I WANT THIS FOR EVERYONE

SEED School story on 60 minutes 

 "I want this for everyone." as Rajiv Vinnakota, an American born of immigrant Indian parents who were both professional educators, states regarding educational opportunities for kids of poor economic, social, and academic backgrounds. I wanted to leave a more relevant "social footprint" in the world during my life than my molecular biology career, states Rajiv. To start fulfilling this desire, Vinnakota, with a partner, established the SEED School, a charter boarding school in Washington D.C. Its emphasis is on prep academics to reach kids who've fallen through the cracks in the public education system and ready them for college. Environment, personal discipline, and social skills are the key ingredients to success for each student as they live and study in the 24 hour setting of the boarding school. Not everyone stays once they enter, but those who stay the course reflect a 97% entrance rate into college.

From chapter 7. "Lives Well Lived." are some of Vinnakota's responses about living a Life of Meaning.

"I can think of no higher calling than being in the education field."

"I wanted to change the system, but one of the things I learned is that you can only do it one child at a time."

Of the 80% of students who come from below the poverty line, one-parent, or no parent homes, 93% of those don't know anyone who has gone to college."

It doesn't involve just academics. It means understanding risky behaviors and making sure to curtail them. (Regarding social training) "We have an etiquette class with everything from how to sit at a table and eat, welcome and thank adults, how to look them in the eye, and how to shake their hands."

"We have 4 mental health counselors whose portfolios are completely overwhelmed with the time they need to spend with our students...For many of them we're the first time society has acknowledged the fact that they have special needs."

"To give our students (confidence) around people of wealth...we have talked about integrating interactions among low, middle, and high income people.

On male student retention:

"At times our students can't say why they're leaving the school."

On the high drop-out of African-American boys versus girls and the contributing concept of an anti-intellectualism toward education in boys...(being behind several grades) they get frustrated in class and they act out...and must be disciplined...when they leave it appears as a discipline issue when they are just so far behind to adequately catch up academically, more so than our girls."

"A twenty-four hour environment, adult role models, rigorous academic structure, people who care and because we're willing to spend money so our students get support...willing to do all those things, this model works. I want this for everyone."