One of the greatest things about growing up in America is that you have the opportunity to write your own story; or at least that’s what we’re told.  It's as if everyone at birth receives a blank sheet of paper and a pencil to write their greatest hopes and dreams.

We’re told that as long as we’re willing to work hard and follow the rules, our stories will come true.

For some of our children, we are able to make good on this promise. But for far too many, this promise is an empty one.

Let’s be honest: nobody really receives a blank page at birth. All our pages are pre-filled with information and stories, shaped by the family we’re born into and the community where we are born.

The impediments, stumbling blocks, history and baggage of those bringing us into the world affect our personal potential – and sometimes, the ability for us to write a completely different, new story.

One of the most significant ways America attempts to fulfill its promise is through a guarantee of free public education for every child. For many of us, our hopes and dreams were nurtured, cultivated and made possible through our schools. In this country, education is the best avenue for creating the life you envision.

Unfortunately, it’s also where America’s promise falls short.

If you are unlucky enough to be born into a failing school system, your story is (statistically) predetermined. Unlike those born into highly successful school districts, you are far less likely to graduate from high school, your parent’s property value is significantly lower and you have little or no access to extracurricular activities.

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In such neighborhoods, you are more likely to be suspended or expelled than children from wealthier neighborhoods, and your access to support services when you struggle is lower.

In other words, the likelihood you will realize your hopes and dreams – write a story you are excited to make real - is far lower than if you were fortunate enough to be born into, or live in, a different zip code. This inequity is not the America we were promised.

Think about kids in Flint, who, through no fault of their own, were born into an area with lead-laced drinking water - how many of their stories are defined by cognitive and behavioral challenges caused by the water they drank and bathed in, from which they will forever suffer?

What chance do their future children have? What will be the turning point for the legacy of this tragedy? Will there be one?

It is heartbreaking to think that an individual American’s chance of achieving the American Dream is lessened by where they live.

This is the uphill battle of American disparity. It is alive and well. And it is incredibly unfair.

As a devoted social worker in a lifelong career of non-profit service, I have had to accept that I cannot fix the world for all children. I truly wish I could; it’s why I chose this line of work.

But what I can do is help change the way we deliver education – to give more of a chance to children in less privileged enclaves, to mitigate the impact of PLACE.

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Samaritas excels at working with individuals and families in challenging circumstances and locales to overcome adversity; this makes us an ideal partner for the education system to right this long-held wrong.

When children don’t have the building blocks they need to get a strong start in life, education cannot make up for all that they lack. However, education and social work together just might be the answer.

Samaritas is working to develop schools that marry the best of education and social work, to create a system that envelops the family. Our vision embeds within the school a range of support programs to meet comprehensive family needs. When a child doesn’t have warm clothing, nutritious meals, supportive adults or safe environs, he cannot learn. Survival takes over, while education takes a back seat.

Our vision addresses the whole person – not just a student, but her family, too. We are inspired by school models like the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York, which exhibits exceptional results using a similar wraparound approach.

The Samaritas wraparound school blends the best of education and community center in one building. This becomes the home for after-school educational support and enrichment, care management, recreation, nutrition education and food service in addition to other services that heal the community and its families.

We feel called to take action so that all of us can think differently about how to ensure that America’s promise to every child is fulfilled.

Imagine a world where all children are free to realize their potential, an America where the values and opportunities this land holds dear are available to every single citizen. That should not be out of reach – and we are dedicated to making sure it comes within the grasp of every youth.

Sean De Four is Vice President, Child & Family, Samaritas.

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