COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR EDUCATION

OBJECTIVE 2024THE COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR EDUCATION (CAFE), A 501(C)(4) FOUNDED IN 2024, IS DEDICATED TO RESHAPING RHODE ISLAND'S EDUCATION SYSTEM SO IT SERVES EVERY CHILD, REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND OR ZIP CODE. THE ORGANIZATION SEEKS TO EMPOWER COMMUNITIES TO HARNESS THEIR COLLECTIVE POWER, ENSURING EDUCATION POLICY DECISIONS REFLECT THE NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS OF FAMILIES STATEWIDE. IN ITS FIRST YEAR, CAFE'S SHORT-TERM OBJECTIVES WERE TO: -ESTABLISH ITS NAME AND CREDIBILITY WITH COMMUNITIES, LEADERS, AND DECISION-MAKERS. -BUILD ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE, INCLUDING STAFF, CONSULTANTS, AND COMMUNICATION TOOLS. BEGIN COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND CIVIC EDUCATION FOCUSED ON HOW EDUCATION ISSUES AFFECT CHILDREN IN RHODE ISLAND. -LAUNCH THE DESIGN OF THE EDUCHAMPS PROGRAM (TO BEGIN IN 2025) TO TRAIN AND SUPPORT EMERGING EDUCATION ADVOCATES. -DEVELOP ISSUE PRIORITIES TO GUIDE LEGISLATIVE AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION EFFORTS. THE LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO CREATE A DURABLE NETWORK OF INFORMED, ENGAGED RHODE ISLANDERS WHO WILL SUSTAIN YEAR-ROUND ADVOCACY ON EDUCATION ISSUES, WITH CAFE SERVING AS A TRUSTED CONVENER AND RESOURCE. PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS:1. BUILDING ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE -HIRED AND ONBOARD AN INITIAL MANAGEMENT TEAM AND CONSULTANTS, ESTABLISHING THE SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES NEEDED TO GUIDE THE ORGANIZATION FORWARD. -DEVELOPED A BILINGUAL COMMUNICATIONS CAPACITY (ENGLISH AND SPANISH) TO ENSURE INCLUSIVITY ACROSS RHODE ISLAND'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. -ESTABLISHED A NEW WEBSITE AND DIGITAL PRESENCE, WHICH RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY 2,000 VISITS IN ITS FIRST THREE MONTHS (ESTIMATED).2. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION- ATTENDED AN ESTIMATED 8 COMMUNITY EVENTS AND FESTIVALS DURING SUMMER AND FALL 2024, DIRECTLY ENGAGING WITH OVER 1,000 RESIDENTS TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT EDUCATION ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVOLVEMENT. -HOSTED A BILINGUAL COMMUNITY EVENT AT FARM FRESH RI THAT REACHED MORE THAN 200 ATTENDEES, PROVIDING RESOURCES ON HOW EDUCATION POLICY IMPACTS FAMILIES. -LAUNCHED AN ONLINE "TAKE ACTION" HUB, WHICH ATTRACTED OVER 1,900 UNIQUE VISITORS IN THE FINAL QUARTER OF 2024 (BASED ON DIGITAL ANALYTICS).3. DEVELOPMENT OF THE EDUCHAMPS PROGRAM (LAUNCH 2025) -CREATED A PROGRAM DESIGN FOR EDUCHAMPS, A LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZING TRAINING INITIATIVE. -DESIGNED CURRICULUM COMPONENTS TO PREPARE PARTICIPANTS FOR ROLES SUCH AS SERVING ON EDUCATION TASK FORCES, JOINING NONPROFIT BOARDS, OR LEADING GRASSROOTS EFFORTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.4. CIVIC AND LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION -BEGAN ISSUE EDUCATION WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, HIGHLIGHTING THREE PRIORITY AREAS IN STATE EDUCATION POLICY.-CONDUCTED EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH TO AN ESTIMATED 10,000 RHODE ISLAND RESIDENTS THROUGH BILINGUAL MAIL, DIGITAL CONTENT, AND IN-PERSON ACTIVITIES (ESTIMATED). -INITIATED MEETINGS WITH MORE THAN 30 COMMUNITY LEADERS AND STAKEHOLDERS, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THAT WILL INFORM AND STRENGTHEN CAFE'S PRIORITIES IN 2025 AND BEYOND.IMPACT AND STORY OF 2024IN ITS FOUNDING YEAR, CAFE DEMONSTRATED THAT COMMUNITIES ACROSS RHODE ISLAND ARE EAGER FOR AN INCLUSIVE, TRANSPARENT VOICE IN EDUCATION POLICY. BY COMBINING INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND THE EARLY STAGES OF LEADERSHIP PIPELINE BUILDING, CAFE LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR LONG-TERM ADVOCACY. THE ORGANIZATION'S EARLY INVESTMENTS IN BILINGUAL COMMUNICATIONS AND ITS PRESENCE AT COMMUNITY EVENTS FOSTERED TRUST AND POSITIONED CAFE AS A CREDIBLE ADVOCATE. IMPORTANTLY, THE WORK OF 2024 ENSURES THAT THE EDUCHAMPS PROGRAM WILL LAUNCH IN 2025 WITH A STRONG FOUNDATION, CREATING A NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS READY TO SHAPE EDUCATION DECISIONS AT EVERY LEVEL.