Jackie Rae Show Ep 108: Preschool to Prison Pipeline: One Man's Mission to Change the Narrative

According to A National Survey of Children's Health, 50,000 preschoolers are suspended at least once; on average, 250 preschoolers are expelled or suspended every school day. Overwhelmingly, those children are disproportionately Black.

The higher rates of excessive discipline for Black children can lead to a number of issues. Even if the child is not suspended, children understand when they are not seen as good enough and often react negatively to that, leading to higher dropout rates and often incarceration, creating the preschool-to-prison pipeline.

Ishmael Pruitt is hoping to change the trajectory for young students who might find themselves in that pipeline. His struggles in college and his years working as a professional in higher education led him to believe that the solution to social change comes through education and empowerment of students.

"My life's mission is to stimulate the ambition of our next generation of leaders," says Pruitt, who believes that "when students are able to see themselves beyond their inherited circumstances, their understanding of education is shifted from a destination to a tool that will create better days for themselves, their families, and their communities."

This belief led him to become the co-founder and CEO of Project Optimism. This non-profit organization works directly with schools to ensure students see the value of education and are not left behind.

To learn more about Ishmael Pruitt, follow him on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/ishmaeldpruitt

Learn more about Project Optimism here: https://www.projectoptimism.org/

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