About BackPack

It all began with a thesis project addressing the United States' flawed education system, it's impact on low-income communities, and how those relationships translate to mass incarceration.

Our Why

BackPack was inspired by creating change among a flawed, outdated and disparity-driven system. Our goal is to establish safe and sustainable futures for youth among minority and poverty-driven areas that are not equipped with the adequate resources to provide a positive and quality public school experience.

Access to Education

Education from an early age is imperative to how well a child has the possibility and opportunity to succeed in the future, but sometimes quality programs become increasingly inaccessible especially in low-income families. Ludovica Gambara, author of An Qual Start?: Providing Quality Early Education and Care for Disadvantaged Children, defines and measures quality education via the structure and process of educational programs. The majority of these measures pertain to the relationships children experience from their peers, teachers and various environments – both in and out of the classroom. Unfortunately, it has become more apparent that students among privileged backgrounds are more likely to experience education and care of a higher caliber, whereas middle-to-low income families may rely on government programs. Often times these programs are selective and depend on private funding, creating more disparity for children to participate. The average cost of school-based early childhood care programs for a four-year old child is $7,705 US which is roughly 40% of a family’s income living within the poverty line. When a family or parent cannot afford proper education for their child, it hinders the opportunity for them to establish healthy and sustainable relationships with peers and those of authority.

The bonds that children develop in their early years are crucial in how they will foster new and old relationships in the future, as well as interact with society in general. Education is the forefront of these affairs, so experiencing poor or limited programs discourages the desire to learn and can ultimately lead children and young teens to participate in criminal activities.

Learn more about juvenile crime and prison reform here.

"The bonds that children develop are crucial in how they will foster relationships in the future."

Our How

Coming across mentors and role models of similar ages and interests among at-risk youth communities are slim. BackPack makes this easier by providing students the opportunity and lead, learn and grow from one another in a safe environment. We also provide monthly events for parents, students and school boards to not only raise awareness, but to foster a better community.

Our Mentorship Program

The main avenue where we are creating change is through our mentorship program, which can be applied and implemented in any public high school throughout metropolitan areas. The goal of this program is to build strong and healthy relationships with peers that share similar interests and experiences, allowing older students to become role models while also providing younger students with necessary resources to succeed in social and academic environments.

Juniors or Seniors currently enrolled in a public high school are able to apply to become a mentor for Freshman and Sophomore students that attend the same school. Before matches have been set, student mentors go through a 1-Week orientation and training process in order to equip them with the best resources and advice. Pairings are made through a mutual selection process that is curated via a personality assessment quiz. Once a match has been made, student mentors meet up with their mentee once a week to check-in and once a month plan an event with other participants of the program.

We pride ourself in our "hands-off" approach that allows students to take full lead of all event organizations, check-ins and other opportunities that may arise. At BackPack, trust is one of our top priorities and we believe that students should have more opportunities to grow and learn without the overwhelming structure and surveillance from those of authority.

Learn more about our mentorship program or register/apply here!

Meet Brianna

Designer, Curator and Founder of BackPack

Since the age of podcasts, crime documentaries and admittedly cliche detective shows I've long been interested in the world of crime. Coming from a relatively privileged background, though, I never understood how these interests may be misleading.

For my undergrad senior thesis, "Closing the Gap", I dive into these naive perceptions and provide a true outlook on how crime affects our society. As education increases in its value and decrease in its affordance, I also analyze how the class system has become extremely detrimental to the success of the youth living in low-income communities around the United States.

Relatable human connection is the forefront of positive developmental experiences, which is why I created BackPack as a response to my thesis. I hope this provides an avenue for you to educate yourself and your circle on the disparities that continue to rise within

the United States.