The need

In poor neighborhoods across the United States, talent is the same. Access isn't.

36%
of U.S. kids in households below the poverty line played sports in 2024, the only income group whose participation went down.¹
9x
is how much more high-income families spend on their child's out-of-school activities than low-income families: $6,588 a year versus $734.⁴
$1,016
is what the average family spent on one child's main sport in 2024, up 46% in five years. Across all sports it's nearly $1,500.³
1 in 4
teens from families earning under $30,000 have no computer at home, compared with 4% of teens from families earning $75,000 or more.⁷
28%
of students from the lowest-income families were in college seven years after starting high school, compared with 78% from the highest-income families.⁹
41%
of U.S. households can't afford the basics where they live, even though most of them are working. Extras like a team or a class are out of reach.¹⁰
9.7M
U.S. children lived in poverty in 2024, about 1 in 7.¹¹
14.1M
U.S. children lived in households that struggled to afford enough food in 2024.¹²

A paycheck away

Four in ten U.S. households earn too little to afford the basics where they live, even with someone working. About 1 in 7 children live in poverty. When rent and groceries take everything, there's nothing left for a team fee or a laptop, and a kid's dream can start to feel like a burden.¹⁰¹¹

Priced out of the game

Youth sports have become pay-to-play. The gap in participation between the highest- and lowest-income kids grew to nearly 25 percentage points in 2025, and kids from the poorest homes are the only group losing ground.²

Shut out after school

84% of low-income families don't have access to an afterschool program, compared with 59% of high-income families. Cost is the top barrier, and the spending gap between rich and poor families has grown to nine to one.⁵⁴

Left out of the arts

Students from low-income families are less likely to take arts classes in middle school. Yet those who do show stronger academic outcomes and fewer suspensions, with some of the largest gains for low-income Black and Latino students.⁶

The homework gap

About four in ten lower-income adults don't have home broadband or a computer. Among teens from families earning under $30,000, 24% say a missing computer or internet connection keeps them from finishing homework.⁸⁷

College feels out of reach

With tuition rising and few networking opportunities, students from the lowest-income families go to college at about a third the rate of the highest-income students.⁹

What we do about it

We partner motivated students with the gear, programs, scholarships, technology and mentors their field demands, connect their families to local support, and document the journey to show what's possible.

Help close the gap