Californians for Justice Education Fund, Inc.

For over a decade, our year-round leadership development program has provided unique leadership development opportunities to low-income youth of color, immigrant, and LGBTQ youth, giving them the knowledge, confidence, analysis, and skills needed to organize their peers and to lead change in their schools and communities. Our program provides educational and skill-building workshops, two intensive training series, and many structured opportunities for youth to put their leadership skills into practice. Participants in our program have the opportunity to gradually build critical leadership skills and to use them in the real world by leading campaigns to improve their education. By building leadership skills and giving youth the opportunity to make real and positive changes in their schools, youth become more engaged in their education and have a more positive outlook on their lives.We train 250 students annually to be organizers in their schools and communities.

Since 2014, Californians for Justice has been expanding our work to engage communities on the ground to shape the decisions that impact them, ultimately shifting the demographics of the electorate to reflect the young people of color who make up our state. In each of our four local regions - Oakland, San Jose, Fresno, and Long Beach, CFJ youth as well as parents and students from ally organizations engage in local school board elections, local measures, and statewide initiatives through activities like hosting candidates forums, which provide a unique space for students and their advocates to learn about their local candidates. Statewide, we’ve also joined efforts to bring more resources to our schools including work around the renewal of Proposition 30, and making changes to Proposition 13 (Make it Fair).