Every year, about 65 percent of NYC public school students graduate from high school. To combat this low percentage, several programs and organizations have been created to aid students in their pursuit of education and provide them with otherwise inaccessible opportunities. Support ranges from academic to financial aid, and many programs provide opportunities for students to enroll in the country’s top high schools without having to pay the large fees associated with these institutions. The application processes for these programs often begin in the fall, so now is a great time for parents and students to get ahead on application preparation. Some programs and organizations that particularly target low-income youth of NYC are:

1.     A Better Chance

This organization offers youth of color access to educational and scholarship opportunities through its College Preparatory Program. This program places “Scholars,” or students who have sent in a free application and been accepted into the program, into one of the schools associated with A Better Chance, and Scholars are given funding to attend the school in which they are placed. Each school must undergo an application process to become a “member school” among over 300 already affiliated with the organization, which include independent and community boarding schools, as well as independent day schools. About 500 youth are aided by the program each year, and students attending member schools are eligible for A Better Chance Scholar Awards, which are given annually to students of all grade levels.

To receive more information regarding the organization or application process, fill out an inquiry form to be contacted by a representative from A Better Chance.

2.     Oliver Scholars Program

This program aims to prepare African-American and Latino students of NYC, beginning in the 8th grade, to be successful students and leaders. Students may be nominated by faculty at their school, themselves, or parents in the fall of 7th grade, and must meet several nomination criteria, including high academic achievement, involvement in extracurricular activities and their communities, and a desire to succeed. Students who become involved in the program must successfully complete courses designed to prepare them for their applications to top independent high schools. The program offers financial aid options to assist in covering application costs throughout the middle and high school processes.

3.     Prep for Prep

Prep for Prep aims to identify promising youth of color in NYC, beginning in 6th or 7th grade, and prepare them for placement at schools within the city and boarding schools in the Northeast. It offers support and millions of dollars in financial aid to youth throughout high school and college, providing resources to advance the success of every student on “The Prep Journey.”

Visit Prep for Prep’s website for more information about the admission process, or see its annual report.

4.     Student Sponsor Partners (SSP)

This program offers students from low-income families the chance to have a mentor and a financial sponsor for all four years of high school at a non-public school. Sponsors pay part or all of a student’s tuition for the school that they choose to attend among the 23 affiliated with SSP in the NYC area that are meant to better cater to students’ individual needs. SSP is geared toward “academically average to below average” students and is intended to aid struggling students in their effort to graduate from high school.

For more information regarding the admissions process or requirements of the program, visit SSP’s website.

5.     TEAK Fellowship

The TEAK fellowship aims to aid NYC students of high academic standing and low-income families in succeeding at top high schools and colleges by providing academic support, leadership training, mentoring, career advice, and exposure to otherwise inaccessible experiences. Students are able to become TEAK fellows beginning in the 6th grade, if eligible, and programs are designed to build a foundation for students’ success in high school and college by fostering skills, academic achievement, community involvement, and social immersion.

Fill out an Admission Info Request Form to receive more information regarding the program, and view the TEAK brochure for a brief overview of the fellowship.

-Hope Swedeen

Please note that all information has been complied using the online resources of the above organizations themselves. 4T’s has not vetted these organizations and therefore cannot vouch for the authenticity or effectiveness of their operations and/or programs. 

What can parents do during the summer to prepare their students' application materials for the fall? How can students prepare themselves to be ready for these programs if they apply and are accepted?

You’re only going to get the chance to make one first impression when you go in for an interview, so you want to do everything you can in advance to make sure that it will be a good one. While you have already done a good job on your resume and cover letter in order to be asked in for the interview, there’s still a lot of ways that you can prepare in order to put your best foot forward.

1.      Be professional in all communications

How you present yourself in emails and during phone calls with the hiring manager is important. Your ability to communicate is important to an employer. They want to know that if they hire you, you will project a good image of their company. They want to know that you will be polite and professional when speaking with customers. Therefore, take care when composing your email accepting the interview. Read through it carefully; proofread it. Address the employer as Mr. or Ms. Do not use slang or texting abbreviations. With phone calls, try to anticipate the questions you might be asked, such as your availability, potential start date, or required pay, so that you will have answers at the ready. Be polite and speak clearly.

