College Spark is proud to announce a three-year, $180,000 grant to the League of Education Voters (LEV) to advance their work on school discipline reform through the Disrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline Legislative Working Table.
School discipline was identified as the top community priority for anti-racist systems change in education during our recent stakeholder engagement. Community members shared powerful stories about how exclusionary practices like suspension, isolation, and restraint disproportionately harm students of color and students with disabilities—causing lasting academic and emotional harm.
LEV is meeting this challenge head-on by bringing together students, families, educators, and policymakers to shift school discipline practices toward more restorative, trauma-informed, and inclusive approaches. With support from the Education Equity Fund, LEV will:
- Develop a statewide advocacy website with toolkits, legislative updates, and research on restorative practice
- Launch storytelling campaigns to amplify the voices of students and families most impacted by current discipline policies
- Engage over 100 students, families, and educators in community-based advocacy effort
- Integrate this work into LEV’s Annual Youth Advocacy Summit, building long-term advocacy skills and leadership among youth
We believe that real, lasting change comes when the communities most affected lead the way. LEV’s approach centers community wisdom, strengthens statewide coalitions, and supports educators in adopting more equitable practices.
This investment reflects College Spark’s commitment to dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline and building an education system where every student feels seen, supported, and able to thrive.
We’re honored to support the LEV Foundation and the powerful community of advocates driving this work forward.
