According to the U.S. Department of Education, poverty, regardless of level, is strongly linked to reduced academic achievement. Students who live in poverty come to school, daily, without the proper tools for success. As a result, they lag behind their classmates physically, socially, emotionally and/or cognitively. Fifty one percent of children, in Detroit, live in poverty (U.S. Census Bureau, 2016).

"Kids Count Data Book" compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that 1 in 5 kids, in Michigan live in poverty. Michigan ranked No. 44 for kids living in communities with concentrations of poverty, or one of the worst six states in the country. Wayne County had the highest percentage of children living in high-poverty neighborhoods.

“Detroit still has the highest poverty rate of any major city in the country, and it still has a very undereducated population. Those living in extremely poor neighborhoods are at a greatly reduced likelihood of success and upward economic mobility.” (Kurt Metzger, Data Driven Detroit, April, 2018).