The Real Solution to Real Problems

The problem with real solutions is they take time; we can’t fix decades (actually centuries) old problems instantly or on the cheap — but in the grand scheme of things correcting the problems are not cost-prohibitive, it just takes political will. And in the end it’s merely a matter of if we want to spend the funds now to fix the problems of the underclass before society is impacted, or spend a much greater amount later cleaning up the problem.

One thing that doesn’t work and only serves to enrich corporate America is those silly billboards that warn against the dangers of drugs and gun violence. That money certainly could be better spent paying kids to get good grades.

Once again, to really solve the problem we have to begin at the beginning. Of course we need to aggressively attempt to prevent teen pregnancy (and our efforts have been working, they are down) but until they disappear all together these new mothers need help. Pre-natal care and then serious, all-encompassing mentoring. Program have to be instituted from day-one of the birth that assists the new mother in raising the child. A 24-7 environment away from the troubled inner-city neighborhoods that can only create failures.

For children already in the pipeline (and their families) we need to take a serious look at best practices from around the world. A January 26, 2007 New York Times article stated:

“Poor New Yorkers who make healthy choices - such as staying in school and regularly seeing the doctor - should be rewarded with cash to help break the cycle of poverty, Mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested. The idea... has seen success in countries including Brazil and Mexico.”

Virtually all parents bribe their children in some way or another: They pay them for getting good grades to by promising a trip to Disneyland. And the bribes work. The problem is, poor families don’t have the wherewithal to offer bribes. We need to set up a fund that pays for good grades, with part of the money being paid at the end of each report period, a substantial amount paid upon high school graduation, and the remainder held in account for some type of education or training beyond high school.

And a sincere thanks to Carla Jenkins, a graduate of Cleveland Public Schools, for providing the following information:

Higher Education Help

There are an abundance of higher educational resources available to assist low-income, first generation youths and adults in the greater Cleveland area. The US Department of Education administers the TRIO Programs. Beginning with three programs: Upward Bound (1964), Talent Search (1965), and Student Support Services (1968), the now eight programs help students pursue a college degree. This article focuses strictly on Upward Bound, Talent Search, Student Support Services, and Educational Opportunity Center and Gear-Up(Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), a non-TRIO higher educational preparatory program. If you attend one of these participating schools, please feel free to contact your guidance for all pertinent information on these programs. Below are participating institutions with contact information and specific admissions criteria:

Baldwin-Wallace College’s Upward Bound program allows Glenville High or South High school students possessing at least a 2.0 (preferably a 2.25) grade point average on a 4.0 scale to participate in its higher educational preparatory events. Furthermore, it proclaims that 97% of all seniors graduated from high school in the past eleven years; 88% of these graduates have enrolled in college and 40% of the alumni have graduated from college in the last five years. Contact phone: 440-826-2208 Email: upwrdbnd@bw.edu

Case Western Reserve University’s two programs, Talent Search and Upward Bound, help area youth obtain a college education. They are mutually exclusive so a student cannot simultaneously enroll in both. Talent Search serves East Cleveland sixth to twelfth graders attending any of its elementary schools, Kirk Middle School and Shaw High School. The program has a ratio of admitting two-thirds of its applicants from low-income families with the remaining one-third hailing from need-based families. In addition, Talent Search is divided into a middle school component and a high school component to better address students’ needs. Moreover, it offers an array of services such as: study skills, career assistance, mentoring and college visitations. Contact: 368-6640.

Upward Bound serves all ninth, tenth and eleventh graders attending Cleveland Public Schools who are interested in attending and graduating from college. This year-round program includes a summer component with a wide range of college preparatory classes from English/Literature to foreign languages and participation in the Health Careers Internship Project or the Community Service Project (summer jobs at local health facilities). Contact: Debra Gardenhire. Phone: 368-3750. Email: dkg6@case.edu.

Cleveland Scholarship Programs (CSP) offers both GEAR-UP and Talent Search programs. GEAR-UP allows Westwood Junior High and Elyria High School pupils to participate in pre-college activities. Its Talent Search program serves nearly 600 children permitting attending Glenville, John Marshall, John F. Kennedy High Schools, Luis Munoz Marin Elementary School and Carl & Louis Stokes Academy students to partake in college preparatory programs, tours, and guidance that will enable them to attain a degree. Contact: the Manager of Federal Programs 241-5587.

Cleveland State University (CSU) has Student Support Services (SSS) and Upward Bound. SSS requires CSU enrollment and meeting the standard TRIO income and first-generation guidelines. This program supplies academic services, career planning seminars, financial aid workshops, tutorial services, computer application workshops, cultural and social enrichment activities, peer mentoring, graduate and professional schools preparation, and tuition assistance (if eligible). Contact: 687-5244.

Upward Bound helps ninth and tenth graders attending either Glenville, Collinwood, East Tech, East High, Martin Luther King or Lincoln West high schools realize their post-secondary potential by providing mentoring, study skills, homework help. In addition, students also participate in the six-week summer enrichment program where they are immersed in English, music, physical sciences and social sciences to prepare them for college. Contact: Miguel Sanders. Phone: 687-2016.

Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C): Though the majority of its TRIO programs are held at its Metropolitan location, Tri-C offers the widest array of higher educational programming available in the greater Cleveland area. Besides being the home to the only Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) in the county, Tri-C has SSS, Talent Search and regular and Veterans Upward Bound. The EOC advises and assists county residents 19 years and older wishing to attend college or vocational training. To qualify, participants must not have obtained a BA degree and possess interest in pursuing either GED or post-secondary education. The center provides educational planning, admission and financial aid assistance plus dealing with student loan default. In addition, the center offers financial aid seminars on all three of Tri-C’s campuses. Contact: Sherri Jones. Phone: 987-6320. Email: Sherri.Jones@tri-c.edu.

Student Support Services (SSS) allows accepted and enrolled Metropolitan students who meet the federal and program-specific guidelines: Eligible for English 0990 and Math 0950, 1.75 minimum cumulative grade point average, less than sixty credit hours and registered for at least nine credit hours. Besides providing the TRIO Grant Aid to current students who are Pell eligible with documented unmet need, SSS also has four-year college transfer assistance, nursing and summer chemistry course help. Contact: Deborah Simpson. Phone: 987-4291. Email: Deborah.Simpson@tri-c.edu.

Educational Talent Search (ETS), also located on the Metro campus, helps 1,250 sixth to twelfth grade students attending East Tech, John Jay, Health Careers Center, Lincoln-West High, Martin Luther King Middle and High, James Ford Rhodes High and Wilson Middle School. ETS offers college tours, workshops, tutoring and financial aid counseling. Contact: Amonica Davis. Phone: 987-6314. Email: Amonica.Davis@tri-c.edu.

Upward Bound accepts ninth, tenth and eleventh graders enrolled at East, East Tech, Glenville, John Marshall, James F. Rhodes or Lincoln West. The program provides monthly stipends and Saturday guest speaker seminars and proficiency and standardized testing preparation. Contact: Felisa Eafford. Phone: 987-4097. Email: Felisa.Eafford@tri-c.edu.

All of the programs listed above show there is help out there, our job is to get the kids in the proper state of mind to take advantage of them. Thanks again, Carla.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com
(:divend:)