The California School Boards Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization whose mission is to provide direct support and training to school board members, conduct policy research and analysis, and recognize educational leadership and achievements in California. The Foundation is integral to achieving the long-term vision of CSBA, which is to build a “state where the public schools are widely recognized as the foundation of a free and democratic society, where local citizen governing boards are fully vested with the means to advance the best interests of students and the public, and where the futures of all children are driven by their aspirations, not bounded by their circumstances.”
Current projects
Full-Service Community Schools
The goal of this project, funded by a grant from The San Francisco Foundation, is to build awareness of and increase support for school boards and school governance teams for the full-service community school approach to improving student attendance, engagement, learning and achievement and building healthier, stronger communities. Activities for this project include: (1) hosting key statewide stakeholders, community school leaders, experts, practitioners and champions for networking and discussion of next steps toward moving this work forward in California, (2) providing a series of quality workshops at CSBA’s 2012-2013 Annual Education Conference that address a spectrum of full-service community school models, and (3) working with the Cities Counties School Partnership to develop and implement strategies to promote purposeful collaboration to meet the deepening and expanding needs of children and families across the state.
Summer Learning and Wellness
The goals of the project, funded by The David and Lucille Packard Foundation, are to (1) raise the awareness level of school governance leaders on how districts are making summer part of the continuous learning level cycle for students; (2) raise the awareness level of school governance leaders on how districts can improve the health and well-being of students by including after school and summer nutrition and physical activities in their school wellness goals, practices and policies; and (3) to positively impact the learning environments of the California’s students by promoting and supporting policy development, implementation and monitoring/ accountability around issues of student health, obesity prevention and the opportunities afforded in the afterschool and summer setting.
CSBF College and Career Readiness Initiative: A Linked Learning Approach
The purpose of this project, funded by the James Irvine Foundation for the period of March 7, 2012 to March 6, 2014, is to raise awareness of college career ready strategies and Linked Learning among California school board members and district leadership teams, and to provide comprehensive services, policy, educational and leadership support for governance teams, districts and county offices of education.
Obesity Prevention and School Discipline
This project, funded by The California Endowment, seeks to raise awareness, build capacity and promote and support obesity prevention and restorative justice/school discipline policies and practices in California school districts.