The Power of the Possible

From one social worker's perspective, the public schools of inner city Chicago had a reputation for being rife with daunting and challenging conditions. But once entering that world, she would come to find it was much more heartrending and, at times, devastating than she could ever have imagined.

After working in the Chicago Public Schools system for many years, Valerie Groth became convinced this system - as well as the majority of America's inner city schools - was not serving the needs of countless underprivileged students. The thousands of middle and high school students she counseled were expected, like all of their classmates, to learn what they needed in order to make their way into the world in severely dysfunctional environments, frequently a far cry from any atmosphere where true education could take place. She also discovered that many of them regularly faced challenging issues at home and in their neighborhoods - hunger and malnourishment, physical or emotional abuse, displaced or absent parents, and exposure to violence.

In The Power of the Possible, Val Groth shines a light on the disturbing conditions faced on a daily basis by inner city teachers, social workers, administrators, and students and offers a distinctive vision and innovative education model toward this dilemma's solution. Ryan Banks Academy, Chicago's first residential school for urban youth, is building a community of learners who will be insulated from the violence, abuse, and turmoil so prevalent in America's inner cities, while providing them with a well-balanced, stimulating and rigorous academic environment, as well as the essential social/emotional support, generally reserved for only the wealthy and privileged.

Through taking a strengths-based approach to learning and building student confidence and leadership, Ryan Banks Academy will foster the legacy within each and every student to positively change the world. By promoting the Ryan Banks Academy Initiative, Val Groth is standing with all inner city students, teachers and administrators.

"The time is now for a revolution in education that embraces and upholds the highest ideals and delivers them to the youth of inner city America."

- Valerie Groth