In 2021, we changed our name to Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. Learn More.
Building an equitable society in which Black and Latinx students from low-income backgrounds are able to access a high-quality, culturally relevant K12 education that empowers them to achieve social and economic liberation.
Every student deserves an education that will help them thrive, in school and in life. In today’s world, a strong education is the gateway to careers, to financial security, to supporting a family. Yet due to historical policies and structural racism, far too many children, particularly in low-income communities of color, do not get an education that puts them on the path to success.
We seek to partner with communities to change the odds for historically marginalized students, dramatically increasing the number who graduate from high school ready for college and careers.
As families everywhere know, the greatest predictor of a student’s success is their teacher. That is why we focus primarily on helping teachers through stronger preparation, stronger support and stronger learning materials, and through reshaping education systems to foster great teaching.
We also know that if we want our education system to serve low-income students of color as effectively as it serves their peers, racial equity must be at the forefront of this work. For us, racial equity informs everything we do and support, from increasing the numbers of educators of color to advocating for more equitable policies and practices within school systems.
We are committed to working closely with our grantees to understand the challenges they face and the needs we can help them address during the COVID-19 global pandemic. View our communications toolkit for school systems and resources for distance learning. >>
Featured Grantees
Photos used for Student Achievement Partners and Deans for Impact are courtesy of Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action
Our Approach
We invest in developing excellent educators
We believe quality teaching is paramount to a student’s learning. That is why we invest in providing teachers with the preparation, professional development and instructional materials they deserve to help their students meet standards that prepare them for college and careers.
We support equitable access to excellent instruction
We focus on reaching Black and Latinx students from low-income backgrounds with a classroom experience that affirms, challenges and prepares them to succeed. As part of this work, we fund organizations that aim to increase the number of educators and leaders of color, as well as invest in school systems that are eliminating policies and practices that lead to inequitable outcomes for their students.
We seek to build conditions for excellent learning
Because policy, research and community support are all essential to excellent teaching, we invest in these areas as well. We seek points of connection and try to build consensus around solutions that support equity in education.
We believe racial equity is an essential part of this work
The challenges we are seeking to address for students and families are inextricably intertwined with this nation’s racial equity challenges. That knowledge informs every area of our work.
