Approach

The English Learner portfolio grantmaking invests in three strategy areas that are mutually reinforcing and complementary to amplify our impact on education systems and students.

Statewide Impact

We aim to build collective capacity to advance EL-centered policy that helps all ELs in California thrive. Toward that end, we engage advocates, state and local policymakers, families, and students to work individually and as a collective on shared goals. We develop and disseminate new knowledge to inform policy discussions. We raise awareness about ELs across a wide range of stakeholders by building their capacity to champion ELs.

Regional Opportunities

We believe that the successes and challenges on the ground in communities should inform state education policy. Through our exploration and analysis, we target two regions: The Central Valley, with a particular focus on Fresno County, and Los Angeles County where we seek to strengthen implementation of state policies, such as the EL Roadmap, highlight innovative approaches to bilingual education, and uplift family and community voices.

EL Ecosystem

We seek to increase public and private investment for ELs in California. We cultivate partnerships at the intersection of policy, practice, and research.  We sponsor research efforts that shed light on the lived experiences of ELs and show how our education systems can better serve them. And we believe that these students are assets to California that will help our state thrive so we invest in a narrative change approach to help all Californians recognize their value.

Application Guidelines

We don’t accept unsolicited proposals at this time. Please email grants@sobrato.org for more information.