Reimagining Educational Possibilities in the Inland Empire
Scenes from the IECF Education Equity Summit 2025
The Education Equity Department at the Inland Empire Community Foundation stands at the intersection of youth wisdom, community power, and transformative philanthropy. We believe that those closest to educational inequity hold the keys to its transformation. Our work centers on the lived experiences of young people in the Inland Empire, particularly those from communities historically pushed to the margins. Learn more from our 2025 Educational Equity Summit.
Our Vision
We envision an Inland Empire where every young person has access to affirming, liberatory educational experiences that honor their full humanity and nurture their dreams. Where schools and communities work in deep partnership. Where resources flow to community-driven solutions. This vision reflects our broader commitment to the Vital Conditions for Well-Being—recognizing that Lifelong Learning is essential to thriving communities. When young people have equitable access to high-quality learning at every stage of life, it opens pathways to meaningful work, health, civic participation, and belonging.
Grantmaking
In 2025, IECF awarded nearly $1 million in grants to twelve organizations expanding education opportunities across the Inland Empire. These groups support youth leadership, family advocacy, mental health, and culturally responsive education. Their efforts reflect the strength and creativity of our communities and the determination of young people to shape their future in ways that are most meaningful and relevant to their experiences and dreams.
This work is made possible with support from the Gates Foundation, whose partnership helps ensure resources reach the organizations closest to students and families. Investing in the leadership already rooted in our communities strengthens education today and lays the groundwork for lasting progress.
Meet our 2025 Grantees and Their Funded Programs
- BLU Education Foundation – To advance educational opportunity in the Inland Empire through coalition building, policy advocacy, and programs that address systemic barriers.
- Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE) – To engage faith communities in expanding educational opportunity through advocacy, youth leadership, and parent involvement.
- TruEvolution – To advance educational opportunity by supporting LGBTQ+ youth, inclusive policies, and leadership development.
- Inland Empire Immigrant Youth Collective (IEIYC) – To support immigrant students through access to resources, advocacy, and family organizing.
- Alianza – To engage Latino families in education advocacy, academic support, and community organizing.
- IE United / Inland Empire United Education Fund – To strengthen educational opportunity through policy advocacy, civic engagement, and coalition coordination.
- Codex Creation Committee (Mobius) – To organize an annual education conference, youth programs, community outreach, and grassroots education support.
- Motivating Action Leadership Opportunity (MALO) – To provide culturally specific support, youth leadership opportunities, and Pacific Islander representation in education.
- Game Changers Leadership Institute – To develop youth leaders through organizing, civic engagement, and education justice campaigns.
- Inland Empire Prism Collective – To provide advocacy, representation, and support for trans and non-binary youth in education.
- Millionaire Mind Kids – To elevate youth and family voices in under-resourced schools.
- Sigma Beta Xi Youth and Family Services (SBX) – To center youth and family perspectives within under-resourced schools.
Our Approach
School-Community Partnerships
Supporting vital connections between schools and community organizations, particularly those led by community leaders who understand the cultural wealth our communities bring to educational spaces.
Youth Voice & Leadership Development
Investing in youth organizing, participatory research, and leadership opportunities that position young people as the architects of educational change.
Mental Health & Wellness Initiative
Addressing the urgent need for culturally responsive mental health support that recognizes the full complexity of young people’s lived experiences.
Identity-Affirming Education
Supporting curriculum, teacher development, and family engagement that celebrates the cultures, histories, and identities of our diverse communities.
Rapid Response & Innovation
Maintaining flexibility to support emerging needs and creative solutions that come directly from youth and community.
Community Power & Civic Engagement
Building capacity for democratic participation, public education, and collective advocacy to create systemic change in educational governance.
Join Our Movement
Whether you’re a potential funding partner, community organization, school district, or youth advocate, we invite you to join us in this vital work. Our young people have shared their dreams for education in the Inland Empire – now it’s up to all of us to make those dreams reality.
Contact our Education Equity Program Officer to learn more about our current initiatives, funding opportunities, or how to get involved.
Connect with Dr. Torie Weiston-Serdan
Our education work is grounded in the understanding that young people are not empty vessels to be filled, but brilliant fires already burning. Our task is to create the conditions where those fires can illuminate new pathways toward collective liberation.
Dr. Torie Weiston-Serdan, Education Equity Program Officer
Keep in Touch
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