Smiling Black mom with two young boys sons

Children are not problems to be solved, but humans to be loved | The Belleville News-Democrat

Children are not problems to be solved, but humans to be loved | The Belleville News-Democrat

There’s the person you are, and then there’s the person people see. And for me growing up, there was always a big gap between one and the other. In school, people knew me for my behavior problems.

ESTL School District 189 sign

Rise 189 Policy Solution Case Studies

Rise 189 Policy Solution Case Studies

The Rise 189 coalition researched policies and outcomes nationwide when developing their own policy solutions for East St. Louis School District 189. We’ve profiled three case studies—one for each of the Rise 189 policy solutions.

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Why I Signed on to the Rise 189 Policy Solutions

Why I Signed on to the Rise 189 Policy Solutions

When people sign on to our policy solutions, there is a space that says, “This is important to me because…” Here are a few of our favorite responses!

smiling Black woman with two of her young children

Snapshots of the Rise 189 Teach-in in East St. Louis

Snapshots of the Rise 189 Teach-in in East St. Louis

Couldn’t make it out last Thursday night to the Rise 189 Teach-in? No problem! Scroll down to view beautiful pictures and quotes from the evening. Then, send a letter in support and sign up to volunteer leading up to election day!

smiling older Black woman with fist in air

A Conversation Between Longtime Eastside Residents, Marie and Sam

A Conversation Between Longtime Eastside Residents, Marie and Sam

Our children are our future champions. Strip away the bad roads, the politics, the economics, and they are what East St. Louis is made of. We’ve got to make sure they’re acknowledged and recognized and taught that they are geniuses—that they can be proud of the place they’re from.

laughing young Black woman looking to side

Why I care about East St. Louis public schools | The St. Louis American

Why I care about East St. Louis public schools | The St. Louis American

Students show up to school with the trauma of systematic racism on their shoulders and are just expected to grow in an environment that doesn’t value them as human beings.

District 189 cover

ESTL Cohort Launch First Ed-Advocacy Campaign

ESTL Cohort Launch First Ed-Advocacy Campaign

Today, after several months of community organizing training, community engagement, policy research, and data analysis, a number of concerned parents, students, educators, and community members have come together in hopes of elevating the district to new levels.

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WEPOWER Finalist for 2019 Camelback Ventures

WEPOWER Finalist for 2019 Camelback Ventures

We’re proud to be a finalist for the 2019 Camelback Ventures! We’re honored to be in company with wonderful thought leaders and creators.

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BOA President Debate: Questions from the People

BOA President Debate: Questions from the People

The BOA President is the second most powerful position in the city and helps to determine when and how the city’s dollars are spent. For that reason, it is important to convene a space for candidates to respond to real questions from their potential constituents.

young Black man with daughter

Have we Given up on Early Childhood Education?

Have we Given up on Early Childhood Education?

I’ve spoken to folks across St. Louis city and county—families, educators, school and business leaders—who are worried that we are leaving a huge number of kids behind.