The kNOw Youth write letters to their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) about the importance of education and how they as young people are or aren’t receiving the support they need to become successful.
Dear Mom,
I’m really glad to have you in my life. Not just because you’re my mother, but also because of your love and support. You are always there. I love waking up to your morning yawns and the way you gently shake me awake. I appreciate how you rush me to school in the morning and tell me day after day to work hard and focus. You are the true motivation that gets me going in the morning and try hard during classes. You let me know you care by asking if I have any homework and about my day. I know that I have a lot of weaknesses when it comes to education, but your encouragement makes me try harder, study harder, and eventually do better. Because of you supporting me so much, I want a good education so one day hopefully I can support you. You make me want to make you proud. Thanks so much mom!
Love,
Angelina
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Dear Momma,
I wish you would realize how much impact you have in my life. When I was younger, I needed you to make me do my homework, make me study, make me read more books. I needed it. I realized that school was important, but I felt that if you didn’t care enough about it, why should I? You didn’t check my homework to see if it was done. You didn’t make sure I was reading or sign my reading log each day. Why didn’t you keep me focused? Why didn’t you care about my future? I could be so much more.
I wouldn’t be going through what I am going through if I only had more knowledge, good studying habits/strategies. I needed you to push me. I needed the motivation, the drilling and the strictness.
Sincerely,
Laqusha
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Dear Mom and Dad,
My life at school is somewhat easy, but hard. I get stressed and the role you both take towards me helps very little. I love you guys and all, but the attitude you give me makes me feel so small.
Every time I get home from a long day at school, I come home to yelling. Mom, the first thing I usually hear from you, other than you yelling at my brothers, are “take out the trash!” or “wash the dishes!” You don’t even bother to ask me how my day was, even though you know I’m irritated from all the work and drama at school. Dad, you help me out a lot; but when it comes to school, you act like you know what I’m going through. Yes, you both encourage me to do my best in school and to have a future, but I feel like I don’t get enough motivation about school. School is not the same as it was when you were attending. It has changed on so many levels.
I’m writing to you because I want to be able to feel like you care about my education. I know your work is hard; but knowing I’m the last of your children to be in school, the one left to hopefully graduate and get a diploma, should make you want to motivate me more than how little you are doing now? I want you both to get more involved in my school life. Motivate me to join a sport or a club. I know I’m not old enough to make my own choices, but can you at least encourage me to do better?
Don’t get me wrong, you guys are fantastic parents. I can talk to you when I need something. It’s just that I feel like you don’t care about my education. I’m not saying you don’t care because I know you do, it’s just the feeling I get that makes me feel alone. So I’m just asking for help, encouragement, and motivation towards my education and choices in the future. I love you guys. Thanks for life you gave me!
Your daughter,
Anna
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Dear Mom and Dad,
Thank you for always supporting my education. You guys always teach me that education is important and crucial to my future. I remember when I was younger; you would always wake me up in the mornings so I could get ready for school. I actually miss those days in my childhood, because now that I’m in high school, I’m responsible for waking up on time to make it to school. Some mornings I find it really hard to get out of bed and sometimes I feel less motivated to go to school.
However, when I do have those mornings, you guys are always there to ask, “Aren’t you going to school?” My usual response is, of course, “yes I am going to school.” Thank you for always making it possible for me to stay in school, even though you couldn’t because of familial situations and/or transportation issues. You guys motivate me to go to school, not just for my future, but OUR future.
Your Daughter,
Arena
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Dear Mom,
If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be where I am today. But I wish you weren’t so worrisome. Just let me live my college life, because the cold fact is as soon as I turn 18, I’m gonna be out the house a lot anyways. I’m gonna be traveling a lot, being over at my friends a lot, and at school a lot more. I might as well start now. These restrictions are gonna affect my schoolwork, because I’m constantly stressing over what is being kept away from me.
Sincerely,
Kevis
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Dear Mom,
First of all, I would like to thank you for being there for me as I was growing up. You have played the biggest part in my life, especially in my school life. Growing up I have been to so many different schools and I also had to deal with getting bullied and racism. I was about ready to give up on trying to learn and my education, but there you were giving me good advice, telling me never to give up and not let anyone or anything get in my way of getting the best education.
You have even been there for me when I needed help on my homework. Mom, even though you have six other children you still found the time to help me with homework and give advice on my school issues. I never thought that I would graduate high school because of all the negative things that were in my way, but you encouraged me to keep trying and now I am a high school graduate and I am thinking about college.
Right now, I am babysitting for you, mom, because you can’t afford a babysitter or daycare. We don’t have good enough transportation. When you went to school, it was challenging because you had me at the age of 16, but you still graduated from an actual high school and got some college. We all have our own challenges that make it hard for us to attend school, but that’s what makes it worth while. Thank you so much for everything mom.
