There has been a rise in harassment and hate crimes since the 2016 election, especially against immigrant, South Asian, Muslim, Arab, Middle Eastern, and LGBTQ youth. The RRF, which will be administered by the Southern Education Foundation (SEF), is intended to protect children from harassment and violence, better equip schools to respond to incidences of hate-based harassment and violence, and identify potential questions for future research to reduce inequality. Organizations selected to receive funding should be well-positioned to monitor activities related to vulnerable youth, engage educators on effective strategies for protecting students, share research and analysis to capture bias, and support relevant coalition building, organizing, and policy work. Potential grantees will also be evaluated in light of how the use of research evidence grounds their work. A four-member stewardship group, which includes Vivian Tseng, will assess potential grantees utilizing a rubric developed by the SEF. The SEF has raised approximately $1.4 million toward the creation of this Fund, with funds pledged by the Ford, William and Flora Hewlett, W.K. Kellogg, and Raikes Foundations.
This grant will support the creation of a Rapid Response Fund (RRF) to build the capacity and knowledge of teachers and school staff to support vulnerable youth.
