DeLaSalle Education Center builds confidence in learning .
Where would you be today if you had to grow up with no support, no education, and no hope? You would probably be among the thousands in our society whose lives are marred by dependency and reliance on welfare or the streets.
Hundreds of our young people in Kansas City find themselves in very difficult and complex situations. Many are frustrated with their inability to receive services within the traditional school environment. A significant number suffer from a lack of social and family support. They leave high school due to anger, hopelessness, substance abuse, mental health problems and learning disabilities. With these circumstances surrounding them, some simply give up and begin to accept their lives of poverty, ignorance, and reliance upon government assistance.
That is where DeLaSalle Education Center comes in. DeLaSalle successfully intervenes to give education and hope to youth who are at risk. In doing this, it is carrying on the tradition first started by its founder, Godfrey S. Kobets, who believed that education was the key to overcoming a life of crime and poverty, rising above dependency on tax-supported agencies. Without DeLaSalle and other alternative programs, most of these youth would not complete their high school education.
In 1971, Kobets and a group of businessmen founded DeLaSalle Education Center with just 15 students and a handful of volunteer teachers. The Center was, and still remains, a private, non-sectarian school serving young people who have been unsuccessful in traditional schools. Charging no tuition for its services, the Center survived on private and governmental support until 1985, when the local school districts began providing partial support for DeLaSalle's unique programming.
Each of the four centers provides an academically challenging model emphasizing integrated curriculum and hands-on experience. The student to teacher ratio at DeLaSalle ranges from 6 to 15 students, affording each student the individual attention needed for success. Literacy, math-ematics, employability skills and college transition are the main focus.
DeLaSalle saves lives. The staff and faculty help disadvantaged young people in Kansas City who are headed for lives of failure to have another chance to be successful in their schooling. Schooling plays a major role in the success rate of children.
DeLaSalle opened its doors to Eric 14 years ago. He had been expelled from a public school and told that he could not return because he was "incapable of learning." DeLaSalle gave Eric another chance, like it does all of its students. Eric went on to become a certified public accountant. Today, he is working in the field of information technology and says he thinks he would have been in jail today if he had not attended DeLaSalle. He attributes his success to the staff at DeLaSalle who believed in him when no one else would and taught him to never give up.
It costs the state $41,975 per year to keep a youth in detention. By diverting young people from jail, DeLaSalle Education Center not only saves lives, but also taxpayers' dollars. DeLaSalle will continue to fight for kids like Eric who need another chance. With your help, DeLaSalle Education Center can prepare its students to lead successful lives.