2.      Dress to impress

The outfit you choose to wear to the interview is another opportunity to prove that you are qualified. Wear attire that is appropriate for the industry. If you’re unsure what this means, overdressing is better than under-dressing. Solid colors, rather than over-the-top patterns, are a safe choice. Try to put together an outfit that you’ll feel comfortable in. You want to be able to focus on the interview, rather than stressing over how you look during it. For women, don’t wear sky high heels, showy jewelry, or heavy makeup. If you choose to wear a skirt or dress, make sure the length is appropriate and consider pairing it with pantyhose. Like women, men should avoid wearing anything that's overly flashy. A simple blazer, a button-down dress shirt, dress slacks, and dress shoes with neutral-colored socks are always safe options. If you're debating whether or not to wear a tie, go for it; you can never go wrong by choosing to wear one. Finally, whatever you decide to wear, make it neat. Match colors, iron your jacket, tie your tie well, etc.

3.      Do your research

Go through the company’s website thoroughly. You should be familiar with the company you might be working for. This will allow you to determine if it will be a good fit for you, while you will also come across as interested and well-informed. Know the company’s mission as well as their current initiatives. Know the job description of the position that you applied for inside and out. Think of examples of past projects that you have done that used the skills the company is looking for; this will help to prove that you are right for the job. Write down questions that come up during your research. Having a list of questions will show that you took the time to think thoroughly about the interview and that you care about learning more about the company. It shows that you are taking initiative.

Follow these tips, and you’ll be on the road to rocking your interview and getting that job!

-Samantha Phillips

What are some of the ways that you prep for an interview?

Teachers are constantly facing the challenge of reaching out to and engaging their students’ parents, often employing a multitude of tactics to foster better communication between themselves and parents. Several studies and surveys done in the past two decades have suggested that student learning improves when their teachers have an understanding of their parents and home life, as this allows them to better cater to each student’s learning needs.

Because communication between parents and teachers is so crucial to ensuring students’ success, it is important for parents to reach out to teachers as well. Parents are often busy with their own weekly tasks and are unable to attend every event hosted by their youth’s teachers, but appearing at some of these events can be extremely helpful. In addition, parents should make time in their schedules to communicate outside of these teacher-hosted events, especially if they are unable to attend them. There are countless suggestions of how to foster healthy communication with your youth’s teachers that I have not listed, but parents should make an effort to do the following as often as possible:

1.      Attend meet-and-greets and open houses

Attending these events is a great way to initiate communication between yourself and your youth’s teachers, as they can help you understand teachers’ characteristics that may or may not mesh well with those of your youth. These are also often scheduled for a time that teachers assume are after normal work hours, so they may be a convenient way for you to begin and continue acquaintances with teachers and parents.

2.      Schedule routine meetings

Meeting with your youth’s teachers on a regular basis will help you stay up-to-date with how your youth is doing in school. It may be useful to pay more frequent visits to those who teach subjects that are challenging for your youth. If you are unable to fit meetings into your schedule, communicate frequently via phone, email, or another medium, as it’s important to keep tabs on what your youth is having success with and what he or she may be struggling to achieve.

If you’re having trouble finding a convenient means of communication, try doing a little research. There are several apps and new technologies that are designed specifically for parent-teacher communication that you may want to suggest to your youth’s teachers. Some teachers may already use forms of communication similar to these for maintaining contact with students or parents, and utilizing these will help you “check in” when you don’t have time to write an email or schedule a meeting.

3.      Review progress reports

Teachers often send students home with progress reports or report cards. Whether these are sent home monthly or only at certain times of the year, make sure to ask your youth’s teachers for copies of the reports. If you have trouble understanding why your youth earned the grades that they received (both good and bad), follow up with teachers to learn how you can help your youth improve or continue to excel. If your youth does not receive reports, ask his or her teachers for updates often.

4.      Pay attention to positive feedback

Knowing what your youth can improve upon is necessary, but you should also be aware of what they’re doing well. In addition to giving your youth advice for improvement, be sure to give praise to accentuate their success. Praise will help to motivate your youth rather than discouraging them by focusing too heavily on criticisms.

- Hope Swedeen

What are some ways that you make time to communicate with your youth's teachers? How do you balance your own schedule and your youth's?

