Aim High is proud to be a founding member of the San Francisco Educator Pathway Coalition (SFEPC), which recently received the prestigious Collaborative Change Initiative Grant from the Hellman Foundation.
On December 6, the San Francisco-based Hellman Foundation awarded nearly $5 million to four cross-sector partnerships working within health and education. Awardees, ranging in focus from hepatitis treatment to food access, will use the funds to narrow the ‘disparity and equity gaps in health, education, and opportunity’ in Alameda and San Francisco counties.
SFEPC addresses the local teacher shortage by building a sustainable pipeline of educators who are from San Francisco and who reflect the student population of the San Francisco Unified School District. SFEPC’s members include SFUSD, City College of San Francisco, the University of San Francisco School of Education, and other youth development nonprofits and teacher credential programs. With the Collaborative Change Initiative Grant, SFEPC aims to decrease the teacher shortage by propelling young people from the community—particularly young people of color— into the field of education.
Since forming in 2016, SFEPC has led the charge in creating an “accessible school-to-liberation pipeline of educators leaders of and for the community.” Joining forces with SFEPC was a natural fit for Aim High where the teacher pathway is an inherent part of the program. Many of our educators, such as Jessie Escobar and Michelle Cody, attended Aim High as students and later went on to pursue careers in education. They both now work for SFUSD.
In 2015, Aim High launched the strategic plan Vision 2020 where we set forth an initiative to inspire the next generation of educational leaders by propelling young people into the field. We believe the result will be a “diverse, prepared, and innovative cadre of teachers” who serve the Bay Area.
Aim High Director of Academics and Program Evaluation Michelle Capobres leads the process of hiring teachers each summer, and is well acquainted with difficulties facing the field of education. She is eager to see SFEPC’s work expand as a result of the grant. “It’s really encouraging to see our initiative gain traction,” she says. “A stronger, more equitable educational system lifts us all up.”
SFEPC IS HIRING! Thanks to the Hellman Foundation’s grant, the SFEPC is now seeking their first full-time employee, a project manager. Learn more here.
