The Salesmanship Club Institute for Excellence in Urban Education exists to make a transforming difference in the lives of low income students, their families and the educators who serve them. Through collaborations with early childhood programs and elementary schools, the Institute seeks to demonstrate that children of poverty are capable of remarkable achievements when participating in community schools using the following principles and processes:

• Relationship-based learning
  
  
• Brain-compatible curriculum and instructional approaches
  
  
• Focusing on strengths and needs of low income students and families
  
  
• Integrated system that enables hiring, training, supporting and retaining strong teachers
  
  
• Continuous learning and program improvement
  
  
• Effective design for governance and leadership

Operated by Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers (SCYFC), a not-for-profit organization serving children and families since 1920, the Institute is a companion program of the J. Erik Jonsson Community School, an accredited laboratory school serving 260 inner city children, three years of age through sixth grade. SCYFC is independently funded by the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, a civic-service organization of 600 business and professional leaders. The organization has a long history of pioneering innovative services and partnering with schools and other community organizations to improve the lives of young people and their families.