Educating All Learners Alliance Awards Participatory Funding for Community of Action Projects

BROOKLYN, N.Y., Dec. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Educating All Learners Alliance (EALA) awards two new projects $110,000 in participatory grant funding. Following the second annual Community of Action convening in Scottsdale, Arizona, 15 organizations united in a shared commitment to drive positive change in the special education space. Organizations designed and built projects in 36 hours and were awarded funding based on a vote from their community member peers. The collaborative efforts of these organizations resulted in the formation of six dedicated project teams, each poised to address and overcome unique challenges facing non-profit organizations and schools across the country.

These groups had an unparalleled opportunity to secure up to $150,000 in funding for their groundbreaking initiatives. EALA is thrilled to announce that two exceptional projects have been selected by the Community of Action members to receive this vital support, marking a significant stride toward advancing inclusivity and excellence in education.

Ben Solomon from AVID Center and Marissa Wicklund from Getting Smart were selected by community members for their project, the "Amplify Excellence Initiative." This initiative plans to host a contest and communications to recognize educators demonstrating excellence in inclusive career exploration and development. The Amplify Excellence Initiative will be receiving $35,000 in funding.

The second project selected for funding involves collaboration between community members Jessi Brunken and Sergio Jara Arroyos from Blue Engine, Brooke Allen and Justine Katzenbach from Diverse Learners Cooperative, Tim Villegas and Brittni Sammons from Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education (MCIE), and Cindy Camp from The Described and Captioned Media Program. Together, they are launching "Inclusion Today," a nationwide awareness campaign to encourage school and district leaders to commit to inclusive practices and provide a "starter kit" for inclusive action. The Inclusion Today project will receive $75,000 in funding.

"We are thrilled to support these outstanding projects that embody our goal to foster innovative practices through action-driven communities," says Treah Hutchings, Project Director of the Educating All Learners Alliance at InnovateEDU. "The dedication, hard work, and innovative thinking demonstrated by all the attendees and coaches during the Community of Action event were truly inspiring. We are confident that these projects will make a lasting impact."

Reflecting on the event, a Community of Action member shared, "I am positively overwhelmed with the intentional design and resources provided to structure this convening; I am filled with gratitude to be invited and welcomed. Having access to networking will take this work beyond the selected project (s) to continue to reach and leverage each other's visions and missions."

The Community of Action convening, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and participatory funding provided by EALA through the Oak Foundation, will empower these projects to kick off their vital work and contribute to the ongoing evolution of inclusive education best practices.

About The Educating All Learners Alliance:

In March 2020, InnovateEDU started the Educating All Learners™ Alliance (EALA), an uncommon coalition of organizations committed to resource sharing and community-building that supports the efforts of the education community to meet the needs of students with disabilities and learning differences. The Alliance represents voices from diverse communities, including disability advocacy, parent, special education, civil rights, and K-12 nonprofit education organizations. For more information, visit the EALA website and follow @educateall_org for updates.

About InnovateEDU

InnovateEDU catalyzes education transformation by bridging gaps in data, policy, practice, and research to center the needs of the field in accelerating innovation toward an equitable, inclusive, and radically different future for all learners.

SOURCE InnovateEDU