FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Contact: Matt Roman, [email protected], 617-835-3167
Opportunity Institute Will Continue on at Children Now
Children Now to further organization’s work focused on whole-child equity
OAKLAND, CA — The Opportunity Institute, a leader in promoting systemic change to address poverty, racial inequality, and social and economic mobility, will continue its legacy through Children Now. This new alignment will allow the Opportunity Institute’s work to live on through Children Now and its mission of advancing equity for children and confronting the barriers that stand in their way of reaching their full potential.
The Opportunity Institute, under the leadership of Maria Echaveste and the late Christopher Edley Jr., has been an advocate for policies grounded in evidence to address racial disparities in education and increase opportunities for youth. Their extensive work on whole-child equity, adolescent learning and development, resource equity, and equity indicators has been critical in informing equitable education and health policies and practices at both the national and state level, while always prioritizing the most vulnerable and least-resourced children.
“Christopher Edley, as many noted upon his unexpected death earlier this year, made racial and social equity his life’s work, with a special focus on educational equity as the single greatest lever for increasing opportunity,” said Echaveste. “I am excited to continue his work and the legacy of the Opportunity Institute with Children Now. I look forward to working with Ted Lempert and the great staff at Children Now to ensure that California fulfills its promises of equality and opportunity for all of California’s children.”
Through their Adolescent Learning and Development Project, the Opportunity Institute has made instrumental advances in equity for middle and high school students. In school districts and communities across California, the organization has worked with leaders across sectors to forge strong and impactful partnerships that have produced meaningful and sustainable transformation in education. Children Now will continue that work through examining how post-pandemic investments in California’s youth have been used to address learning loss, drive improvement through innovative models like community schools, and lay the foundation for more equitable education.
“The Opportunity Institute has been a tremendous leader and advocate for racial equity with its transformational work on education reform and systemic change,” said Ted Lempert, President of Children Now. “We are beyond excited to continue its work and build off the immense impact they have had on the lives of children across California and the country.”
On November 6th, 2024, from 5-7pm, Children Now will host a celebration of the Opportunity Institute at the UC Berkeley School of Education. The event will commemorate the Opportunity Institute’s years of incredible impact on kids and how its work and mission of advancing whole-child equity will continue on at Children Now.
For more information, please contact Matt Roman at [email protected] or 617-835-3167.
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Children Now is a non-partisan, whole-child research, policy development and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting children’s health and education in California. The organization also leads The Children’s Movement of California, a network of more than 5,400 direct service, parent, civil rights, faith-based, and community groups dedicated to improving children’s well-being.
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