuehighereducationlateron.57millionchildrenare
stilloutofschoolintheworld(ONE).Educationisthekeytobreakingthecycleofgenerational
poverty,inAustinandonaglobalscale.
Therewereseveralwayswecouldhavegoneabouttakingactionforourissuebutone
particularareawesawlackinginthefieldofeducationinAustinwasthegapbetween
elementaryandhighschool.Wedecidedtotrytobuildthisbridge.Originally,atourofAustin
Highforelementaryschoolstudentswasonthemarketforideasbutwefoundittobemore
effectiveandefficienttobringatasteofhighschooltostudents.Aftermanycommunications
withteachersandprincipalsatvariousschoolsaroundtown,wechoseafeederschoolMathews
Elementarytohostourpresentation.MathewsElementaryisaschoollocatedinthemore
affluentneighborhoodofClarksvillesoacommonassumptionmightbemostofthestudentsat
Mathewsarefinanciallysecure.Nevertheless,earlierpremonitionsweredisposedofasthesixth
gradersinMs.Bachmansroomprovedtobeanethnicallyandsociallydiversemix.Inthewords
ofMs.Bachman,childrenfromtheClarksvilleneighborhoodweresatnexttochildrenfromthe
SalvationArmyandChildrensCenteranditwascreatedtobeanopenspace.Wedidnotwant
todisruptthatspacebyonlypresentingAustinHighandtheAcademyforGlobalStudiesto
childrenfromlowincomefamiliesandrenderthemalabelbasedonsocioeconomicstatus.What
wasmostexcitingwasthechildrenwerenotforcedorassigntoattendthepresentationrather
theysignedupontheirownaccordafterhearingaboutAGSfromtheirteacher.Intotal,about30
studentsattended.ThegrouppresentedaslideshowofphotosfromourtravelsinCostaRicaand
weespeciallyfocusedonthetravelaspectofAGS,makingsuretostresstheavailabilityof
financialaidforfamiliesthatarestruggling.(Icouldspeakfromexperienceandsocouldothers).
Thepresentationdidnotseemtofallflatorblandasweperiodicallyincludedanecdotesfromour
experiencesinAGSandeyeopeningexperiencesfromexperiencesinCostaRica.The
presentationcouldhaveultimatelybeenasortofrecruitmentforAGSbutweopenedupthefloor
forstudentstoaskquestionsabouthighschoolworkloadingeneralandthepotentials
opportunitiesthatareofferedwithdifferentelectives.Manyofthestudentshadinsightful
questionsanditwaseasytospotwhichkidsweremostlikelytobethehighachieversandmost
successfulinhighschool.Ms.Bachmanandanotherteacherviewedthepresentationaswelland
weresoappreciativeandthankfulforourvisit.Weseemedtohaveapositiveimpactonthe
Mathewscommunityandhopefullywecancontinuetohavetieswiththem.
AlthoughIdidlearnagreatdealfrommyconversationswithexpertsandresearchonmy
owntime,Ifeellikemyselfandmygroupcouldhavedonemore.Thenagain,thereisalways
moreworktobedoneyoucanneverstopadvocatingforortakingactiononanissue.Wecould

havereachedouttomorestudentsandbroadenedourhorizonofschoolsifwehadmanagedour
timemoreefficiently.Additionally,Iwouldhavelikedtobecomeamentor,whetheritbe
readingortutoringwithhomework,forastudentinneed.Relationshipsandformingconnections
areeverythingandIfeltlikeanelementofthatwasmissingfromourproject.Ultimately,
whetherornotweachievedasbigaswewerehoping,Ifeelmoregratitudeformyeducationand
forallthatIhaveseeminglysimplepartsoflifethatItoooftentakeforgranted.Iseehow
fortunateIamtohavebeengrantedattendingamagnetschoolandnowaglobalstudiesschool
thatispreparingmeforcollegeandthefuture.Beingsurroundedbyconstantlysupportive
teachersandencouragingfamilymembershasalsoshapedmeintobecomingasuccessful
student.Itsaddensmetoknowthatmanychildrenaroundtheworld,inparticularyounggirls,do
nothaveanyonebutthemselvestopushthemalongorsomeonesimplytheretobearolemodel.
Therecanbenohopeforchangeinthisworlduntilwegivechildrenthetoolsofknowledgeto
empowerthemtochangefirst.

WorksCited

"Education."ONECampaign.21April2014.
<
http://www.one.org/international/issues/education/
>.

Singh,Kate."15%ofAustinChildren."6Jan2014.BurntOrangeReport.21April2014.

<
http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/14609/15ofaustinchildrenarelivinginextremepo
verty
>.

WhyInvestmentsinEarlyChildhoodWork.OunceofPreventionFund.5May2014.
<
http://www.ounceofprevention.org/home/index.php
>.

"11FactsAboutEducation."DoSomething.21April2014.
<
https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11factsabouteducationandpovertyamerica
>.

InterviewwithKarismaTamez,CommunityOutreachLiasonfromAVANCEAustin.
Feb262014attheSouthBenWhiteoffice.