Building Educational Success Together (BEST)

SOSNOLA is a member of the Building Educational Success Together (BEST) collaborative, which is a community of practice with partners supporting each other in work towards a vision where all children learn in school buildings that are safe and educationally adequate and that serve as community anchors in vibrant, healthy neighborhoods. 

Through regular meetings BEST develops ideas and strategies to further policies and use of best practices in school facility planning, design, construction, management and funding. In addition, we define and develop research and communications priorities for current and future projects. Our “culture of collaboration” has been critical to our individual and collective successes and ongoing growth.

 

21st Century School Fund

21st Century School Fund (21CSF) currently serves as SOSNOLA's fiscal sponsor as well as provides technical assistance, training, mentoring and business planning.  21CSF initiated and manages the BEST initiative.  It works to improve the District of Columbia's public school facilities. 21CSF developed and managed the Oyster School Public-Private Development Partnership that built the first new public school in DC in 20 years. Moreover, because of 21CSF's advocacy, the District of Columbia is dedicated to community participation in educational facility planning and is working to replace or modernize every school in DC over the next 15 years. 21CSF has used this local success to spur national efforts to improve school facilities.

Upon visiting New Orleans immediately after Hurricane Katrina, 21CSF's Executive Director, Mary Filardo, met a parent and eventual SOSNOLA founder, Angela Daliet, who was leading a group of local citizens trying desparately to reopen schools so they could return home.  An immediate connection was made, and through 21st Century School Fund's knowledge, experience and leadership, SOSNOLA was able to begin working toward empowering parents to reopen and improve New Orleans schools.  21st Century School Fund helped raise funds for SOSNOLA organizational development from the Ford Foundation and plans to continue serving as SOSNOLA's fiduciary and fiscal sponsor for the next fiscal year.

 

Ford Foundation

SOSNOLA is proud to be a Ford grantee for two consectutive years, and sincerely appreciates Ford's recognition of SOSNOLA's value to improving public education in New Orleans.  The Ford Foundation is a resource for innovative people and institutions around the world. Ford was founded to advance human welfare, and all of their work flows from this fundamental commitment.

Check out our 2007 and 2008 Ford Foundation Proposals submitted by SOSNOLA, 21st Century School Fund and BEST.