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School supplies for success

Posted at 7:32 PM, Aug 27, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-27 20:32:02-04

Getting most kids excited to go back to school can be a test in itself. But preparing them with all the school supplies they'll need for the coming year that all too often falls on the parent's plate alone.

Right now in the state of Wisconsin there's a gap in graduation rates and school success between white people and black people. Today a non-profit in the Fox Cities is making sure all kids have the school supplies they need as to not contribute to that trend.

African Heritage Inc. which is ran 100 percent by volunteers is handing back packs and all the supplies needed to start the year off to black youth today. They've been doing this for over five years because they don't want to see African American kids go without.

"It is very difficult; it is very expensive in getting school supplies together. But we also take in consideration not only the interest of children and family members but also teachers. We know quite well that many teachers out there are spending their own private funding to pay for supplies for children," says Dr. Bola Delano the co-founder of African Heritage Inc.

The Appleton Area School District has about 16-thousand kids but only about 800 of them identify as black. Through all of these different families meeting up in Appleton today it reinforces the fact that these kids are not the only African Americans in this community.