Loudoun has the privileged position as the wealthiest, healthiest and happiest county in Virginia and the nation. In Sterling and other eastern Loudoun County communities, however, the picture is starkly different. For many of our neighbors, hope for the future is not matched by opportunity. Consider these sobering realities:

• Overall, 96% of Loudoun’s high schoolers graduate on time. The drop-out rate for Eastern Loudoun’s limited-English-proficient (LEP) students, however, is 10 times higher than the countywide rate.

• At Park View high school, nearly half of homeless students drop out. Among those who do graduate, more than one-third of minority, LEP and economically disadvantaged students do not pursue higher education, compared to the 81% countywide who do.

• As many as 28% of children ages 0-5 in some Sterling neighborhoods live in poverty, while nearly half live 200% under the federal poverty level.

As a county, we can do better! At INMED, we are. Our after-school program is focused on helping at-risk students bridge the academic gaps and language barriers with individualized tutoring, homework completion assistance, mentors, enrichment activities and ESL classes. Our summer day camps are designed to reinforce the progress our kids have made throughout the school year to prevent learning attrition. Our Moms & Babies class offers individual instruction to inexperienced and immigrant mothers to help them raise healthy, well-adjusted children who are ready to enter school.
Learn more about our continuum of support at the Opportunity Center: www.opportunitycenter.us/programs. Schedule a visit: mvasquez@inmed.org. Volunteer: elewis@inmed.org. Help us do better for the children who need it most.

#atriskyouth #youthmentoring #childdevelopment