Educational mentorships: How to give time to children

A unique educational collaboration in Long Beach, Calif., raises college admissions and graduation rates for underprivileged students by connecting high schools with community colleges. The process starts by awarding high school graduates with a tuitition-free year at any Long Beach City College, as well as admission into California State University - Long Beach, if they meet the minimum requirements.

The anti-violence program at a YMCA in Chicago has war veterans mentoring young gang members as a treatment for the mental and physical wounds of violence. The gang members have healthy role models and the veterans a new sense of purpose.

On average, black students in public schools receive fewer resources giving them a late start. A mostly black university in New Orleans has increased overall achievement by developing students’ shared responsibility for one another’s success.

Black firefighters in Chicago launched the nation's first organization aimed at mentoring young men and women of color and helping them prepare for the firefighters exam. It's a way to combat inner city violence and address a long history of discriminatory hiring. The Black Fire Brigade raised more than $30,000 to help 30 young people with the costs of a course in emergency medical technician training and will also provide them with job placement after they gain their certification.

Volunteer teachers in Bengaluru's government schools have helped increase English learning in K-12 schools. The volunteers, who are organized and paid through the organization Acharyas for a Better Community (ABC), work with local teachers to plan lessons, integrate into the communities, and teach students how to read, write, and speak English.

Surfing lessons are bridging racial divides and providing a therapeutic outlet for disadvantaged children in South Africa. In a society largely segregated by race, children in Cape Town’s black communities disproportionately suffer the traumatic effects of violence and poverty. Waves for Change, a nonprofit based in Muizenberg, uses surf therapy as a way to mentor and empower kids in Cape Town, helping to desegregate South Africa’s beach and surf culture in the process.

Nathaniel Rochester Community School 3 in the Rochester City School District in New York has a record of poor academic achievement, but a special accelerated summer math program had 16 seventh graders pass the Regents algebra test. Students and administrators attribute the success to having the program focus on acceleration rather than remediation and the genuine support from the teachers for the students.

Esomnofu Online Math is a nonprofit that helps students in Nigeria better understand mathematics for free by posting videos explaining the subject on social media.

Motivated by educational disparities, lack of culturally relevant programming, and safety concerns in public schools, Black families are forming homeschooling pods and co-ops that allow them to tailor their children's education while also finding a sense of community support.

Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students (TRAILS) provides a group environment for students experiencing mental health issues to discuss their feelings and find a sense of community among their peers facing similar concerns. This school-based program makes care more accessible for students as it brings it directly to the classroom for free. Since beginning in 2013, TRAILS has been implemented in 700 schools throughout the state.