It's no well-kept secret that poor, inner-city neighborhoods produce some of the lowest test scores in the country. It is not necessarily the children's fault that they perform poorly, they are simply victims of their environment, characterized by apathy, greed and lack of academic importance in life. Most of their parents are not well educated and, as the statistics show, neither will they be. Often, inner-city youth, good kids to begin with, find themselves trapped in a vortex of negativity from a community that does not care to support them in positive ways and significant negative influences that tempt them abundantly, such as drugs, violence and drugs. crime. If given the right opportunities and care, any of these children could very well become professionally educated individuals with a wide variety of degrees that enable them to contribute positively to society and become as beneficial as the influences they themselves had as children. The problem is that there is not the initial support so necessary for a child's life development and long-term guidance. I believe the most lucrative strategy to implement with the $150,000 would be to open a youth center in a disadvantaged urban environment. There are several youth centers across America, but most of them simply serve to deter children from the streets and prevent them from being negatively influenced by some of the temptations mentioned above. The real key to the success of these youth centers would be to encourage education. Of course, the youth center would need an initial attraction in the form of sports, games and fun activities to attract people, but it would also need educational activities and...... middle of paper......and would ensure that more children can continue their education in technical or even private four-year institutions. Once they receive an education and are in well-paying jobs, it is logical to assume that many of them will return where they came from and contribute some money to the youth center and perhaps to the city itself. There is a saying that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I believe this statement to be true, I also believe that inner city schools are the weakest link in the American education system. I think given $150,000 to renovate and open a community youth center, a place where inner-city children and teens can be safe and learn the importance of a good education would not be very profitable financially. However, I can't imagine anything more lucrative on a societal level..