Ezraproject

              Problem:

“As I go about my day, attempting to make a difference in the lives of children, many times I’m faced with asking myself “how much effect do socio-economics factors have on the development of a child?” In other words, does the unfortunate hand a child is many times dealt make him or her a candidate to receive less consideration from the stakeholders whose responsibility it is to help produce a quality citizen in society?”

 Who are the stakeholders? Once that’s established, what’s our individual responsibility? Are we obligated to care or do only if the child lives in our neighborhood? Is related to us? Goes to our schools? Attends our churches? Looks and talks like us? Notice how jaded that sounds? Aren’t we who are able responsible to do our part to ensure that the “unfortunate circumstances” that many children are born into will be given a level playing field in the opportunity for quality education?  I’m writing you today requesting you to become a stakeholder with me in the life of children that need the opportunity that life is sometime hard-pressed to provide: A quality education.

               Solution:

             Because the problem is many times created before their birth, the children are reared by parents, or in communities, that are not conducive to “bringing out the best” a child may have to offer in life, there is no one solitary solution.  No one application of a social program is the overarching answer to a problem that requires love more than anything else. 

             We've found that time is the most effective weapon to champion the cause of these children. By time I mean, the more time a child has in the presence of the positive, the more influence the positive has on the child

              The reality is children spend more time in school than in any other single place; more than with their parents, more than with their friends, more than “anywhere else.”  So where else should the most emphasis lie if you want to truly impact a child? My bet is in the school itself.

           Vision:

As I mentioned in the beginning paragraphs, unfortunately the devastation the children bear that they are born into, is a situation that requires intensified, constant, attention. After spending some time considering the long term effect of our work, it seems only right to capitalize on the place where the children spend the most time, school!

Ezra Project was established on the premise “that education comes to individuals in individual ways, through individual means, with individual outcomes." So we researched academic curriculums that addressed that very concept. Expeditionary Learning (http://elschools.org/)  seemed to be the model that best fit the direction we wanted to stem from our current work; it perfectly matches our mission statement to “improve the quality of teaching and learning at an individual level” 

 These pieces to the vision in place, it seems only right to expeditiously move into the direction where the greater impact can be made. As a result we have engaged an Expeditionary Learning Professional Development Team to spearhead the infrastructure of an Atlanta area charter school. The Charter School Association has committed developmental support; now the issue is the question of the resources necessary to finance this endeavor.

How you can help:

Charter Schools give administrators freedom from the regulations that, in my opinion, stagnate the individuality of students whose value of education is rooted in their ability to be able to express. The days of lectern teaching that does little to evoke expression, enhance creativity, expand world knowledge through experiential learning, are days of old. Youth must be met at their point of contact, in ways that create a personal value on education.

We are only a second year organization. During that year we have come to realize that mentoring is a word with broad meaning,  in the context of our work we use it to mean 'lead by example''. What better venue for children to be exposed to a constant example than in school? 

This address breaks all the rules of a fundraising letter in that it cites no specific request for any designated amount of money.  We are quite aware that whatever support we receive will come from like-minded corporations, foundations, individuals, etc.; those whose focal concern is education - especially for underprivileged children in depressed communities, where help is so desperately needed.  

The start-up amount needed is forty thousand dollars. That will finance the development team necessary to implement the curriculum, and build the infrastructure necessary to create a sustainable, highly impactful institution. We believe that the work we endeavor to do is God's work, that He will draw those that are willing and able to assist in this precious work for the cause. We are not asking you to invest in an organization, we're asking you to invest in people.

With your help, we have several different ideas of how the needed finances can be easily raised. If you have any questions or concerns, or would like to know what you can do to help, feel free to contact us today.

Thank you for your time.

Stan Wardsworth  Ezra Project, Inc.  Executive Director