By investing in parenting students, we can help to create a more equitable and just society where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. Learn more from a discussion with the California State University Student Parent Network Advisory Committee.
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The CPUC’s broadband funding priority areas maps, as currently drafted, fail to reflect the digital divide and the lived experiences of the communities most in need in Los Angeles County. As such, they risk denying Angelenos their fair share of this historic federal investment.
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Over the course of the year, the 2023 Textbook Affordability Fellows will build the movement in California higher education to break down barriers to access and equity in the classroom through expanding the use of OER.
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Through a Spark Grant, Impact Justice will bolster their California Justice Leaders Alumni Network program. Focusing on four areas–skill-building, networking, connection opportunities, and a deeper dive into topics that interest alumni–Impact Justice will offer professional development opportunities to the 110 alums and counting.
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A New Way of Life Reentry Project has identified an opportunity to serve not only all formerly incarcerated throughout the state of California, but also across the nation, by offering their curriculum online via a Michelson Spark Grant.
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The Creative Commons Bay Area Bootcamp has wrapped up as 13 California Community College (CCC) faculty earned their certification in Creative Commons Licensing! The Michelson 20MM Foundation was thrilled to invest in the CCC educators and librarians who make this work possible as the CCC system works toward implementing the $115 million investment in Zero Textbook Cost degrees.
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Not only do formerly incarcerated students deserve to belong on campus and are often excellent students, they also possess a drive unlike many others. Directly-impacted leaders and subject matter experts discussed ways to support students as they transition onto campus.
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For years, the Michelson 20MM Foundation has sought to leverage higher education as a catalytic force for transforming the lives of justice-involved individuals. Backed by research that demonstrates the transformative nature of higher education for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students, and fueled by the belief that everyone deserves access to higher education, we are continuing our commitment to Smart Justice through the 2022 Spark Grants funding cycle.
The cycle, which closed last month, called on non-profits whose work focuses on California’s justice-impacted communities to submit proposals for grants up to $25,000. Specifically, we sought to fill the following gaps in the higher educational landscape:
On the heels of a competitive funding cycle, and based on the recommendations of our Spark Community Advisors, please join us in welcoming the 2022 Smart Justice Spark Grantees!
Four years since Michelson 20MM supported the launch of Impact Justice’s California Justice Leaders program, there are now 110 alumni who have completed at least one year of service through their Credible Messenger model—a model where justice-impacted individuals help fellow justice-impacted people reenter the workforce and their communities post-release. Recognizing the power of the community Impact Justice has built, they will use a Spark Grant to bolster their alumni network, which will include training and professional development for the 110 graduates and counting.
A New Way of Life Reentry Project’s (ANWOL) Workforce Development and Education wing features a unique curriculum that gives formerly incarcerated women the skills they need to pursue a living-wage and obtain employment that is in line with their desired career paths. Through a Spark Grant, ANWOL will offer their already-successful curriculum in a new environment: online. To ensure that formerly incarcerated women in California and beyond truly benefit from the new medium, ANWOL will pilot their first online cohort and will also analyze any barriers students may face in accessing the online curriculum, as well as opportunities to mitigate the challenges to ensure maximum accessibility.
Within the state, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spearheads and touches many education, employment, and rehabilitative programs for folks involved in the justice system. In order to determine how efficacious the programs are, the Public Policy Institute of California’s (PPIC) Spark Grant will help fund a research report that will support a comprehensive understanding of the programs offered and the experiences of those who have gone through the programs over a five-year time period. A first-of-its-kind report, it will serve as the foundation for future analyses designed to ensure that imprisoned students receive the maximum benefit possible.
We look forward to sharing the outcomes of these multifaceted efforts as together we further educational opportunities for all justice-impacted Californians.
Michelson 20MM is a private, nonprofit foundation seeking to accelerate progress towards a more just world through grantmaking, operating programs, and impact investing. Co-chaired and funded by Alya and Gary Michelson, Michelson 20MM is part of the Michelson Philanthropies network of foundations.
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The Michelson 20MM Foundation is excited to support the Community College League of California’s 2023 Annual Legislative Conference on January 29th and 30th in Sacramento. We hope to see you there!
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Marissa began interning for Michelson 20MM’s OER initiative in the summer of 2022, where they leveraged their passion for eliminating systemic barriers to advance a more affordable and equitable postsecondary environment. Now, they will further their work as the OER Program Coordinator.
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