Educate, Engage, Empower

The Challenge

Educational inequity is deeply rooted in our country, and systemic racism in schools creates a significant barrier to success for students of color. RISE works to Educate, Engage, and Empower low-income families of color, including Black, Latino, Southeast Asian, immigrant, refugee, and undocumented families, to RISE as change agents for educational equity in our public school system. RISE is founded on the belief that families are crucial to student and school success. Through knowledge building, organizing, and leadership development, families will end educational inequity.

Our Response

RISE was founded in 2012 by three Latinas who all grew up and were educated in Colorado. As teachers and organizers, they saw the importance of holistic family engagement where families were no longer tokenized but truly put at the forefront of the movement for educational equity. Just like Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez led the Farm Workers Movement and Dr. King and African Americans led the Civil Rights Movement, we believe that those most impacted by educational inequity must lead the movement– in both Aurora and America, those most impacted are low-income families of color and immigrant and refugee families.

Through our holistic approach, we Educate, Engage, and Empower low-income families of color to lead the movement for educational equity. We Educate families about the opportunity gap, Engage families in organizing coalitions, and Empower families to take on leadership roles at decision-making tables. As a result of COVID-19, we have learned that an intersectional and holistic approach is a necessary change to ensure that families’ basic needs are being met - including food, shelter, mental health, and direct cash assistance - so that they can have the bandwidth and capacity to focus on their children’s academic achievement.

Our long-term goal is a system where all students receive an excellent education and where Family and Student Leaders are the architects of the education system and policy instead of objects. Join us in building the Family and Student-Led Movement for Educational Equity - RISE WITH US!