My daughter was working on her homework last night. Wordly Wise is the book that her 7th grade class uses to build vocabulary skills. It includes words like: placated, gruesome, garrison, grievous, erroneous. I thought to myself, we should add sequestration for surely it is the word of the day. Only problem is trying to [...]
As the country moves towards addressing immigration reform, an affinity group of funders supporting faith-based organizing hosted an eclectic mix of scholars, funders, researchers, and others who are actively organizing on the issue of immigration. What is the state of organizing by faith-based organizations? It’s all about opportunities and hope. The session, “Building Bridges, Building [...]
At the Koshland Program, it’s all about solutions that begin at the local level, with deep local understanding. That’s why we’re elated when we learn of community leaders like West Berkeley Koshland Fellow, Reverend Michael McBride, was among the 12 faith leaders who met with Vice President Biden last month to give recommendations for his [...]
It seems that the date for when the United States will become “majority minority” (as it was first labeled) is fast approaching and approaching faster. Years ago the projected date for this shift was 2050. In 2008 the Census Bureau updated their projection to 2042, and children will become majority minority by 2019. But the [...]
It is rare when past, present, and future aspirations come together at the same point in time in the arc of history. This week was just that time, as the buzz of climate change and community resilience reached what seems to be a fevered pitch. On Monday’s Presidential Inauguration, Obama devoted a large portion of [...]
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words are at the heart of our foundation’s commitment to justice, leadership and community building undergirding all our programs and community partnerships. Dr. King said, “As long as there is poverty in the world I can never be rich, even if I have a billion dollars. As long as [...]
It’s a term used in the state education code, referring to the responsibility schools, and other education institutions, have to act in place of their students’ parents, especially in ways that ensure their civil liberties are upheld. It’s the law, and it applies to all students. Not just the students who show up on time, [...]
The prospect of a balanced state budget offers all Californians the hope that further cuts to health, education, housing, infrastructure and other critical services may come to an end. As a state, we can stop borrowing from the future and preserve current educational, health and economic development programs to stem our declines in school performance, [...]
As we look back on 2012, we want to take this time to thank you for your partnership and share with you some of our favorite photos that highlight our time together in 2012. There is much to be thankful for: Anonymous gifts from donors who seize the opportunity to help others. Teachers who educate, [...]
I’ve never owned a car. When I need a quart of milk, I walk downstairs to the corner store. For my 15-minute commute, I walk two blocks to BART. Walking, biking, and taking transit to everything I need means I not only save $5,000 a year (versus owning a car), I also have a healthy [...]