Each Fall, I follow American Education Week, listening to the stories of schools and educational organizations doing inspiring things to help young people reach their potential. How did National Education Week come about? Originated in 1921, it launched to address shortcomings in the American public education system. A group of educators and politicians were very worried about a startling statistic: the illiteracy rate was nearly 6%.

Today, Google says that 54% of adults read and write below a sixth-grade level and 21% of all Americans 18+ are illiterate (2022). How is this possible? How did we, over the last 102 years, become less educated?

As the CEO of Urban Arts, I lead an education nonprofit that designs and implements educational programs rooted in the arts and technology for underrepresented students. A full 90% of our students are of color, 50% are female-identifying and the vast majority — 92% — are from low-income communities.

Recent NY Times piece “New SAT Data Highlights the Deep Inequality at the Heart of American Education” shows how much students’ standardized test scores rise solely with their parents’ incomes — and how disparities start years before students sit for tests. This article maintains that each U.S. state now spends roughly the same amount of dollars per student, but they spend these dollars differently. For example, low-income schools spend more money on fixing infrastructure or providing social services, whereas wealthier schools spend on enhancing and elevating the student experience.

I’ve seen the disparities first-hand. I’ve worked in low-income schools my whole life, and I’m the parent of two children who attended both underfunded public schools and public schools with wealth and resources. These experiences highlighted to me the full force of what “zip code privilege” can entail. The amount of investment, both time and financial, that wealthy districts could pour into their children was dizzying — sports, arts, supplemental tutoring, college-access supports, SAT prep, more SAT prep, summer pre-college experiences locally and abroad… There’s a relentless focus to be on top, to get straight As, to be an excellent student — a hyper-competitiveness among students in the same school district — all racing to the top of the pile to get into the best college. Even then the system grinds further, with wealthy parents working connections at those colleges to ensure that their child has the best possible career shot.

I can’t fault this. Every parent has the same motivation for their children. Every parent wants the very best for their child, no matter their own financial situation.

So that’s why, at Urban Arts, we want to level the playing field. We want to ensure under-resourced students have access and exposure — to custom curricula, to new equipment, to mentors and champions. We raise money and we pour it into our students.

This money provides innovative, game-changing opportunities, preparing our students for the future economy. We teach historically underrepresented students the art and technology of game development through computer science, coding, animation, music, and storytelling, both in school and out of school, nationally.

We provide private-school style, college-access services and ensure our students earn the maximum in scholarships. Our students, of-color youth from low-income communities, are often the first in their families to attend college. In the last six years, they’ve earned more than $16 Million in life-changing college scholarships.

We too work connections to ensure the best possible career shot. Our industry access provides our alumni with mentorships and internships at leading companies — NBCUniversal, Paramount, Roku, Take-Two Interactive and more. We’re democratizing opportunity and leveling the playing field. Our students compete and ultimately gain economic mobility for themselves and their families.

So as we celebrate American Education Week this year, I’m reflecting on the role of education more broadly, and how we ensure that every student regardless of their zip code gains access to opportunity. And I’m grateful that so many families, recognizing and sharing these values, are supporting our mission and investing in our students too.

More at urbanarts.org

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