We continue to be busy in our grantmaking and provided over $6 million in grant commitments since November to 14 grantees in service of our goal of doubling the number of underserved students in DC who are college and career ready. Our most recent grants have focused on supporting the creation of high-quality public schools for all DC students, building a strong pipeline of teachers and school leaders to serve students, setting the conditions for schools to serve students with quality and equity, and supporting efforts to engage and amplify students and parent voice.
Information about grants made since November 2018 is below. You can visit our grantees page to learn more about the inspiring work that all of the organizations that we are partnering with are doing on behalf of students and families in DC.
Supporting the creation of high-quality public schools for all DC students
Bard High School Early Colleges was founded on the belief that high school age students are ready for the challenges of a college education. We are supporting the launch of Bard High School Early College DC, a District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) selective high school that will serve 500 students in grades 9-12 east of the Anacostia River in DC.
Both Washington Latin Public Charter School and the District of Columbia International Public Charter School (DCI) are rated as Tier 1 by the DC Public Charter School Board. Washington Latin Public Charter School is a college preparatory school for grades 9-12 and offers a classical education in which community, character, and citizenship are valued. DCI is an accredited International Baccalaureate World School that offers advanced Spanish, Chinese, and French language instruction in a technology-rich learning environment. We are supporting their long-term plans for having a broader impact on DC students.
LEARN Charter School Network, is a network of 10 charter schools located in Chicago, IL. We are supporting the launch of a new LEARN campus in DC that will serve 550 Pre-K3-8th grade students. In a process funded by Education Forward DC, LEARN was selected in 2017 by a group of Ward 8 parents and parents from active military families as the preferred operator to open a public charter school serving 50% active military families and 50% DC resident families on the Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) in Ward 8.
Building a strong pipeline of teachers and school leaders to serve students
American University School of Education is planning to redesign its teacher preparation program with a focus on increasing the number of well-prepared, diverse teachers graduating from the program that can serve DC students. We are supporting the redesign of their teacher preparation program as a pathway for existing undergraduate students to enter teaching at local DC Public Schools (DCPS).
Charter Board Partners (CBP) is a nonprofit organization committed to strengthening the governance and quality of public charter schools. CBP is the primary support provider for charter school boards in DC, serving 39 public charter networks and single-site schools over the past five years. We supported market research to inform program model improvements.
EdFuel builds capacity of education organizations to effectively recruit and retain diverse, high-quality talent through comprehensive and equitable talent management systems. We are supporting EdFuel to grow its footprint of talent management services in Washington, DC.
Promise54 works to enable healthy, inclusive, equitable environments where a diverse set of adults can thrive in service of transformational student outcomes. We are supporting Promise54 to establish a DC regional hub, providing talent management support to schools and education organizations.
TNTP is a national nonprofit that works at every level of the public education system to attract and train talented teachers and school leaders, ensure rigorous and engaging classrooms, and create environments that prioritize great teaching and accelerate student learning. We are supporting a partnership between TNTP and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) to develop and publish a report on the state of the DC educator workforce, as a starting point for improved data to understand issues around workforce demographics, teacher pipelines and preparation, retention, and equitable distribution of talent in DC.
Setting the conditions for schools to serve students with quality and equity
Building Pathways is a nonprofit organization formerly known as the Charter School Incubator Initiative, which had been an affiliate of Building Hope until early 2018. We are supporting Building Pathways’ work to expand access to affordable school facilities in DC.
The DC Policy Center is a nonprofit, non-partisan research and policy organization that is committed to advancing policies for a strong and vibrant economy in Washington, DC by producing research, analysis, and policy proposals in education, housing, transportation, and economic development. We are supporting their efforts to build their research, communication, and development capacity to strengthen the organization’s ability to amplify their work specifically in the education policymaking arena, and to achieve greater financial sustainability.
Supporting efforts to engage and amplify student and parent voice
Black Swan Academy (BSA) empowers Black youth in underserved communities through civic leadership and engagement, giving them a comprehensive set of tools needed to succeed in life and become active social catalysts in their communities. We are supporting BSA through a planning process for program growth.
Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC) is a membership organization dedicated to elevating the leadership, voices, and influence of people of color in education and to leading more inclusive efforts to improve education. We are supporting the design and implementation of a student-led media campaign reflecting messages to the newly appointed chancellor of DC Public Schools about their aspirations for their schools and educational experiences.
Parents Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE) connects, informs, and empowers parent leaders to give families in DC a voice and choice in the vision for education in the city. We have supported PAVE since the organization’s inception in 2016 and have provided a renewal grant to continue to enhance PAVE’s impact in DC.
To learn more about the work of Education Forward DC and our grantees, stay connected with us by:
