Carnegie Corporation of New York Names 10 Grant Recipients to Support Family Engagement Programs

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Carnegie Corporation of New York Names 10 Grant Recipients to Support Family Engagement Programs

New York, NY — Building on its longstanding support for family engagement and home-school partnerships, Carnegie Corporation of New York today announced 10 grants to nonprofit organizations serving communities in nine states. Each will receive $100,000 over a period of 12 months, with the opportunity to renew the grant for a second year.

The grants are the result of a request for proposals (RFP) issued by the Corporation last September that focused on family engagement, one of the most influential factors in educational outcomes. Special consideration was given to applicants that have deep roots in their local communities and work to support learning among students of color, multilingual learners, and students from low-income backgrounds. Preference was given to nonprofits in communities that have not traditionally benefited from national funding and have not received prior Corporation support.

Among the grant recipients, six were founded or are currently led by Latinx or Black leaders; four are based in states that are typically underfunded by philanthropy; and one serves Native Americans while another focuses on Alaska Natives. A total of more than $1 million in funding will help the nonprofits design, implement, and strengthen school-based family engagement strategies that can improve student learning. 

“We were gratified by the tremendous response to the RFP, the caliber and creativity of the submissions, and the competitive process that surfaced our 10 grantees,” said Ambika Kapur, program officer for the Corporation’s Public Understanding portfolio of grants. “These nonprofits are meeting the distinct needs of their communities. They are overcoming barriers and enabling educators and parents to be true partners in helping students thrive. As we emerge from the pandemic, these collaborations will remain essential to student learning and to the nation’s recovery.”

The 10 grant recipients with descriptions of their projects: 

Association of Alaska School Boards | Juneau, AK 
Collaborating with families to create coaching and at-home learning materials grounded in the cultural values of Alaska Natives 

Building Skills Partnerships | Los Angeles, CA 
Training parents who are janitorial and airport workers to become effective advocates for their children's education and to serve as peer-to-peer ambassadors at work

Families and Schools Together | Madison, WI 
Expanding professional development for educators to create a more welcoming school environment and empower all families as advocates

Federation for Children with Special Needs | Brockton, MA 
Prioritizing family engagement in district-level decision-making in collaboration with families and caregivers, with an emphasis on social and emotional learning

Latinos in Action | Salt Lake City, UT 
Piloting an initiative rooted in a commitment to Latinx voices and leadership at four high schools that serve mostly BIPOC, immigrant, and refugee communities

National Center for Families Learning | Louisville, KY 
Teaching caregivers and children standards-aligned science skills to increase their understanding of science-related challenges in their communities

Parent Institute for Quality Education | Central Valley, CA 
Fostering effective family engagement practices among Latinx and multilingual families living in the state’s most rural region  

Supportive Older Women’s Network | Philadelphia, PA 
Equipping grandparents who are raising grandchildren with the digital skills needed to connect with teachers and staff and to assist with at-home literacy learning 

Village of Wisdom | Durham, NC 
Expanding to Atlanta and the Mississippi Delta, a program designed to protect Black children's intellectual curiosity and incorporate the expertise of parents

West River Foundation and South Dakota Statewide Family Engagement Center | Black Hills, SD
Recruiting family champions from high-need schools on or near tribal lands to host community chats, gather authentic voices, and implement data-driven plans 

The grantees will benefit from workshops and one-on-one support provided by the Columbia University Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL). The Corporation awarded $400,000 in funding to CPRL to build a community of practice that will allow the organizations to learn from one another...

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