The Schott team is at the annual Grantmakers for Education national conference this week in New Orleans —  we hope to see you there. We’re happy to host a learning session and a funder reception on Wednesday, October 23, and Schott Vice President Edgar Villanueva will close out GFE in a plenary session on Thursday morning. Join us!

Learning Session:

Increasing Philanthropic Support for LGBTQ Students

Wednesday at 10:45am, Breakout #8

Speakers:

• Lyle Matthew Kan, Vice President of Research and Communications, Funders for LGBTQ Issues
• Ashley Sawyer, Director of Policy and Government Relations, Girls for Gender Equity
• Geoffrey Winder, Co-Executive Director, GSA Network
• Marianna Islam (moderator), Director of Programs & Advocacy, Schott Foundation for Public Education

The Schott Foundation for Public Education in partnership with Funders for LGBTQ Issues is working to increase the scale and impact of philanthropic resources aimed at enhancing the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students. This session will explore the philanthropy ecosystem — the limitation and opportunities for funders to deepen their commitment to supporting marginalized youth. We will share a new report that maps funding and take funders through an exercise to explore pathways for partnership.

For a sneak peek of this session’s highlights, take a look at our infographic on LGBTQ students and philanthropic investment.

Funder Reception:

Education Justice: Schott Foundation & Decolonizing Wealth Book Signing

Wednesday at 6:00pm, Breakout #9

A chance to network — and Schott President & CEO Dr. John H. Jackson will offer inspiring updates about our vision for supporting the education justice movement in 2020 and beyond.

Schott Vice President Edgar Villanueva will also share how the Schott Foundation is working to operationalize the concepts from his best-selling book Decolonizing Wealth, which he will be available to sign. We look forward to seeing you there!

Closing General Session:

Supporting Students in Overcoming Adversity: The Future We Are Building Toward

Thursday at 10:30am, Ballroom C+D

A panel moderated by Cate Swinburn, president of YouthForce NOLA, will feature four YouthForce students, as well as Stanley Celestine, Jr., a 20-year-old school board member. The Louisiana youth will share their hopes and insights for the future we can build together.

The conference will close with a call to action for philanthropy in supporting students in overcoming adversity from Schott Vice President Edgar Villanueva.