There's no more powerful path to an equitable and prosperous society than improving education.

These citizen-driven organizations are taking matters into their own hands to reform and reimagine our failing education system. Spirit, innovation, and results guide their programs - from charter schools to afterschool, early education to arts and apprenticeships.

Featured Organizations:

Citizen Schools - Citizen Schools is a growing national network of after-school education programs for students in the middle grades (6th, 7th and 8th). The program complements classroom learning by engaging students in hands-on learning projects led by adult volunteers after school and supported by a staff of professional educators.

Jumpstart - Jumpstart is a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that every child in America enters school prepared to succeed. To support this mission, they bring college students and community volunteers together with preschool children in low-income communities for a full school year of individualized mentoring and tutoring. Jumpstart’s research-based curriculum is focused on building language, literacy, social and emotional skills in preschool children, while providing our volunteers with a rewarding way to have lasting impact in their communities.

DreamYard Project - DreamYard transforms Bronx public schools and communities through the power of project-based arts learning. As the largest arts education provider in the Bronx, DreamYard impacts the social and intellectual growth of thousands of Bronx students through safe, positive and creatively challenging programs.

TEAM Charter Schools - The mission of TEAM Charter Schools is to create a network of schools in Newark, New Jersey, that instill in their students the desire and ability to succeed in college, in order to change the world. TEAM was founded on the belief that Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM). Both inside and outside of the classroom, students are consistently engaged in character-building teamwork with the motto: Team always beats individual.

Citizen Active is a Plum original series devoted to the rising spirit of activism and the remarkable people who are working for important change – change that affects us all.