Opportunity Grows Where Communities Show Up

Behind every successful student is a strong community.

At Merit, we’ve seen firsthand how a little structured support can change the course of a student’s life. When students gain access to resources, mentorship, and guidance,  their pathways transform and the ripple effect strengthens entire communities.

But don’t just take our word for it. Through our work with bold organizations tackling inequities in education, we’ve heard over and over again throughout research from people who recognize that access to opportunity isn’t universal.  Some have lived it. Others simply refuse to accept it.  All want to make sure every student has a real shot at success.

That’s why we stand with the educators, advocates, and changemakers working to make success possible for every student.

The struggle is real…

“There's a lot of neglect. Kids these days—they don't know how to deal with life. And a lot of kids are just struggling.” — Minister, Youth Volunteer

And our involvement can help bridge the gap.

“You get kids or young adults at a time where they're trying to just figure out so much, and I feel like it seems almost criminal to not try and help as best you can... It constantly surprises me, the number of children or kids or young adults who no one's ever told them, ‘You're smart, you're capable’.” — Personal Trainer, School Volunteer

Let’s surface options to inspire and excite…

“With one of my students—a really bright girl—I said, ‘Let's talk about some career options for you’. And she said ‘I want to do what my grandma does’. So I'm excited because she has some plans, right? Then, she said, “She's a hostess at the diner.” How can I tell you there's more when you've never seen that and convince you, in your mind, that it's attainable for you.” — High School Counselor

And do our best in giving back.

“I grew up in the inner city, troubled neighborhoods. You know, not the best background, lower income... Through my employer there's a lot of programming that's done with high school students that come from the inner city. So, I've always tried my best to partake in all of that programming, giving back to the community that I grew up in. Things like put on food bank drives, and go to a high school to speak to them and give a college perspective.” — Sales Executive, Youth Volunteer