My name is Wayne Winsley, founder and CEO of Brave Enough To Fail, a student-focused educational nonprofit that provides motivational presentations, scholarships, and other resources to high school students, at no cost to schools or students.

Our mission is to cultivate a new generation of leaders, creators, and achievers by narrowing the achievement gap between poor and minority students and their more affluent peers through inspiring young people in those underserved groups with the courage to pursue their dreams.

If you believe that this program, or one like it, would make a positive impact on your students, please sign this petition. 

The current pandemic and school closures threaten to explode the already wide achievement gap.

"The Achievement Gap Is 'More Glaring Than Ever' for Students Dealing With School Closures"Time.com March 26 2020

There is already a significant achievement gap in the U.S. between poor students and students of color and their wealthier, whiter peers, and the months-long school closures is likely to set already disadvantaged students even further behind. U.S. News April 1 2020

“Because of the COVID -19 crisis, achievement gaps between disadvantaged students and their more affluent classmates will almost certainly be wider than they’ve been in years.” Los Angeles Times April 2 2020

When schools reopen, educators will need every tool possible in order to re-engage, inspire, and motivate students to invest themselves in their own education. We need your support to help us to be there for your students on the other side of this crisis.

The problem is that many grant making foundations don't see this type of out-of-the-box programing as particularly important or impactful. Funders want to know if educators view this program as helpful and would want it for their students.

The best way to answer that is by asking teachers, counselors, administrators, parents and even students to please sign this petition and please share it and encourage others to sign it. This will help founders to recognize the importance of supporting this program for students nationwide in the coming school year.

We are fighting for the underdog, young people that are showing signs of disconnection and risk in high school, a population of youth that require tremendous support, that hasn’t changed at all but the degree of difficulty has gone up in that we have this unprecedented pandemic ... and now it’s even more important.

As a teacher myself, I know that having even one additional student who chooses to be engaged in his or education can change the dynamic of my entire classroom and enhance the learning of every student in the room.

We need teachers, school counselors, and administrators to sign this petition to let funders know that this is a program that YOU believe would have a strong positive impact on your students and help fight against a widening of the achievement gap.

When we get to the other side of this current crisis, and we will, our poor and minority students in underserved communities are going to face an even steeper uphill climb to succeed in school and beyond. With your help, we will be there to remind those students that they are worth the effort.

Please Sign Now!

Thank You!

Visit our website to learn more and request Brave Enough To Fail, for your school.

https://www.braveenoughtofail.org/