Family & Educator Partnerships

Family & Educator Partnerships

In 1996, over 300,000 individuals attended Stand for Children Day at the Lincoln Memorial, the largest demonstration in support of children in US history. As reported in the Chicago Tribune, the rally’s message was simple yet stemmed from the most complex problems facing society: that every individual should make a commitment to better the lives of children.

We strive to honor that commitment through rich and robust partnerships with parents, caregivers, educators, and community leaders to advance education equity and racial justice.

Our partnerships include working 1:1 with parent advocates to support local campaigns in their communities through the Kimberly Payton Parent Fellowship. In 2022, these campaigns span from COVID-19 Safety Care campaigns, to championing for high quality early literacy.

We also offer programming to build deeper partnerships within school communities, particularly between parents/caregivers and educators. Working together, we can tap into the superpower that comes with trusting relationships.

Connection Conversations provides educators and parents the platform to build trusting relationships through voluntary virtual visits. Even when they cannot meet face-to-face, these connections help strengthen the bond between families and educators and tap into the superpower that comes through building trusting relationships. Participating educators receive stipends. This report, produced in collaboration with the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research, presents the program’s impact.

Stand as One is focused on creating a physical safe space for resilience and capacity-building for parents, educators, and community members. Through SEL-informed practices the program supports collaborative relationships between school and community stakeholders to develop systems and solutions that are most beneficial to all. The program originated on the South Side of Chicago, and its progression is a testament to the power of community organizing.