According to a 2019 research, income is a key determinant of achievement gaps, not racial or ethnic composition. We started Close the Gap Foundation as we aspire to live in a world without these opportunity gaps.
This year, we started Boost, a micro-grant, to close the widening activity gap that prevents low-income students from participating in extracurricular and co-curricular activities due to their financial limitations.
Today, Close the Gap is launching our Boosts Resilience Fund to support low-income students during COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing more lower-income families to live paycheck to paycheck, and deepening the gap that we are trying to close. 1 in 4 students in low-income households often or frequently cannot do their homework due to a lack of reliable access to a computer or the internet.
From lacking computers to physical space, low-income students are at a disadvantage in online learning.
-Anna North, VOX
This year, Close the Gap's #GivingTuesdayNow goal is $5,000 (we've already raised $2,100). You can have a direct and immediate impact on the lives low-income students by supporting Boosts during this uncertain time. Students can use Boosts micro-grants to pay for:
- Distance learning equipments
- Reliable internet service subscription
- Supplies like printer or notebooks
- Tutoring service or exam preps
- Online courses or softwares
How you can participate
- Donors: Click here to donate and to be part of #CloseTheGap and #GivingTuesdayNow movement. Now more than ever, we are called to make a difference.
- Students: For high school students who qualify for reduced or free school lunch, you can apply for Boosts here.
About
Close the Gap is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a future of equitable opportunities for low-income students and professionals. Our vision is together, we can create a future without opportunity gaps.
Cover Photo Courtesy of Unsplash's Yingchih