What would you say about an area where at the two neighborhood elementary schools there were 45 accounts of assault during school hours, 9 formal weapons charges in the school, and 305 suspensions during the past two school years?  According to the Philadelphia School District website this is the reality of our neighborhood.  Combine this information with dismal test scores and the fact that here in one of Philadelphia’s poorest communities 70% of students drop out by the end of high school. Now imagine having no other option for the education of your children. 

 That’s the situation for many people here in our area. What’s a parent with limited English skills, no vehicle, and not much extra money to do?  There are many quality private schools in the city but who has the extra money for that especially when for many just putting food on the table is a challenge?! 

 Let me introduce you to LOGAN Hope. The staff members at LOGAN Hope know that healthy safe neighborhoods are ones where quality educational opportunities are available to all.  Here in our neighborhood for one of the poorest, most isolated, and most at-risk communities in the city, these opportunities have been extremely rare.  In 1991, Ken and Anita MacBain moved into a declining neighborhood marked by poverty and crime in order to serve an extremely at-risk community of refugees who had escaped the genocide of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.  The need in this community was staggering.  The MacBains served in every way they could including teaching English, providing affordable housing, and running after school programs and day camps for children. Overwhelmed after watching child after child drop out of school and turn to gangs or drug dealing, it became apparent that in order for these children to succeed there would need to be a school designed to meet their specific needs. LOGAN Hope was officially founded as a non-profit in 2000 with that goal in mind.  In 2002 LOGAN Hope School opened its doors to 20 students in Kindergarten to 4th grade.  In the nine years the school has been around we’ve grown to serve over 60 students in grades K-8.  The Cambodian community is still the primary constituency of LOGAN Hope, however the school becomes more diverse each year and all are welcome.

 LOGAN Hope School is a fantastic little place.  Over 90% of our student body qualifies for the Free or Reduced Lunch Program and many of our students first come to LOGAN Hope with a hopeless attitude about school, labeled ESL, and at below-basic education levels.  However, due to our small class size, caring staff, and whole-person approach to learning, these same students graduate from LOGAN Hope a few years later as some of the top students in Philadelphia. 

 LOGAN Hope’s goal is to bring hope, restoration, and change to some very harsh realities, and we know we’re succeeding!  LOGAN Hope’s very first 8th grade graduate completed her senior year of high school in June 2010 and is now attending Penn State University on a full scholarship.  Our other graduates boast high school acceptances to some of the best high schools in the city.  When other teens are dropping out, getting pregnant, and falling further and further behind, ours are thriving.  As one of our 2008 graduates, Boratha, who is now attending Villanova on a full scholarship said, “LOGAN Hope helped me get prepared for high school. The teachers made everything fun for the students, from the lessons in history to the games in gym. Because of the teachers' positive attitudes, I felt encouraged just to go to school every day. Now that I’m in high school I know what a great education I got there”

We at LOGAN Hope are asking for help as the number of students we serve is always growing.  We are intentional about making our services accessible to those least able to afford it.  Families who qualify for the Free or Reduced Lunch Program get a 90-93% reduction in tuition through significant financial aid and scholarships at LOGAN Hope. All they have to do is walk through the door.  Families typically end up paying about $40/month for one student.  Compared to other non-public elementary schools in our area only LOGAN Hope is reaching a group who truly has no other quality alternative. (The two closest non-public schools cost between $250-$300/month).  At LOGAN Hope students’ tuition makes up less than 10% of the school's operating budget and there is little or no charge to attend our after school and summer programs. The additional funds needed to sustain our organization’s budget are received in private donations from individuals, churches, and small foundations, but the need is always growing. Supporting us ensures that we will be able to continue offering significant amounts of financial aid to those who need it most. We want all children to have a chance at getting a quality education.  Please join us as we continue to change the future for children, families, and a neighborhood with a history of misfortune.