We are pleased to announce that BAU Faculty and Unreasonable Kids College Founder Ateba Whitaker is the recipient of the 2021 UPLIFT (Unity, Public Service, Leadership, Innovation, Friendship, Teamwork) Award for her contribution and service to the Norfolk community with the Scholars Advance Program. The Scholars Advance Program, part of Unreasonable Kids College’s programming, provides needed support to students living in low socio-economic neighborhoods struggling in core subjects like reading and math, has been selected as one of the UPLIFT Awards winners.

In 2021 in response to Covid-19, Unreasonable Kids College won a 100K grant from Outschool to fund the Scholars Advance Program, giving 267 Norfolk Public School students from Larrymore Elementary and Richard Bowling Elementary an opportunity to take two online courses in math and reading. The 10-week tutoring sessions in a Lego play and social learning format helping students better understand complex concepts that inhibit them from passing the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL). Students also received wireless headphones, backdrops for the online course, along with materials and supplies for free. The Scholars Advance Program ran from February to April 2021 and ended with a positive impact.

About the Scholar Advance Program

The Scholar Advance program offers extra support to mostly Black and LatinX children struggling to pass the Virginia Standards of Learning Assessments in reading and math. Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) establish minimum expectations for what students should know and be able to do at the end of each grade or course in English and mathematics. The Scholars Advance Program focuses on UN SDG 4: Quality Education to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education to inspire students living in low socio-economic communities to become lifelong learners.

About the UPLIFT Award

The UPLIFT (Unity, Public Service, Leadership, Innovation, Friendship & Teamwork) Awards seek to recognize those who performed service that benefited their community and the residents of Norfolk during the pandemic. The UPLIFT Award winners include individuals, civic leagues or community organizations, businesses, non-profits, and religious organizations – any individual or group that made a meaningful impact in the community to help others.