A CIVIC GROUP'S EFFORTS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CULTURALLY DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN ARE DESCRIBED AND THE RESULTS OF THE PROGRAM ARE EVALUATED. THE POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF LOCAL NEGRO CHILDREN IN A STATE-WIDE TESTING PROGRAM STIMULATED ACTION AND RESULTED IN A GROUP COMPOSED OF PROFESSIONALS AND SEMIPROFESSIONALS FROM LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TEACHERS FROM THE LOCAL NEGRO COLLEGES PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS MINISTERS CHURCH EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN AND HOUSEWIVES. THE GROUP IS SPONSORED BY NEGRO CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS AND A NEGRO NEWSPAPER. THE PROGRAM IS VARIED AND THE WORK IS CARRIED ON BY VOLUNTEERS. COMMITTEES SPONSOR SUCH VARIOUS ACTIVITIES AS REMEDIAL AND ENRICHMENT CLINICS, SUMMER SCHOOLS, INDIVIDUAL TUTORING, RECOGNITION OF MERITORIOUS SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT, RESEARCH, EVALUATION, ADULT EDUCATION, ENCOURAGEMENT OF AESTHETIC ACTIVITY, AND AID TO GIFTED CHILDREN. FAVORABLE CHANGES HAVE BEEN WROUGHT. ONE OF THE MOST VISIBLE SUCCESSES IS THE DEGREE OF UNDERSTANDING OF CULTURAL DISADVANTAGEMENT WHICH HAS COME TO THE GENERAL POPULACE AND TO PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS. PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THROUGH TEACHER AND PARENT ENLIGHTENMENT, ARE IMPROVING PROGRAMS BETTER ACHIEVEMENT SCORES HAVE RESULTED. TEACHER GROWTH IN SELF-KNOWLEDGE, IN COMPETENCE, AND IN SELF-TRAINING IS GRATIFYING. THE TUTORING AND HOME STUDY COMMITTEE IS HELPING STUDENTS TO TRANSFER TO INTEGRATED SCHOOLS. THE COMMITTEE OFTEN TAKES A PROGRAM TO THE HOMES OF NEEDY PEOPLE WHO DO NOT ENTER THE PROVIDED PROGRAMS. A PRESCHOOL PROGRAM PREPARES YOUNGSTERS FOR THE FIRST GRADE. THOUGH THE PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED FOR NEGRO CHILDREN, MANY WHITE CHILDREN JOIN. LONG-RANGE PROJECTS BY THE CITY ARE RESULTING FROM THE PROGRAMS OF THE CIVIC GROUP.