People want to use their graduation from high school, trade school, or college as a springboard for bigger and better things. They want to take the knowledge that they gained in the classroom and apply it. They plan to land that dream job upon entering the ‘real world’ and find success as soon as possible. But most of the workforce doesn’t come out of the gates and get an ideal position. Rather, you must work your way to the top. A slow climb can actually benefit you in the long run, though, so don’t dread paying your dues. You could actually stand to benefit from busywork. Here are a few tips on how to make the most of your first handful of positions:

Do What No One Else Wants To

Frederic Kerrest, cofounder and COO of Okta, points out that more than likely your first job will mean spending time in Excel, taking meeting notes, scheduling, and answering phones. But once you’re past these menial tasks, you’ll look back and realize how important they are to the company. Kerrest says, “Mastering the humble, small work of your industry may seem mundane at the time, but an understanding of the who, what, when, and how of the business will give you incredibly valuable insight that you can turn into smart recommendations and strategic guidance that will set you apart during the rest of your career.” If you were to skip the beginning work, you wouldn’t fully absorb or appreciate how those staff members fit into the big picture of the company, which they undeniably do.

Know the Industry’s Past and Present to Prepare for Your Future

In addition to understanding the big picture of how the company functions, you should also know how an industry has grown over time and how your company fits within that. Kerrest explains, “If you’re considering a new business venture, be a student of history: know the trends, the highs and lows, and the events that shaped the landscape. When you’re building your skills and setting goals, you can leverage their wins and losses to make smarter decisions along the way.” You wouldn’t be able to steer a company in the right direction if you couldn’t comprehend the trajectory it has been on. The time to learn this information is when you first start off; it will give you a strong advantage when you move into leadership positions.

Once you have a strong awareness of the industry’s past, research the current big players within it. Kerrest counsels, “You’ll learn more starting at the bottom than anywhere else, such as…the power of long-term relationships… Building a network of mentors and investing in your relationships with them for the long term is a necessity in business.” Shadan Deleveaux, director of sales multicultural beauty division at L’Oréal USA, adds, “A mentor can help you even before your career starts. When it comes to business, I think there are generally two ways to learn: through experience and through advice.” Oftentimes, it’s about who you know, and why not learn from the best? Research who has notable achievements in your field and company, and hopefully you will be able to put yourself in a position to gain insight from them, helping you on your journey up the ladder of success.

Have a Plan


Having a plan of where you want to end up in your career could really be a benefit to you. If you have some idea of what you want to be doing in the next five years, you'll be able to be strategic about your busywork. Instead of going in blind purely to have an income, there should be some purpose behind your first position. Making coffee for the people in the positions you want to hold in the future means that you can learn the ropes through observation and make connections (as mentioned before - networking is gold), rather than just making coffee. Starting off in an industry that allows you to use your strengths will make less exciting work worth it in the end, instead of getting stuck in a field that doesn't match up to your passions. While you shouldn't be rigid in your path to get where you want to be, try to follow a general direction towards an end goal that will make you happy. 

Follow these tips to help make your time spent paying your dues worth it. Seemingly trivial work will become a stepping stone for the rest of your career, rather than an obstacle in your path. 

-Samantha Phillips

Have you or someone you know experienced logging hours in this type of entry level position? Did you find that it paid off later in your career? 

As summer begins again, students have been out of school for a few weeks and are probably embracing their feelings of freedom after a year at school. But after these few weeks are over and they begin to settle into a routine of relaxing, hanging out with friends, and generally spending their free time being “free,” it might be better to cut this routine short.
            Research suggests that during summer vacation, when youth participate in very little activity related to school or learning, they forget some or much of what they’ve learned during the school year. To combat this and keep students' skills and memories sharp, parents can do the following over the summer:

1.  Be sure your youth reads often and visits the library

Request the syllabus for next year’s English class to get ahead or ask the teacher for a list of books that are recommended to read to advance vocabulary and keep youths’ reading minds sharp. A syllabus from science or history class might also provide some topics that would be useful to read up on to get ahead before classes begin.

Research and find books that interest your youth to expand upon the reading list provided by a teacher, including fiction and non-fiction, to broaden your youth’s horizons and introduce material that he or she can take an interest in and read more of in the future.

If there is a particular subject or topic that interests your youth, the library is a great place for him or her to find out more about it.

2.  Make writing a must

Have your youth write letters to relatives to enhance his or her writing skills and keep him or her sharp for when essays come back around.

Encourage your youth to write down his or her thoughts about the books he or she is reading. Ask questions about the plot and characters often and demonstrate that writing about the books may help with reflection and understanding plots, especially if the books will be talked about next year at school.

Ask your youth to keep a journal. This is a great way for him or her to formulate thoughts without having to stick to a rigid format.

3.  Encourage your youth to volunteer

Volunteering is a great way for youth to play a part in their community, and the experience also looks great on job and college applications to show that the youth is interested in helping more than him or herself.

