Cultural Group Presentation - Report Example

Proposal Number: Introduction There has been a relative increase in the number of needy in the colleges and other institutions of higher learning in the USA over the past few decades (Toby, 2010). Most of these students are those who come from the homeless cultures and the first born of most families that are not economically stable. Some economists are attributing this increase in the number of needy students to the constant poor performance of the economy in the country. As a result, many organizations have been collaborating with tertiary and institutions of higher learning in supporting these needy students whose parents cannot fully support their learning. Various bodies including government agencies have been awarding bursary and at times full sponsorship to the needy students in the country just to ensure that they have access to higher education (Hall, 2010). However, the number of needy students is by far much higher than the current number these interagency and multiagency workings are able to support. Carried out studies have shown that there more than 65,800 in 2009-10 needy students which was a drastic increase from the 42,641 in the 2008-2009 academic year, a factor that has led to an increase in number of students drop out from colleges in USA after their first year in college because of numerous financial challenges (Hall, 2010). Similar studies also show that more than half of the homeless students who are able to continue with their studies encounter various challenges to a point of affecting their final performance in an adverse way. These are worrying statistics especially for a country like USA that is viewed as good global example in various aspects like economic growth, having the best institutions of higher learning like Harvard University among others, and producing some of the most brilliant people whose ingenious ideologies have changed the world. In brief, USA has a good global reputation that needs to be preserved by ensuring that young men and women get their most fundamental right; right to education and that they can progress up to the level they are capable of without being limited by their backgrounds. Access to quality education is one of the many ways through which the country can be able to compete with other upcoming economies like China and Russia. Giving every child an opportunity to continue with his or her education is the only way USA can remain to be producing some of the best engineers in the world or even be able to keep on sending men to space (Kalenkoski & Pabilonia, 2010). Needy students can only achieve their dreams if only all the stakeholders can join hands and put in place working programs that can support all the needy students. This research is going to investigate the possible initiates that can help in ensuring that most of the needy if not all get access to higher education which has been a breakthrough for many people not just in America, but most parts of the world. The aim of this research proposal is to fully meet the following research objectives 1. To identify the main challenges that students from homeless cultures face while in college 2. To establish measures that can be adopted in order to fully meet homeless students’ needs 3. To establish the a clear criteria that will be used in distinguishing the genuinely needy students from the rest 4. To establish the average total cost that each student requires in order to pursue his or her dream course uninterruptedly Students from homeless cultures face numerous challenges while undertaking their studies in the colleges. Some of the major challenges include the issue of insufficient funds both money for personal use as well as college fees that forces them to at times quit studies. Most students are forced at times to temporarily drop out of college in order to raise the needed money with the situation getting to extreme levels in some circumstances that such students end up completely dropping out of college (Haycock, 2014). Some students find it difficult even to meet the very basic needs such as affording quality and sufficient foods, affording decent clothing and decent accommodation among other expenses like travel cost for those students who are not accommodated by these institutions. The economic problems at times graduate to become social problems that can prompt depression and a low sense of self-esteem just to mention a few (Haycock, 2014). However, challenges facing homeless students in colleges can be met, with their problems getting viable solutions if only the society, agencies, and the country at large among other stakeholders can have a sense of empathy and be willing to do just little more to make a human life better (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2014). As mentioned in the introduction, establishment of effective programs or initiatives as well as additional funding of the existing programs can be one of the most viable solution to this problem. Americans are known all over the world for their generosity and sense of empathy particularly when dealing with issues concerning fundamental human rights like security and education. The same spirit should be applied locally in giving these young men and women from disadvantaged backgrounds an opportunity to lead a full life and achieve their dreams (Barusch, 2012). There is a pressing need for an increment of the current funds that are allocated by the federal government in order to reach out to more needy students. Moreover, agencies should work hand in hand with institutions of higher learning in developing programs that will keep running and in the process generate or get funding from philanthropic persons and organizations (Kryder-Coe, Molnar & Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies, 2011). In actual sense, organizations should have a sense of being socially responsible to the society that has built their brand and made the organization a success. Business organizations can achieve this by starting foundations or supporting the existing programs or by simply picking the most needy students and offer them partial or full sponsorship. Currently, there are various organizations have started foundations or support needy students particularly those from homeless cultures in a number of ways. Such organizations include the College Success Foundation DC that serves low income students, Point Foundation which is among the largest scholarships provider and Communities In Schools of the Nation’s Capital (CIS) which prevents college dropouts in the country (Vissing, 2013). Others include Double the Number (DTN) and Everybody Wins organizations whose main goal is to meet the challenges that students from homeless backgrounds face while in college (Ornstein & Levine, 2012).   In conclusion, by incorporating the above outlined strategies, colleges and other institutions of higher learning can ensure that no American youth is denied access to quality higher education. Education has been the key driver of the country in enabling it have one of the strongest economy ever and have sophisticated technology in their energy industry, manufacture among other sectors that make the citizens be proud to be associated with this great nation. Everyone has a role to play in achieving this goal be it the institutions of higher learning, society and the country at large. Education to all irrespective of their background, races, age, or even social-economic status of the citizens is the breakthroughs for many that will make this country remain competitive in all aspects. References Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Top of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Barusch, A. S. (2012). Foundations of social policy: Social justice in human perspective. Australia: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. Gatrell, J. D., & Jensen, R. R. (2012). Research design and proposal writing in spatial science. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media B.V. Hall, J. C. (2010). Cutting costs and improving productivity in higher education: Evaluating reforms and possible solutions. New York: Springer. Haycock, K. (2014). Helping all students achieve: Closing the achievement gap. Educational leadership, 58(6), 6-11. Kalenkoski, C. M., & Pabilonia, S. W. (2010). Parental transfers, student achievement, and the labor supply of college students. Journal of Population Economics, 23(2), 469-496. Kryder-Coe, J. H., Molnar, J. M., & Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies. (2011). Homeless children and youth: A new American dilemma. New Brunswick, N.J., U.S.A: Transaction Publishers. Ornstein, A. C., & Levine, D. U. (2012). Foundations of education. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2014). Foundations of nursing in the community: Community- oriented practice. Toby, J. (2010). The lowering of higher education in America: Why financial aid should be based on student performance. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger. Vissing, Y. M. (2013). Out of sight, out of mind: Homeless children and families in small-town America. Lexington, Ky: Univ. Press of Kentucky. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Read More