Education
Urban Concern's Education Programs empower students to be agents of positive change in South Linden.
Harambee Christian School (HCS)
 At the core of improved quality of life lies the need for quality education. Urban Concern addresses this critical need by operating the Harambee Christian School (HCS).
HCS opened in 1998 with 15 kindergarten students. Currently, HCS serves 87 students in grades K-5. 80% of HCS students qualify for free lunch. Over 70% live in the South Linden community.
Harambee Christian School has established a distinguished record of academic achievement. Our students routinely outpace achievement levels of area public schools. For example, while area public school students typically achieve around the 20th percentile on the Metropolitan Achievement Test (light gray bars on the right), low-income students at Harambee School achieve well above the 50th percentile (dark gray bars on the left).
In addition to a rigorous academic curriculum in the core subjects, HCS students also get hands on experience with technology, economics and service opportunities.
HCS is a private school and not a charter school. Since most families are low-income, HCS relies on the support of various individuals, churches, foundations and businesses for funding. The Harambee Scholarship Campaign raises these funds for families in need.
After School Program (ASP)
 Fifty-three (53) students per day attend the ASP for a safe learning environment. Students who attend the ASP successfully complete and submit their daily homework assignments nearly 90% of the time. The ASP provides an extended school day for students at Harambee Christian School. It also serves the parents who often need a safe place for their children to be after school. The ASP has served the community since 1990. Huntington Bank and the Nationwide Foundation have funded the ASP for many years.
Economic Literacy
Harambee Imports, a business run by Harambee School's fourth and fifth grade students, is part of the school's economic literacy program. Students buy hand-made goods from the House of Love mission in Thailand. This mission cares for HIV-positive women who were sold into slavery as children, and then abandoned when they became ill. It also takes care of their sick children. Proceeds of the sale support this mission and the economic literacy program at Harambee.
Job Club. Boys & girls who are 12-13 years old have participated in the Summer Job Club since 2002. Participating students receive classroom instruction on basic job skills, as well as real-world work experience that benefits the community. They receive a stipend for their labor. Half of the stipend is deposited in a savings account for use when the student graduates from high school. In 2007, 24 students participated in the Summer Job Club. This program has become a model for other community development organizations around the U.S.
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