Words by Smiley Team
We hear the statistics, we know the outcomes of many youth living in urban areas. Many deal with poverty, homelessness, hunger, gang violence, lack of education – and the list continues.
In most cases, schools and organizations are a saving grace for young people, and some have turned to video games and social media as a way to cope with their living situations.
When technology is used correctly, it can make a positive difference in people's lives and the world. This is what Future Stars is trying to do in their community.
All kids who have been classified by school officials as "inner-city" – and who have a desire to learn computer technology and/or participate in intercollegiate athletics – are served by this group.
"A mentor will work with the student on a regular basis to ensure that realistic goals are set and met within the scheduled time frame," the website explains. "Ultimately, each student will achieve visible improve academically and/or athletically up to and beyond college enrollment."
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Everywhere we turn, we hear about how technology is evolving. Many schools are including STEM in their curriculum to get the future generation prepared for the job market. With Future Stars, they take it a step further by proving hands-on STEM opportunities, such as science fairs and competitions, exploration activities, and much more.
“Computer science is for everyone, literally, everyone," said one of their participants, Amaya. "People think you need to be a genius to get in it and understand it and that’s so far from the truth."
Another participant, Sam, said: “Learning technology can be intimidating. A lot of things are intimidating, but what isn’t. I’m happy I did this because I’m able to learn so much."
And Debra Jones, a former Future Stars participant, said: “I was a junior in high school when I learned about Future Stars for the first time. Future Stars is a great program that I had the chance to be a part of, and it was a lot of fun.
"Without Future Stars, I'm not sure I would have been able to understand how important scholarships and time management are to my future. A few years ago, I didn't even know if I was going to college. Before I learned about this program, I was lost. Thank you for this program I am a college graduate."
Future Stars is changing the path for so many young people and you can help them with this cause. Be sure to go to Future Stars to see how you can get involved and while you’re there, you can donate too!
