Supplemental Education Services was a huge component of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 under the Bush Administration, in 2015 President Obama implemented a rewrite of the No Child Left Behind Act that returns power to states and local districts to determine how to improve troubled schools.
The new version, renamed the Every Student Succeeds Act, also bars the government from imposing academic requirements like the Common Core. Supplemental Education Services is the formal term for after school programs.
President Obama’s approach of giving the education system back to the state and local districts has been a “significant help to Educating Young Minds” stated founder Angeles Echols-Brown.
Educating Young Minds, a non-profit learning center in Los Angeles, has been helping inner-city elementary, middle, and high school students excel at academics and at life since 1987. The non-profit is founded by Angeles Echols-Brown, who is a Cornell University graduate, former teacher and mother. She shared lessons of “parental accountability and holistic approaches to education. The way out of the projects is education. My responsibility is to get you there”, she stated.
The non-profit corporation is supported by the generous support of individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies that provide grants that range from $500 to $1 million dollars. Educating Young Minds also provides counseling, referral to public and social agencies, information and assistance in securing financial aid, and college scholarships.
Three-time executive board member Karen A. Clark is passionate about the organization. Clark’s two children were a part of the program in 1995 where she states…… “EYM takes hard luck, disadvantaged students, from hard luck, disadvantaged families; and gives them a chance to excel in school and life. And in the process, we change the family dynamic for the better, because we believe all obstacles to learning must be eliminated. And we do it over, and over again.“ Over the past she’s she continues to support the organization as a personal contributor and corporate donor, she is currently the Board president.
Educating Young Minds has served over 3,500 underserved disadvantaged inner city K-12 children, with after school tutorial; summer school; home school; and SAT prep. The non-profit has donated or pledged over $750,000 in scholarships to grads progressing and evolving with the times, the organization has developed an online early learners program with live tutoring; animated and interactive lessons; and easy parent engagement.
The truest testament to Mrs. Echols’ work is the young men and women that graduate from EYM, who succeed in college, and then return to their communities as role models and as leaders. The organization has a 100% high school graduation rate with 85% of those children have graduated from college.
Currently five former students are on staff at EYM. They are strong and active, and take on leadership roles within the organization. They are the future of EYM, and the lessons they have learned from Mrs. Echols they now teach to other students.
To find out more about Educating Young Minds visit www.educatingyoungminds.org.
