Foundation Awards 931 Grants to Fight for Equity in Education over 25 years
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Aug. 31, 2017
Contact:
communications@schottfoundation.org
646-561-8775
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.— Since its founding the Schott Foundation for Public Education has contributed more than $38 million through 931 grants to organizations fighting for fair and just schools and improved outcomes for students of color.
How can we ensure healthy school climates for LGBTQ youth, particularly youth of color in schools, in the present political environment? This was the animating question behind a wide-ranging funders briefing and strategy session held by the Schott Foundation for Public Education in partnership with Funders for LGBTQ Issues and Communities for Just Schools Fund in New York City on July 25th.
Like many professionals working in philanthropy, I was oriented to do work in the social sector and stumbled into a job at a foundation. When I started as a program officer at the age of 28, I wasn’t sure if I would make a career out of out of philanthropy. At that time there was a debate about whether or not philanthropy was even a viable career path. Some believed it was a golden parachute for the successful retiree departing from their CEO jobs in corporate America, or from being the chancellor of some prestigious university. It was a strange place to be in 2005 – thankfully, things have changed and there are many more opportunities to explore careers in philanthropy today.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8/15/2017
Contact:
646-561-8775
communications@schottfoundation.org
Hatred and evil are once again on full display on the American national stage. We grieve the loss of Heather Heyer, the peaceful protestor whose life was callously taken in the terrorist attack in Charlottesville days ago. Our thoughts are with those who were injured fighting to reject bigoted ideology, and with all of us watching who’ve been repeatedly traumatized by racial terror.
Dr. John H. Jackson, President & CEO
What happened in Charlottesville is a national disgrace, but also a symptom of a chronic disease our country has suffered far too long. We are compelled by our mission and values to pause and publicly condemn what happened, remind our persuadable but inactive friends of the existence and burgeoning numbers of domestic extremist groups, do our part to ease the pain those groups cause today, and halt their potential for damage in the future.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
communications@schottfoundation.org
CAMBRIDGE, MA — The Schott Foundation is proud to announce the addition of two new members to our Board of Directors:
Mark Paley
Due to historical trauma, chronically underfunded programs, and broken promises on the part of the U.S. government, children and youth from Native American communities experience many educational, health, and economic disparities compared with their peers. To raise awareness and challenge the philanthropic community to better resource movements to support healthy living and learning for Native children and youth, the Schott Foundation and Nike’s N7 Fund, in partnership with Native Americans in Philanthropy, convened a group of Native education, health care, and human services experts along with several foundations in Washington, DC, in late June.
In June the Schott Foundation hosted a special extended-length webinar diving deep into implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act. While discussing the minutiae of education policy is rarely an exciting activity, the panelists on our webinar showed how important it is that advocates and community members know how ESSA works: the future of our children’s education depends on it.
A year later, philanthropic and community leaders gathered in Orlando to reflect on the Pulse nightclub tragedy that took 49 lives. Our Rafael Torres participated in the Orlando Strong Funders Symposium and came away with valuable lessons about the power of community standing together in the face of hate. But this convening was more than a professional experience for Rafael. It was deeply personal.
Our grantee partner, Youth BREAKOUT! and the Congress of Day Laborers began working together more than six years ago after realizing that their struggles for LGBTQ liberation, the human right to move freely, and the fight against criminalization are inherently and inextricably linked. Together, they have recently released VICE to ICE, a compendium of resources for organizing with people whose lives are at the intersection of LGBTQ identity and undocumented status.
