BY: JIN-SOO HUH, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIP & INNOVATION, EDUCATION LEADERS OF COLOR

Across the EdLoC Network, leaders are working every day to strengthen learning for the young people they serve, refining curriculum, rethinking instruction, and building approaches grounded in the needs of their communities. This work is not theoretical. It is happening in classrooms, schools, and organizations right now, often in real time and in response to challenges that cannot wait.

And yet, too often, this work moves forward without the level of investment needed to sustain it or help it grow.

For students of color, multilingual learners, students experiencing poverty, and students with disabilities, access to high-quality curriculum and instruction remains uneven. Leaders of color are responding to these challenges with clarity and urgency, drawing on their expertise, their proximity to the work, and their deep understanding of the communities they serve.

What they are building is not abstract. It is practical, responsive, and rooted in the realities of their students’ lives. Yet, the systems that fund innovation have not been designed to recognize or support this kind of work, leaving many of these efforts under-resourced as they continue to evolve and needs increase.

The Innovation for Learning Fund

The Innovation for Learning Fundwas created to invest directly in this work, supporting new or emerging efforts that strengthen curriculum and instruction and improve learning outcomes for students of color, multilingual learners, students experiencing poverty, and students with disabilities.

It is designed to support leaders in developing, testing, and expanding the work they are already leading, providing the resources needed to move from early ideas to deeper, more sustained impact.

What This Investment Makes Possible

With support, leaders can deepen and extend their work in ways that are often not possible otherwise, strengthening the quality and relevance of curriculum and instruction, testing and refining approaches in real time, and expanding efforts that are already demonstrating promise.

Over time, this kind of investment allows organizations to build toward more sustainable and scalable solutions by continuing to invest in what is already working and progressing with structured support.

Why This Matters Now

Leaders are navigating a landscape shaped by funding uncertainty, shifting policy conditions, and increasing pressure to deliver results, all while continuing to show up for their students and communities in meaningful ways.

The challenge is not a lack of commitment or ideas. It is a lack of consistent investment in the leaders and organizations doing this work, particularly those led by people of color. EdLoC’s approach is grounded in a simple but powerful belief that the leaders closest to the challenges are also best positioned to develop solutions, and that investing in those leaders is essential to improving student outcomes and strengthening the systems that serve them.

Looking Ahead

The Innovation for Learning Fund represents a continued commitment to supporting the leadership and ideas within the EdLoC Network, investing in work already underway and in the leaders driving it forward. It reflects a belief that meaningful change is built over time through sustained investment, thoughtful iteration, and a deep connection to community.

When leaders of Color are resourced to lead, the impact extends beyond individual initiatives, strengthening learning, expanding opportunity, and building a more responsive and effective education system for all students.

Opportunity at a Glance

The Innovation for Learning Fund supports new or emerging efforts that strengthen curriculum and instruction and improve learning outcomes for students of color, multilingual learners, students experiencing poverty, and students with disabilities.

Eligibility: EdLoC members
Organization size: Under $10M annual budget
Award size: $100,000–$150,000
Application window: April 7 – May 29

Apply Now