Some schools require students to participate in a set number of hours of community service. If this is the case for your youth, the summer is a great time to complete some of it while there is so much free time.

4.  Make math a priority

At home, play board games that might allow your youth to be the “banker” and calculate and dish out money, card games that may require tallying points and counting card values, and video or online games that focus on math.

Encourage work with fractions by baking or cooking and asking your youth to adjust the measurements of a recipe.

When shopping, ask your youth for help comparing prices or calculating percentages, and when going out to eat, have him or her calculate the tip.

5.  Help youth learn new skills

If your youth is interested in learning to do something, such as playing a sport or instrument, fixing cars, or doing a certain craft, help him or her learn that new skill. Fostering skills in areas that interest your youth may lead to an interest in an occupation related to that skill or may simply provide a valuable activity for him or her to engage in during free time.

6.  Enroll your youth in summer camp

No matter the nature of the camp, youth are bound to learn something from whatever programs and activities they are immersed in and may gain appreciation for new things that they can continue to learn about after camp.

7.  Set goals for next year

Help or have your youth make lists of goals he or she wants to accomplish next year, including when homework should be finished every night, how much time will be spent on studying, what grades will be achieved, and what will be gained from the year academically, socially, and otherwise. These lists don’t have to come to complete fruition, but setting goals will help your youth motivate him or herself over the summer and throughout the year, and routinely evaluating the success of these goals will help create new or better objectives.

8.  Allow for time to relax

It’s important for youth to keep their skills sharp so that they don’t fall behind next year, but it’s also important that they get a break from school, too. Summer should be a time for fun and relaxation to reward youth for putting in effort at school. Make sure to balance time spent learning and time spent relaxing so that there isn’t too much of either being done.

What are the responsibilities of a diagnostic medical sonographer and a cardiovascular technician? 

People who hold these positions are in charge of operating special imaging equipment in order to capture images or run tests, which are then used by physicians to diagnose patients. Before doing so, however, sonographers and technicians are typically responsible for taking a patient’s medical history and taking any questions about the procedure. Afterwards, they must check their work for quality and accuracy. They usually are capable of determining abnormalities in the images, which they include in their summary to the physician. Diagnostic medical sonographers focus more on images of organs and tissues. They create sonograms or ultrasounds. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, on the other hand, create images, conduct tests, or assist with surgical procedures involving the heart.

How much would you earn in this position?

In 2012, the median salary for diagnostic medical sonographers was $65,860, with a range from $44,990 to $91,070. For cardiovascular technicians, the median salary was $52,070, with a range from $27,830 to $80,790.  

Requirements:

Some skills that will help you to succeed in this career include being detail-oriented and having the ability to interact positively with patients. High levels of concentration are key as well. This type of work will require an associate’s degree or other professional certification. These can be attained from universities or hospital programs, depending on the place of employment and state requirements. Courses may include anatomy, medical terminology, and applied sciences.

Work Conditions:

This type of work usually means being employed by a hospital. However, other settings include physician’s offices and medical and diagnostic laboratories. These facilities are often open evenings, weekends, or overnight, meaning employees might need to work these hours. Forty hour work weeks are typical. Some positions may require workers to be on call.

-Samantha Phillips

What interests you about this career?  What other information would you like to know about it?

 Sources:
www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare
explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/30/Cardiovascular_TechnologistTechnician

You’ve been told time and again to watch what you post on social media. The message is often accompanied by warnings of the backlash that might result from posting party pictures on Facebook or tweeting complaints about a current employer. While this is a fair point, social media also has the potential to help get you hired. In fact, “Studies have shown that 92% of companies are using social media for hiring—and that three out of four hiring managers will check out a candidate’s social profiles.” With that statistic in mind, here are some tips that I’ve gathered to help you build a positive image on social media while also avoiding negative attention.

First is the obvious – clean up your profiles. Delete frat party photos, profanities, links to offensive articles, and ranting, extreme statuses. Also, consider the picture you use. It should be professional and recent. It should give a competent and friendly impression; to see if your photo is accomplishing this, check out PhotoFeeler. You should be consistent with your profile picture as well as your name across platforms. “It can be tempting to pick a punchy nickname or handle when making your profiles but, as much as possible, use your real name. This both looks more professional and means that people will be able to find your profiles when they search for your name. If you have a common name or often go by a nickname, at least choose a consistent name you’ll use across platforms, and try to have your real name somewhere on each account.” Also, your social media accounts should link to each other. Consider providing a link to your personal website or blog on LinkedIn and in your Twitter profile.

