GivingTuesday, a global generosity movement, is today. According to their website, the day was launched in 2012 during what at the time felt like unprecedented disruption in global politics and the global economy.
Today, the effect is hundreds of millions of people concentrating support on one day, from giving their time, giving money, or giving their voice. This, all after the retail flurry that Black Friday and Cyber Monday stir up in local malls and online. In surveys taken by GivingTuesday participants, 82 percent say that GivingTuesday has inspired them to be more giving in their lives.
At ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning, every day is GivingTuesday. Giving back is core to why we do the work we do to close the achievement gap for students from underserved populations. From our partnerships; to the conferences where we present and learn; to the thought leadership we voice every day, we are working so our nation’s students have the best supports and best chance at becoming successful adults. ACT’s fee waiver program covers the fees for up to two ACT tests to be taken, and gives access to our free test prep resources ACT Online Prep, ACT Rapid Review, and ACT Academy to students from low-income families. The program also gives students the option to send score reports to more colleges for free. And, because the cost of applying to colleges can add up, students who test with an ACT fee waiver may also request a Waiver or Deferral of College Admission Applications Fee. We are working with Boys and Girls Clubs of America on a fee waiver partnership.
We have even more resources available through the American College Application Campaign (ACAC) including a college research worksheet and a college application worksheet. Through our free Steps2College website, created with our many great partners Better Make Room, Center for Postsecondary Readiness and Success, and the National College Access Network (NCAN) we have even more resources available to help students and families through the college planning journey.
Our partnership with Univision, a Spanish-language broadcast television network, has proved invaluable given the Spanish resources we are able to provide, the parent fairs we partner on around the nation, and the access and engagement we receive from Spanish-speaking families. The overall goal of our partnership is to strengthen underrepresented communities, empower students and their families, and help remove barriers to help make education equitable for all students and learners.
How might you get involved in the GivingTuesday movement? There are many organizations which help support students from underserved backgrounds, as well as organizations that support educators. With hunger and homelessness still a widespread issue in our nation, organizations that serve those in need can use support, not just today, but all year round. Time and treasure are both incredibly valuable – and every little bit can make a big difference.
Learn more about why we know we can’t achieve education equity alone from our Chief Officer Jim Larimore.