Teen Black And Glow Party Shines Light On Education and Local Non-Profit

On a night of tricks and treats, one group of teens set out to use their time to give a treat instead. Four 8th grade honor student/athletes from Parker Junior High in Flossmoor, Illinois decided to host a party-with-a-purpose on Halloween to bring awareness to educational needs in their community by collecting supplies and donations for a local foundation that provides scholarships for tutoring services. The result . . . hundreds of school supplies donated and $100 raised toward the scholarship fund.

Maya Harrell (13), Skylar Hayes (13), Sammari Meeks (13) and Lia Sidberry (13) all love math and sports. These ambitious, kind hearted ladies knew they wanted to make a difference but they also knew that getting their peers involved might be a challenge so they decided to start with what they knew would work . . . a party! So, on a cold, rainy Halloween evening, thirty-five 8th graders, all dressed in something black and something that glowed, danced to music provided by Grammy award winning DJ Maurice Joshua, who donated his services to the cause as well. The teens danced, played basketball and roasted marshmallows while making a difference for others. As one party goer put it, “who knew that giving back could be so much fun!”

So why this cause and this organization? Maya Harrell believes that “education should not be dependent on how much money you have. I receive tutoring from Masters Plus and it helps a lot. Others should have that same opportunity. We spend money on coaches to get better in our sports, why not on our education”.

When asked what drives these young social entrepreneurs, Sammari Meeks states emphatically, “Teens should give back so that our eyes are opened to the real world and so that we know that everyone may not be as fortunate. We need to understand someone else’s life”. Lia Sidberry added that “education is important because it’s the foundation for success in life” and Skylar Hayes summed it up by saying to be leaders “we need to start new trends and set an example for others”.

Zena Smith, Founder of MASTERs Plus and OASIS Educational Foundation, could not agree more. Growing up in the housing projects of Pittsburg Pennsylvania, Zena found her way out through education, graduating with honors, from Clark-Atlanta University. She’s now dedicated to the educational success of all children but specifically those who have been historically disadvantaged.

Demonstrating creativity, leadership and focus on education through their Black and Glow Party, these teens give us hope for a brighter future.

OASIS Educational Foundation is the scholarship arm of MASTERs Plus Tutoring, providing educational services through free subject tutoring and test preparation services. To learn more about MASTERs Plus or to sponsor a child through the OASIS Educational Foundation, please visit mptutors.com.