Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it can provide hope. I learned this at a young age through my parents. My mom and dad made sure to instill in me the power of giving.

I learned to understand that money can only buy material things, and that the giving itself is what means the most. My family enjoyed middle class luxuries, but remained dedicated to giving unto others.

This household balance taught me that material things don’t make people happy, but can provide hope for happiness in the future.

Loyola University New Orleans just received a generous gift that I think will offer such hope. A Loyola press release announced last month that the College of Social Sciences was awarded $250,000 from the Ford Foundation to establish the Loyola Institute for Quality and Equity in Education.

It will be the first research institute of its kind for both New Orleans and the broader United States.

The Institute will take a close look at all three systems of schooling in the Greater New Orleans area: charter, state-run and public.

The number of students attending charter schools in New Orleans skyrocketed after Katrina. These high numbers called for many new reforms within the school systems.

The new programming attracted national attention and is now demanding third party research. Researchers will determine how effective each system is in serving its diverse students.

Loyola is the perfect platform to use in building a research institute that will serve the needs of the local and national community.

Loyola’s commitment to social justice and service is proof that its faculty and students will be committed to bringing forth valuable evidence and research.

Luis Miron, the dean of the new institution and college of social science dean, agrees that it’s the perfect fit into Loyola’s existing social justice foundations.

Research grounded in social justice is an integral part of improving the world around us. The first step in making improvements in any context is to identify where improvements are needed. Researchers must find what is working and what is not in order to move forward.

Our job as young people is to be proactive participants in our community if we want to have hope for a better tomorrow. I think this grant-funded research can do just that: positively influence the future by means of public policy and innovation.

 The new institution at Loyola presents a great opportunity for its students to get involved with a meaningful cause. Loyola students who are eager to make their mark in college are gaining yet another outlet to do so.

I hope many will take advantage of the unique opportunities presented by this addition to the university.

The grant-funded research is hope for the broken school systems of New Orleans, hope for young students like ourselves and hope for the continued development of our school and our city in a post-Katrina world.

Janece Bell is a mass communication sophomore. She can be reached at [email protected]