Shana, did you really mean to say "inner city and _other_
          disadvantaged children"?

          Do you assume that it is a _disadvantage_ to live in the
          inner city?  I went to school in the Bronx and then in
          Manhattan.  The disadvantages I experienced in such an urban
          situation included the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the
          Museum of Modern Art, the American Museum of Natural
          History, the New York Botanical Gardens, the Brooklyn
          Botanical Gardens, the Brooklyn Children's Museum, the
          Museum of the City of New York, free tours led by Urban Park
          Rangers in each borough, the Bronx Zoo, the Central Park
          Zoo, Riverside Park, Central Park, Van Cortlandt Park,
          Prospect Park, the New York Aquarium, and Columbia
          University.

          We need to be careful with our language sometimes, so that
          we do not marginalize children or anyone we serve.
          "Disadvantaged" children are sometimes rural, with less
          cultural resources available to them.  "Disadvantaged"
          children are sometimes in the inner city, unaware that
          such resources abound around them.  I recommend that we
          try to use language which is specific, replacing terms which
          describe the children (e.g."disadvantaged" or "at risk kid")
          with specifics which describe the environment of the
          audience we are reaching, such as "children from low income
          families" or "children at risk of failing in school" or
          "children at risk of experiencing violence in their
          community" or "children from populations which are
          underserved by my institution." I do not mean to split
          hairs, but it is a sensitive issue which I think deserves
          careful thought.  Risk is inherent to all of our lives,
          including severe depression experienced by high achievers.
          I know too many inner-city people of color who are sick of
          being labelled "at risk." At risk of what?  Being
          marginalized by those of us with the best intents?


          Kellyx Nelson
          [log in to unmask]
          Opinions are my own and all other requisite disclaimers.