Taraji P. Henson and Chris Tucker helping the kids
Staff Writer
2009-05-1
.bugnews.bloggieblog.com .
Joe Madison a famous radio host and activist in the past has stated that education is the new gold. If you don't have some form of education , trade skill or training. You will not be able to make it in this new global economy. With this thought in mind, one can understand the existence of the U.S. Dream Academy and, the support it receives from A list stars such as Chris Tucker and Taraji P. Henson.
The U.S. Dream Academy is a nationally-recognized nonprofit charitable after-school program dedicated to breaking the cycle of incarceration and poverty through an academic, social and emotional skill-building curriculum for children of incarcerated parents. Children of incarcerated parents and high school drop are at higher risk of going to jail or living in poverty.
One of every 3 ninth graders in the U.S. drops out of school.
High school drop-outs are 8 times more likely to be incarcerated than a person with a high school diploma.
80 percent of the inmate population is comprised of high school dropouts.
More than two-thirds of juveniles in the criminal justice system are children of prisoners or children with a family member in prison.
A 10 percent increase in the high school graduation rate would cut the cost of crime by $14 billion.
Lucky, for the global community, The U.S. Dream Academy is hosting the 8th Annual �Power of a Dream Gala�. This event is a has list of celebrities such as Chris Tucker, Taraji P. Henson, Lou Gossett Jr, Susan Taylor, BeBe Winans, and Wintley Phipps. If you would like to attend event and show your support. You can obtain further information at http://www.usdreamacademy.org/usdream2009gala.html.
The U.S. Dream Academy�s curriculum is built around skill-building, character-building, and dream-building. They serve more than 1,000 children of incarcerated parents � and other youth who have fallen behind in school � at its learning centers in 10 communities with high incarceration and poverty rates in Baltimore, East Orange, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Memphis, Orlando, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, and two in Washington, DC. Their goal is to double the number of at-risk youth they serve by 2012. Numerous prestigious foundations support the U.S. Dream Academy, and it is one of Oprah Winfrey�s top charities.