2018 has been a busy year for Education Forward DC as we continue to support organizations to foster high-quality, equitable public schools for every student in DC. Our grants have focused on supporting the creation of high-quality public schools, advancing racial equity, supporting DC Public Schools and the search for a new chancellor, and supporting efforts to engage and amplify student and family voice.
Information about our most recent grants is below. You can visit our grantees page to learn more about the inspiring work all of the organizations in our portfolio are doing on behalf of students and families in DC.
Supporting the creation of high-quality public schools
DC Bilingual Public Charter School is a dual-language Spanish/English charter school rated Tier 1 by the DC Public Charter School Board. We are supporting their long-term plans of having a broader impact on DC students.
Democracy Prep Congress Heights currently serves preK-8th grade students and is up for review by the DC Public Charter School board this year. We are supporting the school’s Board of Trustees to determine a student-centered path forward that will best serve the school’s students and families.
Advancing racial equity
Seeding Disruption is a fellowship program for senior leaders in DC who work in sectors that impact students, including public education, juvenile justice, housing, early childhood, and healthcare and is led by The Equity Lab CEO, Michelle Molitor. We are supporting the second and third cohorts of the fellowship intended to build knowledge, skills, and community across racial difference and professional fields and to catalyze progress towards racial equity. Each cohort has about 25 participants.
STEM City is a year-long project led by former Deputy Mayor for Education and Senior Fellow at CityBridge Education, Jennie Niles, to develop a concept for improving Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education in DC and better connect underemployed DC public school graduates to DC-area jobs in the field. Ideal solutions will dramatically increase the number of DC public school graduates who secure family-sustaining jobs in our growing regional job market, focusing especially on those jobs that require STEM skills. We are supporting the development of STEM City over the course of the year.
Supporting DC Public Schools and the search for a new chancellor
DC Public Education Fund has been supporting DC Public Schools since 2008 by raising start-up capital for the district’s most innovative programs. Through a grant to the DC Public Education Fund, we are supporting DC Public Schools (DCPS) in public engagement efforts and work to support the Chancellor transition process.
Supporting efforts to engage and amplify student and family voice
Higher Achievement provides year-round academic support and extends learning opportunities for middle school youth in DC. Students play a significant but often unrecognized role in the high school choice process. We are supporting Higher Achievement to conduct focus groups with 8th graders across the city on barriers in the high school choice process and create student-facing tools to support their decision-making.
Advocates for Justice and Education (AJE) seeks to empower families, youth, and the community to be effective advocates to ensure that children and youth, particularly those who have special needs, receive access to appropriate education and health services. We are supporting AJE’s participation in the Innovate Public Schools 2018-19 Community Organizer Training Program.
To learn more about the work of Education Forward DC and our grantees, stay connected with us by:
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