Today the Walton Family Foundation announced a $1.2M grant to the Urban League of Greater New Orleans aimed at increasing resources for parents to ensure more children have access to high-quality schools.
“Communities need to be empowered to make education a top priority and to ensure that all parents have high-quality education options for their children,” said Marc Sternberg, director of the foundation’s K-12 education reform efforts. “By providing parents the tools they need to support their children, groups like ULGNO are paving the way for students in New Orleans to continue making remarkable gains.”
A key part of rebuilding New Orleans’ public school system post-Katrina is informing parents about their options for high-quality schools, regardless of their ZIP code, background or income level. The ULGNO’s Parent Information Center (PIC) has served as a central repository of information to empower over 10,000 parents in navigating the new, complex school system and has helped to lead to the successful implementation of a district-wide common application process, and ultimately the OneApp centralized enrollment system.
The Walton Family Foundation’s support will contribute to increased student achievement in traditional, public charter, and private schools by building a more informed community and active parent base
The grant will help the ULGNO expand PIC to include an early-childhood parent guide,further access and parent support to ESL families, and continue development of the annual Schools Expo, which brings families together with over 100 schools and community-based resource providers in the City. The grant will also support the development of an Education Empowerment Program, which will offer a leadership program to immerse African American business leaders and young professionals in education issues.
Since 2007, the Walton Family Foundation has invested more than $28 million in New Orleans’ K-12 public education to create opportunities for all students to succeed. The schools in New Orleans have improved from an average proficiency rate of 48 percent in 2009 to 63 percent in 2014, which is close to the state average of 69 percent. The Foundation is encouraged by the progress in New Orleans and is committed to furthering its support of proven organizations working to ensure all of the city’s students reach their fullest potential.
About The Walton Family Foundation
The Walton Family Foundation is dedicated to changing the trajectory of young people’s lives and helping end the poverty that plagues so many of our nation’s communities by expanding K-12 education opportunities for all students. The foundation has invested more than $1 billion to date to improve all types of schools — traditional district, public charter and private — and to support innovative organizations that share a common goal: to give all families the ability to choose the best school for their child, regardless of their ZIP code.
About The Urban League of Greater New Orleans
For over 76 years the Urban League of Greater New Orleans (ULGNO) has worked to assist African Americans and others seeking equity in securing economic self-reliance, parity, power, and civil rights. The ULGNO is one of nearly 100 affiliates of the National Urban League, and is a participating agency of the United Way. ULGNO has played an active role in rebuilding the public school system after Hurricane Katrina – serving as a community intermediary, a coordinating agency, and a trusted conduit for information to parents through its three Centers of Excellence: Education and Youth Development, Economic and Community Development, and Policy and Social Justice.