Blog

Every week, America Forward is highlighting a few examples of the vital work being done by our Coalition members to support students, families, educators, workers, elected leaders, advocates, and communities across the country. If your organization has resources, an announcement, or a story that you would like to see included, please send it to america_forward@newprofit.org.

Social Impact Architects

As a renewed focus on racial equity and justice sweeps across the country, many organizations are considering their own paths towards anti-racism. To support these efforts, Social Impact Architects put together 7 Actions Nonprofits Can Take to Be Anti-Racist Organizations, offering tips ranging from personal education to organizational advocacy to financial action.

College Advising Corps

College Advising Corps understands the power of education and its critical importance during this moment of advocacy around comprehensive anti-racism training. As a starting point, they’ve compiled a Non-Exhaustive List of Anti-Racism Resources, making these important tools available and accessible to their community. The list includes books and article suggestions; guides, blogs, videos, and films to watch; organizations to support and follow; and links to even more extensive resource options.

Sacred Generations

As communities of color and low-income communities continue to face disproportionate impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, Sacred Generations is working to provide critical aid to those most in need. They recently launched the Sacred Generations Hotline, to “raise awareness about the impact of COVID-19 on system-impacted tribal families.” To access the hotline and report inhumane conditions, neglect, abuse, or further violation of the rights of incarcerated individuals, dial 530-501-0422 or text SACRED to 40649.

10,000 Degrees

The 10,000 Degrees Fellowship program, and the relationships Fellows have built with students from low-income backgrounds in their communities, have proven to be especially powerful during the COVID-19 crisis. By moving services online, Fellows have continued to support young people, offering virtual learning sessions, tutorials, wellness programming, vital information and resources, and more. They’ve also launched a Summer of Success Toolkit, a summer series of “videos, webinars and Q&As to learn everything you need to know to succeed before, during, and after your college journey.” At a time when inequities are exacerbated and those facing barriers to attaining a college degree see those challenges compounded, this work is especially important to ensuring that students have the support they need to complete their college education.

Our Voice, Nuestra Voz

To ensure their communities have access to critical health and safety information, Our Voice, Nuestra Voz has established an online Resource Hub. They offer vital COVID-19 resources, including weekly tips; a calendar with information on COVID-19 testing, food and meal distribution, Zoom classes, and more; information on food and hygiene, housing and legal assistance, utilities, mental health support, testing sites, distance learning, and more; a COVID-19 handout in English and Spanish; and instructions for preparing in case of infection. They also offer information on how to respond to and be counted in the 2020 Census.

New Classrooms

After a semester of distance learning and a summer away from the classroom, projected learning loss for students is higher than ever. For subjects like math, which is cumulative year to year, learning loss has an especially long-lasting impact. In an effort to mitigate the consequences of COVID-19 on education and close projected gaps in learning, New Classrooms is offering a free diagnostic tool and accompanying individualized road map, to supplement mathematical education, create an actionable plan to meet students where they are, and help ensure every student is equipped with the skills they need to succeed.

New Leaders

This summer, New Leaders is hosting a free Virtual Leadership Academy, designed to help leaders across school systems prepare to resume school this Fall. The program aims to assist and support leaders as they develop plans that acknowledge both the COVID-19 crisis and the ongoing movement for racial justice, and explore ways to cultivate and maintain safe and healthy school environments as educational institutions begin to reopen across the country.