Bridging the educational divide - 3Fold’s initial priority & Focus area

It’s no secret that one of the MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS to breaking the cycle of poverty is education. With little to no education, humans suffer from mental poverty. With no knowledge, skill sets or ability to read and do basic math, no human CAN be expected to be self-sufficient, MAKE GOOD, HEALTHY DECISIONS AND BE ABLE TO ADEQUATELY care for THEIR family.

If we meet Spiritual and Physical needs but do not address poverty of the mind, we are wasting our time and other’s resources.

We are both products of the US Education system and grew up in areas that provided foundational elementary, high school and university educations.  Such is NOT the case in many parts of our nation and our world and in many of the small villages outside of Sibiu. Education is a non-negotiable when it comes to eliminating poverty, but many kids in these communities don’t have a chance at getting into high school, let alone graduating and moving onto higher education opportunities required for jumpstarting a self-sustainable career.  

On a recent trip taken with our daughters in the latter part of 2023, we came to the realization that 3Fold’s efforts should be primarily focused on improving the chances of children  raised in generational poverty, of making it to and succeeding in higher levels of education, which is organized vastly different than the US education system. 

Did you know that high school admittance tests taken in the 8th grade play a massive role in determining the career path for that child? Yes, in the 8th grade.  Kids who are barely teenagers.  

High schools in Romania are similar to how universities are organized in the US – some high schools are focused on business, some on math and engineering, and some around various trade-level vocations.  Because quality schools directly correlate to the local economic environment, which is the same the world over, most of the children are not well trained or prepared to perform well at the entrance exams, usually because by the time they make it to 8th grade, if they make it that far, they are considerably behind those that attend better elementary schools, usually located in the city.  The kids need extra help to prep to catch up on school and specifically prepare for the high school entrance exams. 

Furthermore, these high schools aren’t located in or near the villages – they are in the nearest city, such as Sibiu, which is a car or bus trip away.  But what if your parents have no car or money for the bus fare?  So you do well enough to make it into a high school, but you can’t physically get there, what then?  Some kids need help with getting to or staying in the city just so they can attend high school once they get in.  Without attending and graduating high school the chances of them breaking out of generational poverty is slim to none. 

Ok, so let’s assume one makes it to high school and get through all four years.  Some high schools are structured to prepare some to enter the work force at lower paying but sustainable jobs which is certainly a step in the right direction.  But let's say you have a dream to be a pharmacist or an engineer or some other professional that requires a college degree.  There is another entrance exam and the scores determine what type of university you can go to as well as how much it will cost.  Again, many students from the better schools take extra tutoring and pay for one-on-one help to do well on the university entrance exam, where again, the score determines what type of career path is available to you.  

The good news is if you’re good enough to make it into a local university, which are state managed, there is a glimmer of hope because they are affordable, unlike American universities.  Most currently range in the  $1000-2000 per year.  But those coming from families that can barely afford to eat everyday will probably not be able to afford even that.  The kids must also live in the city to be able to attend university, which also take extra resources in addition to school. The bottom line, many barriers that are often insurmountable for children in the villages to succeed which further perpetuates the cycle of poverty in these communities.

In short, 3 Fold aims to fund students from impoverished communities to perform well and succeed in the Romanian education process/system. 

What this IS: 

1. Providing well-trained, passionate tutors: 

• To help provide the extra assistance needed to those students in lower quality schools to stay on track 

• To provide  specific time and training to build knowledge and confidence in performing well on the high school entrance exams taken at the end of the 8th grade year

• To provide specific time and training to build knowledge and confidence in performing well on the University entrance exams taken at the end of the 12th grade year

2. Funding under-privileged students along their journey to higher education

• With bus or taxi fares to physically attend high school located miles from their community

• With room and board for high school or university students that must stay outside of their homes to enable consistent attendance and study time required

• Tuition or other expenses on a case by case basis needed by the student to continue to enroll in a school as long as they remain academically eligible

• Helping with tutor expenses as needed to ensure they remain academically eligible

What this IS NOT: 

• One Size Fits All – Many students have similar situations while just as many do not.  3Fold will properly vet the needs of each student and design a path to success with milestones for them to continue to earn support along the way. 

3Fold will continue to widen the net of inclusion as funding grows which could include supporting families and students from other communities or the development of other initiatives to develop elementary aged students to rely less on tutoring to succeed in middle and high school.