Description:

Schwarz, founder of the groundbreaking Citizen Schools program, shares his vision for reducing inequality by pairing successful adults with low-income students.

Eric Schwarz was brought up in a life of privilege. His family moved in circles of the best and brightest, exposing him to adult models of creativity and innovation from a young age. All this, he knew, positioned him for success. His inspiration for founding the program now called Citizen Schools was to make that kind of support available to students in low-income schools, giving them mentors and hands-on projects and multiple chances to build the muscle memory of success. The program extends the school day by three hours and offers both academic support and “apprenticeships” run by citizen volunteers who teach in their field of expertise.

The results are proven: rates of proficiency, graduation, and college acceptance go up; the achievement gap closes. Citizen Schools has been recognized by the White House and asked to lead a new initiative to recruit one million mentors in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines by 2020. The Opportunity Equation shows how wealthier Americans catapult their children ahead with aid from a cottage industry of tutors, coaches, and specialized camps. But Schwarz also draws upon the founding story of Citizen Schools to offer a roadmap for reducing inequality, calling upon everyday citizens to play a bigger part in changing the lives of the next generation.