CABSE Receives 100K Boost from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
MEDIA RELEASE
December 17, 2019
Contact: Melissa R. Franklin
mfranklin@mfranklincc.com
CABSE Receives 100K Boost from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Today the California Association of Black School Educators (CABSE) announced that it was selected to receive a scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates Foundation) to advance its capacity building efforts and Blueprint Strategy to close the Black student opportunity gap. Specifically, the 2-year grant will fund, inclusive of its annual CABSE Conference and the creation of regional CABSE Institutes.
“We are absolutely ecstatic to not only be a recipient of vital funding that will take CABSE’s work to the next level, but to be locking arms with Gates as we move the needle on true and meaningful change on behalf of Black students in K-14 public school systems across our state,” said CABSE President Gary Hardie.
The grant is a part of the Gates Foundation’s deepened commitment to support innovative organizations whose missions support communities of color.
“I applaud the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for choosing to partner with organizations like CABSE in its mission in pursuit of educational equity,” said California Legislative Black Caucus Chair Dr. Shirley Weber. “Organizations who work directly with and are led by individuals from the very communities that these grants are intended to help are key to the success of this larger mission. They have first-hand, intimate knowledge of the obstacles faced as well as novel, innovative solutions to dismantle them.”
CABSE will begin funded work immediately, starting with building out its Blueprint of crowdsourced best practices aimed at improving outcomes for Black students. The Blueprint Framework was unveiled at CABSE’s 2019 conference. Education leaders can contribute to the Blueprint by completing the following survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/cabseblueprint
“This funding will be a game-changer in our work of elevating what has shown the greatest promise around the state on the district and school site level and leverage them for the benefit of all Black students,” said Ali. “Black student outcomes are abysmal and are an indictment on us as educational leaders—students should not bare this burden. It is on us to make a change!”
About CABSE
The mission of California Association of Black School Educators (CABSE) is to expand the PK-14 educational opportunities available to all students in California, with an emphasis on the under-represented and under-served black students, by enacting policies that will strengthen student performance while bolstering opportunities for college and career readiness, to ensure competency and lifelong success.
About the Annual Conference
The primary focus of the Annual CABSE Conference is to convene School District and Charter School teams, including Community College partners, to explore innovative ways to level the playing field for students of color, utilizing educational equity, STEAM and Career Pathways.
About the Blueprint
The CABSE Governing Board recently signed a resolution adopting the Blueprint Framework and agreeing to co-design its specific elements in concert with CABSE stakeholders. The Blueprint will be put forth as a living document and guiding strategy for school districts desiring to once-and-for-all reduce the achievement gap for Black students and open doors to bright futures and unprecedented opportunity.
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