And then there is the Young People's Project, an outgrowth of Bob Moses' now legendary Algebra Project, which seeks to empower junior and senior high school students by developing their mathematical literacy. Now led by Moses' son, Omowale, (who carries the African name Malcolm X was given when he visited Nigeria), YPP was founded in 1996 in Jackson, Miss., on the belief, ''that there is work that young people can and must do to change the conditions of their lives and that math literacy work was a good place to start.''
One thousand enthusiastic celebrants at the fiftieth anniversary of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee here were credited by a top White House official with making possible the Barack Obama presidency, as the group passed the torch to a new generation fighting for a constitutional right to quality education.
The Young People's Project is hosting a summer camp at Ohio State University-Mansfield that will help to empower and help Eighth Graders at Malabar Middle School to excel in Mathematics.
With its roots firmly set in both the American Civil Rights Movement and Cambridge, Massachusetts, The Young People’s Project (YPP) promotes social justice using math literacy. Its programs have spread nationwide, teaching high school students to teach themselves and instilling in college students the value of giving back. YPP’s philosophy is that in math is opportunity and inside every young person is a world of difference, a building block of our shared community. Chad Milner is the YPP Site Director for Greater Boston and National Coordinator of Programs. Hector Acevedo is a YPP Youth Organizer and product of the program. I sat down with Chad and Hector to talk about YPP’s civil rights history, the value of investing in youth, and how math literacy can be a gateway to solving greater social needs.
Cambridge, MA – July 27, 2009 – The Young People’s Project (YPP), a national nonprofit organization that utilizes math literacy as a tool to increase learning opportunities, develop young leaders and foster community building, was awarded a $1.2 million, two-year grant to develop a five-year strategic plan to increase its capacity and impact.