W.K. Kellogg Foundation Online Grant Application

W.K. Kellogg Foundation Online Grant Application

Purpose:
To engage in real-time work with the California State Department of Education (CDE), the Public Education Network and others to create tools and strategies for engaging youth, families, community organizations in the creation of actionable plans for implementing youth-centered reforms that "blur the lines" between school and community.

Amount Requested: $600,000

Amount Budgeted: $1.8 million to $2. million (including $ 800,000 in direct pass through grants). Full project amount $2.8 to 3 million (including funding to districts through CDE)

Project Objectives and Proposed Activities:
The partnerships with CDE and PEN will allow the Forum to complete a journey we began a year ago to find strategies for moving our ideas to impact through place-based or system-focused partnerships with organizations that are already committed to action.

In California: Forum staff will coordinate technical assistance to 4-8 California communities whose districts have been awarded planning grants for the 03-04 school year to create comprehensive plans for high school reform that: a) incorporate youth development principles, b) involve young people and community stakeholders in the planning and implementation processes, c) expand the boundaries for learning to include structured activities that are offered by community institutions, institutions of higher education, and businesses during the school day and in the out-of-school hours. The Forum worked with education staffers to design the RFP for the High School Pupil Success Act (HSPSA) and to help secure funding from the Gates Foundation that will give each community $100,000 to ensure well-coordinated student and community involvement. The Forum is the designated fiscal agent for the technical assistance component of HSPSA. The Gates Foundation has also committed $200,000 towards the estimated $400,000 needed to create tools, train student and community leaders, provide ongoing technical support, and document the process.

Across the Country: The Forum will deepen its work with local education funds (LEFs), in particular the 16 LEFs engaged in PEN's public policy initiatives, the 28 LEFs engaged in high school reform, and the 5 LEFs located in communities where the Forum's organizational sister -- the Community IMPACT! Network, also operated by Impact Strategies, Inc -- has affiliates. With each of these networks, Forum and PEN staff will work together to help LEFs and the Public Education Network realize three goals: a) promoting youth-centered school reform, b) engaging youth as change agents, c) building strong constituencies for public education that understand the role of the community in
supporting schools and creating learning opportunities that extend beyond the school day and school building. This formal partnership builds on more than a year of informal support undertaken by the Forum.

Time Schedule/Grant Duration:
November, 2003 to March 31, 2005
[Note: California High School Reform work will begin August 2003 with funding from the Gates Foundation. PEN work will begin in late fall.]

Anticipated Outcomes.
We are extremely excited about these new partnerships because they provide the opportunity to generate some very concrete outcomes:

1. District level school improvement plans that have significant student and community input and are complemented by community-wide opportunities analyses and improvement plans that articulate the community learning supports needed and define the relationship between school and community learning centers.

2. Actionable LEF plans that incorporate deeper understandings of the principles of youth-centered education, youth civic engagement and community partnerships for learning.

3. Transportable planning and assessment tools including instructions and examples that can be used by other communities/districts/LEFs.

4. A cadre of local consultants, community leaders and professionals who will continue to use the tools and processes, if they are proven useful.

5. A series of reports that flow from the learning groups and communities.

6. At least 2 formal partnerships between PEN and ISI affiliates. One partnership is already on the drawing board in Austin, Texas where a new LEF is being created that will also be a member of the Community IMPACT! Network.

Personnel and Financial Resources Available.
The project will be co-managed by Karen Pittman and Merita Irby, the Forum's Executive and Managing Directors. In addition, the Forum has 4 program staff who will work on this project between 10%-40% time and 2 senior education consultants, Jean Thomases (based in NYC) and Jay Schenirer (based in Sacramento) who have committed to working 30%-50% time. The Forum will hire an additional consultant in California to travel between the districts and will recruit a new program associate with a background in K-12 public education.

Resources committed to CDE: The Gates Foundation has committed up to $1 million to the HSPSA initiative: $200,000 towards technical assistance; $100,000 each for up to 8 districts. CDE will provide districts with direct grants of up to $250,000. The Forum will also seek technical assistance funds from the Annenberg Foundation.

Resources committed to PEN Partnership: PEN staff will provide continued support to the LEF focused projects already underway at no cost to this project. Grant funds are being sought from WKKF and other funders to support the addition of Forum staff to these projects and to cover additional costs (e.g. new meetings, documentation, publications) associated with working with the LEFs and with the Community IMPACT! Network.

Sustainability Strategy.
The CDE and PEN partnerships provide the Forum with real-time learning laboratories in which to further develop and test ideas and tools that have been in the making for several years. This grant will help the Forum reap the benefits from the earlier front-end investments WKKF and other foundations made that made these partnerships possible. Had the Forum not "earned its stripes" in the field by offering its services at deeply subsidized rates, we would not be in the position we are now.

The market for "blurring the lines" tools is expanding. We believe that these partnerships will give us the demonstration horsepower needed to complete the research to market timeline and have high quality, flexible, affordable tools and trainings available for communities and school districts and funders collaboratives.