Sincerely,
Chanda
Dear Mama,
I know I’m out of school right now, but I’m not done “learning” yet. As many times as I wanted to quit, you pushed me to keep going. You made me strive for what I wanted; you made me finish high school because you wouldn’t allow me to fail. If I did fail, I could not face you. I don’t go to school because it costs too much. You don’t go because you work and you don’t need to go. Everyone expects so much out of us, and I guess we need a break.
Your daughter,
JV
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Dear Mom,
I am very thankful for you being actively involved in my education. Always trying to get me in all the classes that were required, and taking that extra time out of your day to go down to my school and have a conference with my teachers. Also, for making sure that by the time I went to sleep all my homework was done or else I wouldn’t be able to watch TV or talk on the phone the next day. I know it must have been frustrating for you, all those hours at the dinner table trying to help me with my Algebra II homework, but you helped me pass my class with a B.
I know you try your hardest to keep me in school, since you weren’t able to finish your college education that you wanted because you had my sister. I will try to do the best of my ability to make you proud and make something out of myself like you always want me to. I will make a change in this world, Mom, you just wait and see.
Your loving daughter,
Gracie
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Mom,
To be honest, you didn’t play a good role at all in my educational life, and you know it. I never really had support from you about being in school, going to school, or doing any work at all for school. It seemed to me as if you didn’t care enough to help me get a good education or to push forward in school.
What you could have done to make it a little easier was encourage me by telling me I am smart and that I can do good if I set my mind to do it. You could have also done the typical things a mother should do, like tell me to do my homework. I know to do my homework, but telling me to do it plays a big part in motherhood. Sometimes I just feel as though you didn’t care if I did it or not, and after I did do it, check it. Make sure I did it even if you don’t know the answers. At least attempt to look over it.
But now I have people in my life that do help me accomplish more at school, such as friends, teachers, etc. I guess it was hard for you to stay in school because you were distracted. Dropping out in your freshman year really put you on the wrong track. Then came my sister and then came me. Now you still don’t have a high school education or do you have a college degree, not even a job. So you now see where having no high school education can lead you. Giving me the support I want and need to go and finish school was much needed.
Thank you,
LaKenya
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Dear Mom and Dad,
I know you didn’t have a great education as you grew up, but I admire that, as time progressed, you strived to get your high school diploma and are continuing to use that drive to complete many other courses in college.
I am very excited that you told me to complete my homework even when I didn’t want to. I thank you that even though you didn’t know the answer to my math problems, you encouraged me to pay attention to the instructor, just a little bit more. I know that many times, you didn’t know most of the answers to all my questions, but you took time to help me by purchasing products that helped make a difference in my education to not only better myself, but better the future to come after me. I am thankful that you would encourage me to stay in school and continue to strive for the best even though you knew that you didn’t. Many times you weren’t actively involved in my school, but you taught me how to stand up for myself on pressing issues that affected my way of learning.
Your Son,
Jesse
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Dear Legal Guardian,
Thank you for your words of encouragement. They have helped me in many ways. Even though I chose not to correct my faults, you offered your wishes that helped me become who I am today; while my parents did their own thing without me. It pains me to see the negative elements I brought forth.
When our bodies are at work, we are ministers. But when divine will is at work, we are leaders. Also, you showed me that a man’s wealth is in his knowledge of self, love, and spirituality. Also, you’ve shown me that a worldly loss often turns into a spiritual gain. I’ve learned that gratefulness in the character is like the fragrance of a flower. Now I live by this love, like a net where hearts are caught like fish.
Sincerely your loving grandchild,
Marcus
Dear Mom,
From as far as I could remember you have always left my future in education up to me and only me! You never cared if I woke up late or skipped a few days of school. Good thing I went down the right path, but no thanks to you. I would never forget the time I was up late doing my homework, and all you had to say was, “Hurry up and turn off that damn light!” I know I never showed it, but I needed your support mom. I needed that little motivation from my mother, YOU. Just to hear you say I was doing a good job would have made my heart smile. I love you, and always will, but no thanks to you I will be graduating from high school.
-Patrice
In 2006, over 25 youth began participating in weekly after-school writing workshops where they congregated in the hallway of a two-story building in West Fresno and learned the essentials of creating media and telling their stories. The group evolved over the next five years and is now proudly recognized as The kNOw Youth Media.
Through our program, we create opportunities for our youth participants, who in turn create long-term positive change in their communities. Our approach weaves youth development and youth media innovation to produce our biannual youth publication, multimedia projects, and community forums.
The kNOw began as a project of New America Media, which was the country’s first and largest national collaboration and advocate of 2000 ethnic news organizations. In 2018 The kNOw became a project of Youth Leadership Institute.
