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INNOVATION

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HUMANITY

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EQUALITY

THE MISSION OF THE SHOW ME CAMPAIGN IS TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF POVERTY

The Show Me Campaign seeks to give every child access to a quality education. Through programs such as Teach for America, Teach for All, Harlem Village Academies, and New Profit, the Show Me Campaign works to elevate and celebrate teachers, the single most important factor for student achievement in our schools. The campaign also works to end the school-to-prison pipeline and to address systemic issues in our criminal justice system that disproportionately impact the poor, minorities and disadvantaged. Together, these dual strategies aim to give every single child the opportunity to not just survive, but to thrive. 

WHERE IT BEGAN

In an essay competition John won at age 15, he wrote about his dream of becoming a star recording artist and using his influence and resources to give back to his community and to promote social justice and equality. It was for this purpose that John launched the Show Me Campaign in 2007. 

Drawing inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King and his contemporaries, John believes that all children deserve a quality education that interrupts the cycle of poverty and allows them to fulfill their full potential. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they come together and work toward justice. We cannot wait for other people to do the work for us or for systems to change on their own. If we are going to push the world toward justice, we all need to get involved—now and in a big way.

Partners Overview

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EFFORTS

LRNG

The evolution of learning has begun.

As we seek to reimagine the way young people learn, the Show Me Campaign will follow the lead of creative educators as they take concrete steps to implement new ways of learning and teaching in their schools or networks.

Founded in 2014 by The Show Me Campaign, in partnership with the National Writing Project and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, LRNG is a movement dedicated to inspiring innovation in the learning process to one that better reflects the world we live in today.

Each year, LRNG will source and issue a new challenge developed by educators. The 2014 LRNG Innovation Challenge awarded grants to teams of educators working to solve the challenges of expanding time and space for creative learning in their own context.

TEACH FOR AMERICA AND TEACH FOR ALL

John Legend is a proud member of the Teach For All board and is actively engaged with its United States affiliate, Teach For America. Through his work with Teach For All and Teach For America, John seeks to support the organization in attracting quality, committed and diverse individuals to the teaching profession. 

SPRINGFIELD CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT (Springfield, OH)

John Legend is proud to support the Springfield City School District (SCSD), where he grew up, and The Straight A Grant Consortium in their effort to renovate the former South High School auditorium. The renovation plans include turning the auditorium into a cultural gathering space and community center that will provide arts and cultural activities to both students and the community.

HARLEM VILLAGE ACADEMIES

John Legend is proud to serve as the Vice Chairman of the Harlem Village Academies Board of Directors. HVA works to revolutionize public education in our nation by building a K-12 public school district and an educators’ institute based on the ideals of progressive pedagogy.

NEW PROFIT

The Show Me Campaign is a proud investor in New Profit, a venture philanthropy fund (501c3) working to break down barriers to opportunity in America by transforming the big systems that shape how we educate our children, prepare people for college and career success, and create healthy communities. The organization invests in visionary entrepreneurs and leaders, advocates for innovative public policy, and convenes social problem solvers from across sectors to collaborate and advance new ideas.

MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP FOR TOMORROW (MLT)

John Legend proudly serves on the Governing Board of MLT, which equips high potential minorities with the winning playbook and personalized coaching that allows them to reach their full leadership potential and maximize their community impact. MLT works with over 500 new individuals per year through its core programs and provides career-long support for its community of over 4,000 Rising Leaders.

#FREEAMERICA

The human and financial toll of mass incarceration is staggering.

  • The US incarcerates more people than any other country in the world.
  • There are more jails and prisons in the United States than colleges and universities.
  • Every day, over 2.3M people are incarcerated in federal, state or local prisons and jails.
  • 1 in 4 adults – 65M people – have criminal records in the United States.
  • 1 in 3 African American men and 1 in 18 African American women will serve some time in prison during their lifetime.

The issues of mass incarceration + the school-to-prison pipeline, coupled with nationwide protests over the deaths of unarmed young men and women of color, provide an unprecedented opportunity for criminal justice reform. 

In 2015, the Show Me Campaign launched a 5-year campaign to dramatically reduce mass incarceration rates in the United States and to reverse the school-to-prison pipeline. We will work to shift the public narrative on incarceration and support state and federal policy reforms that cut incarceration levels and redirect savings into concrete investments in education, rehabilitation, and effective re-entry services.

CONTACT

 

QUESTIONS?

Please contact us at info@showmecampaign.org

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