The SSYP B-LiDER community organizing program among parents creates social ties and a network of relationships through social and emotional support programs; provides workshops and classes; and helps parents distill large public education problems into winnable issue campaigns and make their voices heard.

Located in Rockland, Maine, Hurricane Island offers experiential education programs for youth ages 11 – 18, integrating science education, applied research and leadership development. The Hurricane Island hands-on science curriculum offers opportunities for students to explore and connect with the natural world along the island’s rocky shore—and to emerge as leaders who leave the island feeling more empowered to build a sustainable future.

The City School’s Pathways to Change program offers three career pathways for youth to develop as educators, organizers and advocates, and organizational leaders. Each pathway is rooted in training and mentorship and supports participants (first as youth and later as adults) to become effective leaders for social justice. Youth learn many skills within the three pathways, including curriculum and workshop design, facilitation, public speaking, base-building and outreach, finances and budgeting and board participation.

The Jean Charles Academy (JCA) opened a dual-language, project-based school this fall that offers interdisciplinary learning opportunities that center the experiences of Black, Latinx and students and families of color. A Blackfounded organization based in Lynn, Mass., Building Audacity envisions freedom and power for the most marginalized in society and empowers youth to lead change in their communities.

The Organizing Committee’s goal is to develop Ethnic Studies courses and curricula that center the histories and experiences of people of color. The BTU’s advocacy has helped secure initial steps by the Boston Public Schools in investing in Ethnic Studies. The next step is to develop courses in several disciplines.

The MTEL Prep program strives to increase teacher licensing among aspiring educators of color, whose MTEL exam pass rates have often been documented at 20 percent to 30 percent lower than that of their white counterparts. Exam registration fees and test preparation costs often reach thousands of dollars for MTEL candidates—and those costs balloon for those who need to retake the exam.