History

In 1995 the infrastructure for what is now known as Raising Expectations was created. Raising Expectations was conceived during a conversation between a group of young African American women who sat down to talk about upcoming graduations, life, our community and the struggle. It was in that moment that we decided to start a program that would be an instrument of change in the lives of economically and academically challenged children in metro Atlanta.In the end, Tangee Allen and Maria Armstrong remained and continued to design and develop the program.

Raising Expectations first location was in Decatur, where we tutored children in the local library for several years. As our enrollment grew, locating a larger facility became a primary goal. After researching and belaboring over the limited list of options, a phenomenal opportunity came our way in the form of The Villages of East Lake (which was once known as East Lake Meadows Public Housing Projects). After reviewing and validating our programs credentials, the management company invited us to relocate our program to the East Lake Community. We accepted the invitation and began to operate out of an apartment townhome on the property and called it home for 2 years. Through the years we continued to work tirelessly towards inspiring our children to achieve academic excellence.

Undoubtedly, our success could not be accomplished without the commitment of countless volunteers, who take it upon themselves to be about action, purpose and passion. It is our responsibility to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, our children. The only way to do this is by becoming involved in our children’s lives.

Maria Armstrong and Tangee Allen, Co-Founders