Racial Equity

Overview

We invested in leaders of color with ambitious, early-stage ideas for addressing racial inequities in education. Funding decisions were made through participatory grantmaking, where NewSchools shifted decision-making power to a council of students, parents, educators, and innovators.

Council members reflect the backgrounds of the students our ventures serve, including being first-generation college students, recipients of free or reduced-price lunch, and English language learners. Lessons from our engagement with the Racial Equity Councils will inform our organizational approach to community engagement in 2024 and beyond.

As a student...the experiences that I’m bringing are meaningful and valuable. I felt deeply invested in the work of the council, and I think my insights and experiences definitely shaped the decisions about who we ended up moving forward.

Impact

(2021-23)

$7M

invested in 31 ventures

100%

venture leaders who
identify as people of color

8,500

students served by racial equity ventures

1,600

educators served

$96M

additional funding catalyzed by our ventures

53

parents, students, and educators have made the funding decisions

Racial Equity Ventures

Rock Academy

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Data Research for Indigenous Futures (DRIF)

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Youth Justice Alliance

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trubel&co

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The Roots Initiative

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Start Lighthouse

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Reconstruction US, Inc

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Forged Ed LLC

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