“Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.” —Marian Wright Edelman
What do you think of Equity?
We have been hearing about equity in human rights, equitable distribution of resources and wealth, as well as gender equity. But do we know that 17% of the world's population, which is approximately 258 million, cannot even afford to go to school or be homeschooled (Unesco, 2018)? These ‘out-of-school’ population numbers are significant and need to be addressed.
More interestingly, this population comes from under-resourced communities that do not have the luxury of a high-quality education due to various economic, social, cultural, and other factors that are out of their control. This divide increased ever so more during the Covid-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, schools shut their doors, and the movement toward virtually hosted educational instruction created a further digital divide. Children who had access to technology got access to education and the rest had to quit or pause their quest for learning. There was a need to create a more equitable distribution of education, and this is when Listen to Our Future (LTOF) was formed. Listen to Our Future is a BIPOC-led 501(c)(3) grassroots organization founded in June 2020 by Ms. Lillian Barkes. LTOF was founded with the major objective of educating the youth of Indianapolis and empowering them to be the changemakers of our society. The major philosophy behind the organization is inspired by social justice movements like Black Lives Matter, March for Our Lives, and Women’s March.
At LTOF, our education is not limited to the classroom. We want youth to feel empowered to be changemakers in society and therefore have a deep desire to develop their overall sense of self. That is why the “Great 8” expectation theory works very well for LTOF. We use a set of expectations known as the “Great 8” to promote good manners and discipline in our environment and in the students we tutor, which ultimately leads them to better performance in school and at home. Since our goal is to improve the quality of education as well as the sense of self for students, we have recruited tutors that align with our mission and purpose. Our tutors ensure that the students get the best quality education, all at no or low cost.
We have been blessed to have some best names in the industry as our partners. Indianapolis Public Schools, Westminster Neighborhood Services, Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center, the John Boner Neighborhood Center, and more. By collaborating with our partners, we ensure that we deliver evidence and research-based practices, such as the science of reading and other industry trends, to improve our curriculum and training constantly.
We have come a long way and we have still more to go! With our presence in 13 sites/locations, ~375 students, and tutoring for 10,000+ hours, we are making our mark in the industry. With your support, we can climb mountains!
At the core of this work is relationships and community. We are doing the root work to create a sustainable and brighter future. Keep supporting us by engaging with our blogs, podcasts, and newsletters, and witness our journey. Follow us on our social media or visit our website today!
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