Dr. David Childs, D.D., Ph.D.
Northern Kentucky University
The Oxford Dictionary defines a democracy as a:
“Government by the people; that form of government in which the sovereign power resides in the people as a whole, and is exercised either directly by them (as in the small republics of antiquity) or by officers elected by them.
In modern use, often more vaguely denoting a social state in which all have equal rights, without hereditary or arbitrary differences of rank or privilege.”
Pulling from the latter definition we can say that equal rights also involves equal treatment and providing equal access. Further, one can talk about the notion of equity which goes beyond treating everyone the exact same but a sort of “leveling the playing field” in our society. That is, meeting individuals at the point of their need. The idea of equity denotes that some people may need more resources than others. As such, in this Democracy and Me post, we would like to highlight an outstanding non-profit organization in our community that is meeting youth at the point of their needs.
Mentoring Plus is an organization that helps at-risk youth. In their own words Mentoring Plus, “brings guidance and hope to kids in our community. Our devoted mentors provide high-risk teens with support in a nurturing environment, so together they overcome challenges and achieve success. Learn more about the transformative power of Mentoring Plus with a personal tour.”
Please be sure to visit the Mentoring Plus website to see how you can volunteer or donate to help the organization. This is a way to support local efforts in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region and do a better job of supporting the marginalized youth, whose voices are often silenced in our democratic society.
Please share what resources you find useful for your teaching.
We are open to feedback and discussion. If you see any typos or grammatical errors please feel free to email the author and editor at the address below:
childsd1@nku.edu
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