LinkedIn can be much more than a place to provide the long version of your resume. It’s about building connections. You might do this by updating your status regularly, linking to content that is relevant in your industry, or joining groups that will connect you to new professionals. LinkedIn allows you to learn about companies that intrigue you or monitor job postings. As for connecting on LinkedIn, you should generally follow the rule to only connect with people you’ve interacted with in the past. This is a broad definition, however, ranging from your employer of several years to a person you met at a conference. You should tailor the message in the invitation to the relationship. The generic invitation will be fine for people you are familiar with but you should personalize it if the person could use context for why you’re trying to connect with them. As for connecting with hiring managers during the application process, you should avoid sending an invitation. That comes off as a bit presumptuous according to an article entitled 45 Things Successful Job Seekers Do on Social Media.  

Twitter gives you the opportunity to brand yourself even with the limited character count. A marketing manager at IdeasTap suggests, “Try tweeting about current affairs relating to the sector you want to work in to help you to build a relevant following. Follow the companies you would like to work for and put yourself on their radar by interacting with them (responding to and retweeting their tweets).” For your profile, a social marketing consultant at Career Moves Group says, “I'd say things to avoid are motivational quotes or anything that anyone else has posted. Be concise and unique.” You’re using social media to build an image of yourself that appeals to potential employers. Make sure it’s a professional, intelligent, creative image you’re putting out there. Make your account really speak to your personality. “Twitter is a great place to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. So, focus less on your personal accomplishments and more on sharing great articles about your field, commenting on news in your industry, and having a conversation with other major players.” Think specifically about your industry. For example, if you’re in the music promotion industry, it’s probably a good sign if your account shows that you’re grabbing drinks and checking out bands fairly often. The same wouldn’t hold true for a teacher. Be conscience of your target audience and just make sure your social media doesn’t send up any red flags to the people who are trying to decide if they want to work with you. Make your accounts private if they could make you appear to be a loose cannon. Keep these tips in mind, but most importantly, be yourself on social media in a positive, professional way. It could help you land that dream job.

-Samantha Phillips

How do you use your social media to benefit your career, or what have you learned to avoid online? 

A study entitled ‘A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement’ concluded that “when schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more.” So with Father’s Day approaching, I thought I’d explore how a dad specifically can make a difference in furthering their child’s education. 

Education.com defines the roles of a father by the 5 P's -- problem-solver, playmate, principled guide, provider, and preparer. All of these are important and surely not the end of the list, but 'preparer' is the role that references education. The description reads, “Fathers often see themselves as someone involved in preparing their children for life's challenges… fathers may advise their teenagers about educational and employment goals… They may guide their child about how to behave in school and work to ensure their child's success in those areas.” As you can see, a dad's guiding hand in a child's education shapes their educational and career path; a father's influence can help lead to a child's future achievements. 

As for examples of ways to get involved, a national survey revealed that the top ways parents currently participate is by attending school meetings, such as parent-teacher conferences, and fundraising. Several articles also pointed out that parent involvement decreases as a child ages, leading to a lack of involvement while the youth attends high school. But involvement is important at all levels of development. The Center for Public Education reveals, “Teachers, parents, and students have little understanding of each other’s interests in children and schools…Most teachers do not know the goals that parents have for their children, how parents help them learn, or how parents would like to be involved. Most parents do not know much about the educational programs in their children’s school or what teachers require of them.” If fathers, mothers, and teachers work to be on the same page and communicate openly, the student will benefit from it.

So dads, keep on sparking your child’s curiosity at home (by reading a story aloud or provoking a fun debate for example), setting realistic expectations for them to strive for, and encouraging them. You have a very special opportunity to make a difference in your child's education and therefore the rest of their life. Happy Father’s Day! 

-Samantha Phillips

Please comment here to share how your dad has helped you with school or any other thoughts this post brought to mind! 

As I explored in an earlier blog post, libraries matter. They are a “corridor out of poverty, a bypass around inadequate schools, an expressway that adds momentum to even a first-rate education.” They are a resource for users in more than just the academic arena. The library is a community center; “instead of warehouses of information, public libraries are becoming information exchanges: places people not only go to learn but to interact with ideas, new technology, services and each other.” Libraries are a place for people of all ages and all backgrounds to gather and exchange ideas. “The public library is the great leveler of society, granting equal access to cultural treasures. Fine art can be viewed firsthand only in specific galleries and museums-or only by private collectors… But the greatest literature ever written, the fundamental works of scholarship on which all our science, culture and intellectual life are based, can be enjoyed by anyone, free of charge, at a local library branch.” So, as you can see, libraries have the power to make a difference.

