Issues

The issues that affect our communities vary, and so should our approaches to addressing them.

Concerns regarding the upward mobility, information literacy, and impacts of classism on vulnerable communities fuel our ethical and inclusive approach to real world problems analysis and our search for practical solutions.

Economic Inequality

Senior man with glasses on, sitting at a desk looking at documents

Upward mobility is the ability to improve socioeconomic status, or to move to a higher social or economic position.

Median Household Income: 69,000(vs.71,000 for GA, U.S. Census 2022)
Poverty Rate: 12.5% (higher than GA’s 13.1%, but pockets like South DeKalb see rates >20%)
Unemployment Rate (2024): 4.1% (slightly above GA’s 3.8%)
Racial Wealth Gap: Black households earn ~58% of White households’ income (Atlanta Fed, 2023)

Education Equity

Information literacy requires understanding how to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively. This skill makes a difference in how you navigate modern society. Knowledge can provide you with awareness of your rights, dignity, and independence.

Quality education is unevenly distributed, with underfunded schools in low-income areas.
High School Graduation Rate: 83% (below GA’s 85%)
Digital Divide: 15% of students lack reliable home internet (DeKalb County School District, 2023)

Health Disparities

Senior woman sitting on a park bench alone

Classism, a belief, behavior, or system that favors or discriminates based on social or economic class- is the root cause of many issues that impact underserved communities. From workplace discrimination to the unavailability of adequate healthcare services, it’s affects can be felt in a variety of environments.

Life Expectancy Gap: Up to 10 years difference between wealthier (North DeKalb) and lower-income (South DeKalb) areas (DeKalb County Board of Health, 2023)
Uninsured Rate: ~12% (higher than GA’s 11%)
Food Insecurity: 1 in 7 residents face hunger (Atlanta Community Food Bank, 2023)