The U.S. government embraces the Principle of Equality, and it is what guides our country’s chief administrative office in its strategic objective to “expose racism and racial discrimination endemic to every society”. Racial Equity is one of the current administration's immediate priorities, according to President Biden’s press brief dated March 21, 2021. It reads:
Only if we take the time to read each federal agency's strategic goals and business results can we measure how well the country is faring in its efforts toward racial justice. What we can do is begin where we are planted—at home and in our community.
Within the Operation Xcel community are families whose zip codes, family size, and occupations indicate that their median household income is lower than those of its immediate surrounding areas. These families comprise most of the children that Operation Xcel serves in its programs. The majority of students that attend Operation Xcel are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Families whose students attend Operation Xcel after-school programs cannot afford tutoring at places with similar programming to help prepare their children academically, socially, physically, and socially for successful futures. Operation Xcel is committed to providing equal access to quality education, regardless of the racial makeup or economic status of the participating families, as outlined in our mission and vision.
According to tutors.com, the cost of a comparable afterschool program ranges from $40 to $100 per hour per child for STEM tutoring programs and $290 per month per child for academic coaching or advancement classes. Operation Xcel does not charge families to attend its STEAM-based after-school and summer programs. Meanwhile, summer academic camps in Greensboro can cost anywhere between $275 to $399 for a 5-day week, depending on the type of camp the child attends (such as beginner robotics, engineering, programming, Lego bots, cybersecurity, etc.). Parents can enroll their child(ren) in our Three Steps Ahead Summer Program for free during the 6-week summer camp. Not only does the Summer Program ensure that students maintain competencies that prepare them for the next grade, but our students can skip paying anything for this state-of-the-art STEAM-based summer program. On the other hand, other local summer camps charge between $1650 and $2394 per child to attend for six weeks. These camps also do not include the Arts in their programming.
Operation Xcel can afford to offer these programs because our Board of Directors and Chief Executive Director are fiscally responsible for securing and administering grant funding, donations, and sponsorships. The funding helps to promote and sustain our programs and pays for the experts who teach, mentor, and coach our students to achieve exceptional results each month of every year. Our site directors and teachers are experienced teachers and administrators in the Guilford County public schools. Consider Operation Xcel's impact and results in the Annual Reports shown on their website. Nine out of ten students show growth in math, reading, and science, while all students improved in at least three competency areas. Operation Xcel achieves and exceeds the expectations of the families it serves and the donors who support its programs without regard to the student’s race, learning differences, or any other difference.
Operation Xcel is a diverse organization that embraces the unique culture and communication style of all the people it serves—students, staff, parents, volunteers, and other customers. As a quilt of many colors and patterns, Operation Xcel supports, collaborates, and embraces one another’s unique differences while understanding and expecting they can rely on each other to offer invaluable programs to everyone, especially those families often overlooked, marginalized, and underserved.
