The business of educating students who are put at a disadvantage because of their circumstances can be a difficult one. In Mexico, the students are not serviced by a conventional school because of lack of funds, unwilling teachers, and just the general remoteness of their town. In America, Spanish speaking students are at a disadvantage in a school system that uses English as the language of instruction. We also see, however, that it is still possible to educate students no matter what circumstances they are in.

Telesecundaria is an ingenious way to deliver education to rural and indigenous students in Mexico. Because of the program’s easy availability, students practically have no excuse to be uneducated. The success of the program will hopefully lead to a nation whose population receives education no matter where they are, leveling out the playing field and eliminating the social, cultural, and economic disadvantages that rural students have.

Programs that cater to English Language Learners in New York City aim to integrate the students’ native language into their studies, as well as teach them a working knowledge of English. As more and more students become bilingual, we hope to see students who were previously at a disadvantage, like Mexicans or any recent immigrant population, rise above their circumstances and join the ranks of their native English-speaking classmates.

It takes a lot of dedication and creativity to design and implement programs whose sole wish is to educate and teach the next generation. Telesecundaria and the different ELL programs are taking giant leaps forward in achieving their goal of educating their student population.