Quality afterschool programs provide safe engaging and fun learning experiences to help children and youth develop their social emotional physical cultural and academic skills.

Children themselves know they are being cheated. Ultimately we owe it to our children. They are in school for 190 days a year. Every moment they spend learning is precious. If a year goes by and they are not being stretched and excited that blights their life.

During the days of segregation there was not a place of higher learning for African Americans. They were simply not welcome in many of the traditional schools. And from this backward policy grew the network of historical black colleges and universities.

I spent a lot of time in the school psychologist's office. I didn't apply myself. My mother thought I had learning disabilities.

It disturbs me when Obama says in the State of the Union address that he wants to make dropping out of school at 18 illegal because people learn differently and before there are forms of learning for every type of person in the world we shouldn't be condemned for leaving.

I get stubborn and dig in when people tell me I can't do something and I think I can. It goes back to my childhood when I had problems in school because I have a learning disability.

As I was coming up it always seemed like I was learning. If it wasn't from school it was the 'hood. The influences of the 'hood are very powerful.

When I was 8 years old I knew nothing about martial arts. The coach told me I was talented with learning martial arts and put me in a school.

I am involved with 'Write Girl ' which is such a great organization because they go into inner city schools and work with underprivileged girls to pair them up with other writers. And it gets them learning to express themselves and become familiar with their own voice. They have a 100% success ratio getting those girls into college.

From the time I started school it was clear to everyone that I wasn't learning at the same pace as other kids.