Recent grant from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation supports organization's mission to close the gaps in opportunity and Latino representation across Arizona's education system
PHOENIX, May 16, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On May 14, 2022, Arizona for Latino Leaders in Education (ALL In Education) celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of Adelante Fellows and the continued growth and expansion of its key leadership programs. The first Latino-led education advocacy organization in Arizona, ALL In Education was founded to ensure that the communities most impacted by education inequities are the ones making decisions for all children.
More than 45 percent of students in Arizona are Latino, yet only 16 percent of the teaching workforce and less than 13 percent of education board members across the state are Latino. ALL In Education works to develop the next generation of Latino leaders in education and increase representation at the teacher, board and parent levels to improve educational outcomes for students of color.
In support of this work, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation has awarded ALL In Education with a multi-year, $200,000 grant. The funds will provide the organization with the capacity needed to continue evolving its signature leadership programs including The Adelante Fellowship, Parent Educator Academy (PEA) and LISTO.
The first cohort of 23 participants in the Adelante Fellowship program recently completed a 10-month program which offered a deep dive into what it means to be an educational advocate, how policies are formed, how the education system works and the role politics play in influencing the system. The participants completed projects based on four of the most pressing issues impacting Arizona education – the social determinants of education, chronic absenteeism, teacher recruitment and retention and in-state tuition for DACA and Dreamers. As part of the graduation ceremony, the fellows met with community leaders to pitch research-based and data-driven solutions for these issues, along with timelines and implementation strategies.
"ALL In Education is excited to expand and continue to develop programs that help address the gaps in our education system and improve outcomes for Latino, low-income and students of color," said Stephanie Parra, executive director of ALL In Education. "With the help our or partners, we can create transformational change at every level, from state policy to the classroom and inside our community."
ALL In's Parent Educator Academy (PEA) works to train parents on how to better support their children in the classroom. Now in its third cohort, PEA has increased its participant size from a starting group of 27 to 112 parents. The spring cohort celebrated their graduation on May 18 via a virtual ceremony. PEA is further expanding its capacity to serve and will welcome 120 parents and caregivers in fall 2022 from more than 25 public district and charter schools across Maricopa, Pima, Pinal and Yuma counties.
LISTO – Leaders In Support of Transformational Opportunities – is a leadership development program for Latino and values-based leaders that helps prepare them to serve in local and state education and governing board positions. The program graduated its first cohort of 12 participants in December 2021.
By creating these programs, ALL In Education is addressing the fact that the Arizona Education system is not currently equitable for students of color. These students are not graduating at the same rates as their white peers and are not appropriately represented in the state's education policy-making bodies. The lack of lived experience has led to decisions being made that are not representative of the needs of the communities being served. ALL In Education aims to close the gap and ensure that students have access to opportunity and justice in and out of the classroom. Learn more about ALL In Education and its programs at allineducation.org and follow @AllInEdAz on social media.
About ALL In Education
Arizona for Latino Leaders in Education (ALL In Education) aims to ensure that the communities most impacted by education inequities are the ones making decisions for ALL children. Established to close the gap and achieve better representation on the state's education policy-making bodies, ALL In Education aims to increase the number of Latino members on education boards that directly impact policy. Learn more at ALLInEducation.org
Media Contact
Anaiis Ballesteros, ALL In Education, 602-292-1192, [email protected]
SOURCE ALL In Education
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