This is the first of a four-part series called Taking it to the Streets: Reaching Black Students Where They Live, A Times Weekly exclusive. Kay Bolden is a Times Weekly features writer.

While the national push is on to recruit, train and support a new generation of Black teachers, the achievement gap between white and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students continues to grow. In response, some nonprofits are bringing education directly into community spaces, and inspiring Black students to succeed.

“I wanted to fill the void. I wanted the Black youth in my community to have the opportunity to reach their full potential.” With that simple goal, Joliet-native John Lucas founded the nonprofit Step into the Light Foundation in the fall of 2019.

The Foundation’s Next Level program helps Black youth access the best opportunities for placement in our nation’s top colleges, universities, conservatories, internships, and apprenticeships. Lucas and his corps of volunteers work to ensure that students of color receive access to high-stakes educational opportunities through mentorship, leadership development and community education. Mentors and educators talk with students and parents about educational opportunities including access to top colleges and universities, as well as competitive internships, fellowships, research opportunities and apprenticeships.

“We work with students and parents’ one-on-one, helping them prep for interviews, or arranging college visits. We help them build self-confidence as they begin to navigate life after high school,” Lucas says.

Lucas, a graduate of Joliet Central High School, pursued musical theater and dance at Millikin University. Now an accomplished entertainment artist, speaker, and educator, he has performed around the globe for Hong Kong Disneyland, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Bally’s Las Vegas, Google, Target, and Apple.

“So many Black high school students in our community have the grades and the credentials to apply to highly selective schools, Ivy League institutions, or prestigious Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs),” Lucas says, “but they don’t know their options. And high school counselors don’t always ‘see’ Black students as good fits for prestigious colleges.”

That’s where the foundation comes in. “I want Black youth to have the equal access that they deserve,” Lucas says. “So often Black students are made to feel “invisible”. But our Blackness can be empowering.”

While the national push is on to recruit, train and support a new generation of Black teachers for K-12 classrooms, the achievement gap between white and BIPOC students continues to grow. Some parents and educators, like Lucas, say they can’t wait months or years for those efforts to bear fruit; they’ve taken on the job themselves.

Lucas recalls a Step into the Light student who had a 4.4 GPA; she was being recruited by Duke, University of Chicago, and other top schools. “She just didn’t realize that she could compete on that level, and there was no one around her who could encourage her to aim high,” Lucas said.

With just under 7,000 students, Joliet High School District 204 report card shows that the school has an overall graduation rate of 80%, but that almost 50% of students are chronically absent. About 57% of the student body is low-income; Black students make up less than 20% of the student body. The achievement gap between white and BIPOC students, measured by the SAT scores in 11th grades, hovers between 25-30%

The high school achievement gap follows the stark difference in test scores from elementary school and junior high. The Joliet Grade School District 86 school report card shows that less than 7% of Black third graders were meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations in English/Language Arts. In Math, less than 5% of Black students were meeting or exceeding expectations. (By contrast, one-third of white students were hitting those benchmarks.)

As an educator, Lucas has 20 years of experience teaching dance movement to individuals ranging from ages 7 years to adults. He has taught for various dance studios, conventions, afterschool programs, and summer camps in the Midwest and the East Coast. Because of his own experience, he has a special commitment to advocating for Black students who wish to pursue careers in the arts.

“When I was in high school, Joliet Central had a top-rated, award-winning band. I think about all those talented students who marched and played in that band, or students were gifted in singing or acting or dance but didn’t know there were music or theater and band scholarships available to them for college.” Parents and family members may not know how to navigate the search for scholarships or the college application process.

“We want Black youth to have every opportunity to reach their goals,” Lucas concluded.

Step into the Light Foundation is online at http://stepn2thelight.com/.