The community college landscape has experienced enormous growth in the last 30 years with enrollment peaking in 2008. Today's community college students are young, progressive, and hopeful about changing politics in their communities. While there has been a focus on developing the civic skills and participation of 4-year students, we believe that it is now time to focus on the training of community college students that can offer the most return on investment, especially in effecting local change.
It is not a secret that community colleges are facing difficult fiscal challenges in this economic environment, or that efforts need to be focused on helping students have access to and the ability to succeed in college. However, during a time of civic renewal among young people, we cannot afford to miss this narrow window of opportunity to equip the most progressive-minded generation in decades.
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The Rappaport Family Foundation is seeking Letters of Interest describing innovative projects or organizations that propose to prepare students in a community college setting to be a generation of committed and skilled life-long progressive activists.
In this cycle, we expect to make investments in the range of $20,000-$40,000. Each of these grants will have the option of renewal contingent on meeting mutually agreed upon milestones, for up to an additional two years.
In addition, seed and follow-on grants may be supplemented by peer convenings, opportunities for publication, and informal introductions to the Rappaport Family Foundation's network of funders and other resources.
Deadline to submit the LOI is 5:00 pm Pacific Time, Monday, June 21, 2010. After initial review, selected finalists will be invited to submit full proposals by Monday, July 12, 2010. Final investment decisions will be announced by mid-August 2010.