History
We started as a small group of students (The 4 Amigas) and a hermano. The 4 Amigas volunteered for a local school teacher during the summer of 2021 to help decorate her classroom, creating a teaching environment that was visually appealing and welcoming for students to engage in class. My brother and I began brainstorming about how we could utilize our talents and inspire students to share their personal gifts, giving back to the community. We enlisted the 4 Amigas and got to work!
My name is Mia Jong, and I am the president and founder of Student Advisors for Equity in Education (SAFEE). I created this organization to mediate the effects of the pandemic on underprivileged schools and to help close the widening disparities among students. When I was in hybrid school, I remember one of my teachers mentioning that due to the pandemic we were not able to cover the entire subject curriculum for the year, resulting in education setbacks for many students. I became curious about amount of students experiencing these setbacks, and I decided to conduct my own research online. I found evidence through the Department of Education that "the pandemic has negatively affected academic growth, widening pre-existing disparities, in core subjects like math and reading...” (3). This information was troubling, and it dawned on me that students needed to actively make a change. We can use our own gifts and talents to support equity in education by mentoring our peers, free of charge, in a fun and interactive way. By doing so, we can become advocates to help our peers get the individual support they need, in any interest they have. We consider ourselves the "SAFEE Sqaud!"
Be Kind
Be Respectful
Be Responsible
Work Hard
Have Fun
Persevere
