AIR Equity Initiative

July 16: AIR Equity Initiative #WorkforceDev program officer Kwelin Pipkin joins Workforce Matters Funders Network for a webinar discussing Supporting Native Workforce Development: A Guide for Funders. The Guide is a new resource that helps funders establish and grow impactful philanthropic partnerships with Native Nations and communities and support policies that expand Native-led #workforce approaches and providers. Learn more and register: https://lnkd.in/eZHTTq4v

The African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the American Institutes for Research Pipeline Partnership Program, is conducting an Impact Evaluation Faculty Retooling Workshop from 1-6 July 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya. A total of 31 teaching faculty members drawn from the AERC network of the Collaborative Masters in Agricultural and Applied Economics, the Collaborative Master's Program, and the Collaborative PhD Program universities from 20 African countries will attend the workshop. The workshop is designed and taught by experts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, AIR, and UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight.

May was a remarkable month for the AIR Equity Initiative! We honored the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education during two events at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. Then, we joined AIR Equity Initiative grantees Megan (Lebow) Sambolt and Wehmah Jones for a presentation on promising school integration initiatives at the National Coalition on Education Equity (NCOEE) + California Association of African-American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA) DC Conference on Capitol Hill. On May 2, we collaborated with The Century Foundation and National Coalition on School Diversity to host “Brown v. Board at 70: Fulfilling the True Promise of School Integration.” AIR Equity Initiative's Terris Raiford Ross, Ph.D. highlighted the need to take an evidence-based approach to achieve integration and create thriving educational environments for all students. We also heard from policymakers, school leaders, advocates, and researchers during the Integrated Schools live podcast of the event. At the NAACP's "Celebrating the Past, Shaping the Future" event marking the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board, we unveiled the grant recipients of our School Integration and Equity 2.0: Tools and Strategies Grant Competition. It was an honor to make this announcement in the presence of the Little Rock Nine and Brown Delegation, signifying our appreciation for their sacrifices and commitment to carrying their work forward. The May 22 NCOEE + CAAASA DC Conference on Capitol Hill brought the events of the month full-circle as we joined some of the nation's foremost educators, researchers, and advocates on the steps of the Supreme Court more determined than ever to fulfill the promise of Brown v. Board. Watch a clip from the NAACP's commemorative event. https://lnkd.in/eNyzCpBz

“School district boundaries can and should be drawn intentionally to define school systems that are neither separate nor unequal.” - Zahava Stadler, New America Last month, we announced $5.8 million in grants to promote #integration and #equity in U.S. public schools. One of our grantees, New America, is modeling changes to school district boundaries to improve diversity and funding equity. By exploring options like district consolidation or redrawing boundaries based on existing census data, they aim to inform the creation of more balanced and equitable school districts. New America emphasizes, "Just as legislative districts need fair maps, school districts are crucial for an equal society." We are excited to support New America as they work towards creating fairer and more inclusive school district boundaries.

The AIR Equity Initiative is learning from Living in Victory (LIV) to better understand the success of their community-based housing and employment model, which supports Black men in St. Louis with more safe, caring, and equitable support for substance use disorder. Today, LIV's founder, Cameo Jones spoke at the White House with Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Director Tom Perez, and Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Rahul Gupta for a conversation on the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose. Learn more about Living in Victory's work: https://lnkd.in/e772qWh4.

As a GES 2024 Programme Partner, AIR Equity Initiative invites you to register for the 2nd Global Evidence Summit. This event offers a unique chance for colleagues worldwide to reflect on evidence-based practices, share insights, and discuss critical issues across various sectors, such as health, education, social justice, the environment, and climate change. Don't miss out on the early bird registration, ending on June 14! https://lnkd.in/gPb9dYdW

Many state attendance policies mandate specific school attendance requirements, with truancy systems penalizing excessive absences. Unfortunately, these policies disproportionately impact students from marginalized backgrounds and those with disabilities, who often face higher rates of chronic absenteeism. The Equitable Attendance Policy Partnership (EAPP), supported by the AIR Equity Initiative, is dedicated to helping states revise their attendance policies and implementation practices to address these disparities. The EAPP focuses on equitable approaches to attendance policy and implementation, informed by the lived experiences of youth and families. Discover how the EAPP is working to create fairer attendance policies: https://lnkd.in/ePNKexNj

Today, AIR staff had an unforgettable opportunity to participate in NAACP's celebration of the 70th anniversary of #BrownvBoard. Hosted at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture with remarks from President Joe Biden, the event offered a critical examination of the historic ruling, and honored the #LittleRock9, the litigants of Brown v. Board, and other champions for justice. Terris Raiford Ross, Ph.D., managing director of the AIR Equity Initiative, which co-sponsored the event, also had the opportunity to announce the recipients of $5.8m in grant funding for programs and initiatives that strive to create more integrated, equitable education experiences for K-12 public school students in the U.S. https://lnkd.in/gDTAXzET

As we acknowledge the significance of the 70th anniversary of the #BrownvBoard ruling, AIR’s Terris Raiford Ross, Ph.D. announces the recipients of the Integration and Equity 2.0 Tools and Strategies Grant Competition.    Today, at the NAACP's celebration of this historic ruling, hosted at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and in the presence of members of the #LittleRockNine, litigants from the Brown v. Board case, and other advocates for educational #equity, we reaffirm our commitment to the generation and use of evidence to contribute to a better, more equitable world. https://lnkd.in/gDTAXzET

Congratulations to our Integration and Equity Grant Competition recipients: New America – Education Policy Program at New America, NC State College of Education, the Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC), the Urban Institute, Huriya Jabbar at the University of Southern California, and American Institutes for Research researchers. We look forward to supporting your work.