Grantee Highlight: Education 4 Life, 2021 Closing the Opportunity Gap

Last summer, Education 4 Life was awarded $10,000 from the Community Foundation of South Alabama’s 2021 Closing the Opportunity Gap Initiative. Education 4 Life’s Virtual Education Program began in the Fall 2021 semester with the goal of providing rigorous tutoring and academic assistance on a virtual platform to students from kindergarten to 12th grade. Currently, 51 students participate in the Virtual Education Program.

To measure success, the program tracked students’ grade point average (GPA). According to report cards for each student provided by Mobile County Public School System (MCPSS), 18% of students had an A average overall; 57% had a B average overall; 18% of students had a C average; and 7% of students had a D average. There were no overall failing grades amongst the students in the program. Many students showed marked improvement during the 2021-2022 academic year. Education 4 Life works closely with teachers and focuses extra attention on those subjects in which students are struggling to help them learn and improve their grades. Education 4 Life noted that students who were engaged in the Virtual Education Program, for the most part, had very high levels of attendance and lower levels of tardiness. Teachers also reported that several Education 4 Life participants also demonstrated great behavior in the classroom.

Eugene McCall, executive director of Education 4 Life, shared the following success stories of a student in the Virtual Education Program:

“Celsey, a sixth grader that attends Causey Middle School, is hearing impaired with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). This is Celsey’s first year in middle school, and she has adapted so well that she is a part of the journalism team. She made the A/B honor roll during the second quarter of this past academic year and received the “student of the week” award. Celsey has been a participant with Education 4 Life since she was in the 2nd grade.”

The Community Foundation of South Alabama is proud to help organizations like Education 4 Life and students like Celsey. We believe that children in our communities deserve every opportunity to reach their full potential. Our goal is to ensure that all kids in Southwest Alabama have the opportunity to thrive, from cradle to career.

For more information on Closing the Opportunity Gap, click here https://www.communityfoundationsa.org/opportunity-youth