Public School made us for this moment.
We understand the moral imperative of public education — the common good— and through ACSF programming, we are gaining the skills to lead — not one day after high school or college but RIGHT NOW.
As REAP ambassadors and DREAM team mentors, we have spent the past year working with students and educators within Asheville City Schools, exploring civil rights history in Atlanta and Alabama, visiting Washington to meet with legislators, rallying with NC educators on May Day, organizing from the archives, and creating community around the idea that public education is Freedom.
We have sharpened our critical thinking by becoming properly informed on past and present injustices, learning how to spot harmful misinformation and connecting the injustices of the past with those we see today. We have strengthened our communication skills so that we can be peer mentors and lead discussions that increase cultural understanding.
We know:
- ACSF programming provides us with real experiences that lead to real conversations and real skills for leading and being in community.
- ACSF programming is accessible and there is a place for everyone.
- ACSF programming provides opportunities for students to discover new passions and new friends while earning a living wage paycheck for the hours we meet and work!
We are asking you to support us this year by:
- Giving money: It’s important to have a foundation like ACSF with funding and freedom outside the schools because funding coming directly from North Carolina to public schools isn’t enough. Private school vouchers are draining money from our classrooms and current legislation is impacting our ability to learn real and accurate history.
- Giving time by attending one of our intergenerational community events like EDTalks on February 25, 2027 at Asheville High School.
- Giving your voice to spread our message that creating change cannot come just from a small group of students or one organization, but must be a community-wide movement.
When you fund ACSF, you’ll be supporting students in finding meaning, purpose, and what brings us alive in this moment and you will be investing not just in our cause but in actual impact to students who are making big moves RIGHT NOW inside our schools and beyond.