WISH LIST $100: a year of curriculum and school supplies for 1 tutee; $500: a 3-day environmental enrichment program for 1 student; $1000: 1 year of college workshops, SAT tutoring, and college visiting for 1 student

We like to think of public education as the great equalizer, balancing life's injustices and leveling the unequal fields on which our children's lives unfold. But it doesn't always work that way: a dispiriting combination of limited possibilities and unlimited obstacles sometimes deepens, instead of mending, the disparities. For Love of Children opens opportunities for hundreds of children and teens, most from the Shaw/Columbia Heights neighborhood, offering carefully paced, one-on-one tutoring that brings students to grade-level proficiency in reading and math. After-school workshops teach teamwork, leadership, and community service, and students take on adventure challenges in a powerful outdoor classroom. Professional ACT and SAT prep, along with intensive college workshops that teach seniors how to navigate the complex application and financial aid process, all help them get safely to the next stage of the journey. The aim is to make sure that kids stay connected to their education, stay on track, graduate from high school, pursue college or vocational school, and arrive at adulthood positioned for success. You can join them on their journey.

Tim Payne, Executive Director 1763 Columbia Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 202-349-3518 www.floc.org