You are frustrated with the lack of progress for black children. You have great ideas about how to change the game for them. You know that a solid education makes a world of difference, but public education has failed the children of low-income and working-class families.

Now what? How do you turn your ideas into action?

Simply put, you need money.  Every good plan needs resources and now you have a shot at the funding to turn your good ideas into action.

The Black Alliance for Educational Options – or BAEO – is doing something almost no organization does. It is acknowledging its own need to be different by crowd sourcing plans for creating the next generation black organization focused on educational justice.

Today BAEO announced the #BAEOchallenge, and social innovation contest to draw the best proposals for creating a younger, leaner, more creative education advocacy organization. The best proposal will win $500,000 seed investment in their idea.

A letter for BAEO this morning says:

We must stay woke and active, education has always been the gateway to prosperity in our communities. Yet only 69% of Black students are graduating from high school – not college – high school! We all know this is an ever evolving technology based economy that demands more knowledge based skills. Our children and young people are being left further behind and underestimated – the question is what role are we as Black people going to play in the struggle to save OUR children?  What are you going to do – like for REAL?

The BAEO Social Innovation Challenge is about “big thinkers” and “big action” – people with audacious ideas, new approaches, and disruptive solutions leading to the next iteration of BAEO or an entirely new Black-led organization. While the work has changed, this Challenge will carry on the mission of BAEO to increase access to high-quality education options for Black children by actively supporting transformational education reform initiatives and parental choice policies that empower low-income and working-class Black families.

If you know someone who you think could design a great plan, you can nominate them here (deadline is August 30, 2016). To join the #BAEOchallenge yourself, click here.

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