While libraries have recently been labeled as irrelevant in the digital age, this is not the case. Many libraries are adjusting with the times and incorporating technology into the services they offer. Some innovative examples include adding “an area where patrons of all ages can try out the [3D] printers, dabble in computer coding or work individually, or collaboratively, to create DIY technology,” “hosting job fairs and job training in partnership with community and state agencies,” providing “access to more than 800 free online noncredit courses”, and more. A volunteer at a library in Trumbull explains, “Libraries have always been a central place for people to come together to get informed. It's a natural progression of what libraries have always done.”

Yet libraries are often overlooked as community and cultural centers, and their funding gets cut as a result. According to the American Library Association, “Libraries of all kinds need money. The amount of funding that a library receives directly influences the quality of its services. While the majority of funding for libraries comes from state and local sources, federal funding provides critical assistance, giving libraries across the country the financial support they need to serve their communities.”

The Observer speaks of the potential long-term consequences of low library funding in New York: “Cutting $37 million from the library budget-part of a citywide financial assault on the arts-will cripple one of the city’s engines for rising out of this crisis, and smother one of the wellsprings of New York’s greatness.” Another article warns of what will be lost as a result of budget cuts as well: “The busy Queens system serves about 50,000 people a day. Many customers use the free computers to hunt for jobs, while kids crowd libraries to do their homework. New immigrants use the libraries for language and citizenship classes. Staffers pointed out that libraries are an important safe haven for kids who have no place to go after school.”

Nonprofits can help counter injustices in funding, however. There are nonprofits that exist to represent libraries when budgets are being made locally and federally. There are also organizations that spend their own time and money putting together programs that are held in libraries, fighting to benefit the community in spite of funding cuts that might otherwise limit what the library can do. 4T’s is one such nonprofit who aims to be a useful resource to the community, especially to its youth. 4T’s offers workshops and panel discussions at the Countee Cullen Library. Look out for upcoming events here. 

I hope that you will check out all that your local library has to offer as well as the nonprofits that help make it possible.

-Samantha Phillips

Sources:
American Library Association 
The Observer: Rescuing the Stacks 
Daily News: Budget cuts forces Queens Library to shutter 14 branches, cut 300 workers and reduce hours
Public Libraries Online: Community Centered: 23 Reasons Why Your Library is the Most Important Place in Town
Hartford Courant: Libraries Are The New Community Centers, Town Greens

Nelson Mandela said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." This philosophy is reflected in the latest move of Akon Lighting Africa, an endeavor to bring electricity to rural Africa. The founders of the initiative – Akon, Thione Niang, and Samba Bathily – were recently honored at the second United Nations Sustainable Energy for All Forum in New York for their work.

Akon Lighting Africa goes beyond short-term philanthropy. Rather, the driving force behind it is long-term goals of sustainability. The project is meant to be a stepping stone for the development of future infrastructure while also providing jobs for locals. Beyond even that though, Akon Lighting Africa will not only capitalize on resources readily available in the environment (Africa has 320 sunny days per year, making it an ideal place for solar power initiatives), it aims to tap into human capital as well. The project recognizes that education is the best way to lead to self-sufficiency and therefore long-term success of the project. Thus, the next phase of Akon Lighting Africa is the creation of a Solar Academy to “develop skills and expertise in this field in Africa.”

The academy “targets future African entrepreneurs, engineers and technicians” and will open this summer in Mali for “any Africans wanting to help develop the use of solar power.” At the forum in New York Samba Bathily explained, “We have the sun and innovative technologies to bring electricity to homes and communities. We now need to consolidate African expertise and that is our objective… We can achieve great milestones and accelerate the African transformation process on condition that we start training a new generation of highly qualified African engineers, technicians and entrepreneurs now.”

Education is the key to the future, not only in Africa, a continent where 70% of the population is younger than 35. Hopefully, you also recognize the long-lasting potential and power of education to find personal success but also to improve society to the benefit of all.
 
-Samantha Phillips

Sources:
Huffington Post: Akon Launches Academy To Help Provide Electricity To 600 Million People In Africa
Next steps for Akon Lighting Africa: Launch of the first Solar Academy in Africa
USA Today: 15 of Nelson Mandela's best quotes