3 Ways Your Nonprofit Can Help Students Achieve Success At School
Education is one of the most important factors when it comes to future job success and livelihood, but the quality of education can vary drastically from place to place. Here are three ways your nonprofit organization can address the education gap and help students succeed in school.
Internet Access
With more and more schools moving to online assignments and homework submission, the education gap is very closely tied to the internet gap. The internet is a great educational tool, but not everyone has access to it. Students might not live somewhere equipped with wired internet. For some families, the cost of a monthly internet bill or an internet-capable device is too high. Children who aren’t able to do internet dependent homework run the risk of falling behind in school and not meeting their full potential. Companies that provide internet service for nonprofits can help nonprofits connect students to their schoolwork. Nonprofits can enter agreements with some of these companies to become resellers of equipment and broadband service, which means they can keep costs low to best serve their communities. Another option is to invest in a number of mobile hotspots for students to loan out to students as they need them. By having access to the internet, students can stay on top of their work and get the most out of their education.
Educating the Educators
If your nonprofit is able to supply Mobile hotspots for schools or enter an agreement with a company that providesinternet service for nonprofit organizations, great! You can also advocate for the students in your community by closing the information gap between teachers and their students. Sometimes educators aren’t aware of the challenges facing some students in their classroom, which means they can’t take steps to make allowances for that child or find alternative teaching methods. This can be as simple as making sure the students have time during school to work on homework that requires time online, or something a little more complex like an educator needing to adjust their teaching style to meet a student’s needs. By using your nonprofit to educate the educators, you can help teachers and school administrators understand the full scope of the living and learning situations of their students. Nonprofits that help educators understand their students in totality will be more successful in delivering the education that a child deserves.
Online Education
Addressing the systemic problems that keep children from succeeding in school can take years of advocacy, changes in school policies, and legislation changes. Change, especially big change, takes time, but it’s important to remember that time is precious for children who may be starting off their school, or college life. Nonprofits working to improve education in underserved communities can supply students with access to online alternatives if traditional education is lacking. Online education platforms can give students access to classes and lessons that challenge them. These platforms can help students keep up with their peers and prepare them to pursue higher learning. By investing in these students and promoting their education, nonprofits can also encourage a positive feedback loop of support in the children they help: students who go on to be successful adults might lend a hand in the same nonprofit program that helped them achieve their success.
Serving the children of a community is one of the best ways to promote positive change. By helping children succeed in school, nonprofits elevate the communities they serve and close the educational gap for the generations to follow.