Tulsa, OK (Nov. 30, 2020) – ImpactTulsa is pleased to announce the organization has received a $250,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This Model Design and Initiation Grant will help ImpactTulsa grow capacity to support schools with continuous improvement methods to ensure Black, Latinx and low-income students have an opportunity to graduate from high school and earn a degree that prepares them for a successful career and life.
ImpactTulsa is one of 16 organizations across the country to receive this investment in building the organization’s capacity to support schools with continuous improvement for secondary students. This grant is awarded to organizations based on a competitive application and review process. The organization plans to build upon existing continuous improvement efforts while increasing capacity around infrastructure for data-driven decision making, student agency and family engagement to refine and codify ImpactTulsa’s model in support of low-income youth to increase the number of individuals who are college ready.
“We are elated to have this opportunity to build our capacity while working to improve outcomes for Tulsa students,” Carlisha Bradley, Executive Director of ImpactTulsa, said. “It is an honor to be one of the sixteen organizations joining the Gates community of practice.”
With this grant, ImpactTulsa will work in partnership with district and school teams to restructure existing strategy in response to shifts due to COVID-19. They will do this through examining processes of student recruitment for concurrent enrollment, identifying best practices for student peer advocacy, building components of strategy inclusive of student voice and authority, and consulting with family engagement experts that have led high school family engagement for college and career advocacy.
ImpactTulsa supports 21 school districts across Tulsa County as part of their mission to align to the community to provide a pathway for all students to thrive from cradle to career. The foundation formally announced ImpactTulsa’s award this week.
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About ImpactTulsa
ImpactTulsa is an unprecedented collective impact partnership connecting more than 300 organizations and impacting more than 170,000 students in the Tulsa region. The common goal is to ensure all Tulsa-area students are guaranteed a high-quality education. ImpactTulsa partners measure what matters, share best practices and align resources behind what works to improve student success.