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| Our Approach
California Tomorrow works with individuals, within organizations, and as an ally in coalitions and movements. In addition to changing attitudes, assumptions, and institutions, we promote equity-centered policymaking.
California Tomorrow has a multifaceted change strategy that works to support diversity, inclusion and equity in many arenas and on many levels. In the individual realm, we help people explore how diversity and equity dynamics affect their own lives and others, while working together across cultural and linguistic differences. We help to create more responsive institutions by building the capacity of organizations to be fair, inclusive and effective with diverse populations. And at the societal level, we advocate for policies and services that are responsive to the needs of diverse and marginalized groups.
California Tomorrow works most directly with those we call ‘change agents’ or ‘sparks’ – people who help lead their organizations and institutions through a process that results in real changes, such as shifts in programs, practices, resources, and governance, and to more responsive, effective and forward-thinking work with the communities they serve.
- We facilitate personal reflection and dialogue to explore bias, examine privilege, and challenge individual assumptions about diversity and equity, and do so in a way that helps participants to feel safe about sharing their thoughts and feelings
- We use data and mapping as springboards to deepen understanding of disparities in power, resources and opportunity, and to show how these disparities affect organizations and communities
- We share research – our own and others’ – to inspire new approaches and to highlight new paradigms for creating inclusion and equity.
- We help organizational leaders and advocates assess their agencies’ practices, develop action plans, and implement change
- We support organizations and institutions in creating evaluation systems to measure their progress in expanding diversity and achieving inclusion and equity.
To help further action and change at the systemic level, California Tomorrow also engages in alliance building and policy advocacy.
- We strengthen connections among diverse groups of educators, access- and equity advocates, leaders of civil rights and immigrant organizations, county and state officials, concerned business leaders, and community advocates.
- We convene conferences and forums where we present our research in conjunction with allies to help inspire and focus the advocacy and policy work we pursue together.
- We monitor policy trends and promote equity-centered policy initiatives at the local, regional, state and national level.
Our Approach to Research
California Tomorrow's work to change institutions and public attitudes draws strongly on our groundbreaking research.
Our unique action-research approach engages communities – educators, community workers, parents, students and others – in reflection about their own needs, capacities and solutions. Our research is always a prelude to action, translating what we've learned into working models and sharing this knowledge as broadly as possible through workshops, convenings, technical assistance and a wide range of publications.
California Tomorrow's research is designed to:
- Promote reflection, assessment and dialogue
- Offer recommendations for policy and practice
- Monitor and analyze progress toward equity and call attention to matters of exclusion and discrimination
- Showcase new ideas for addressing diversity and equity challenges by documenting the best practices of institutions and communities
- Elicit, publish and value the voices of people who are most directly affected by the issues being researched
California Tomorrow's research is:
- Action focused
- Cyclical and ongoing
- Informed by multiple perspectives
- Values-based and methodologically rigorous
- Published in accessible language and engaging formats
Our Capacity Building Efforts
Drawing on the lessons from our research, and building on more than 20 years of cutting-edge equity and diversity work, California Tomorrow offers customized technical assistance, training, and capacity building to a broad range of educational, community and civic leaders and practitioners working to strengthen their organizations’ internal and external practices to better serve their changing communities.
Our capacity building efforts are:
- Holistic, focusing on change at the personal, organizational and community levels
- Customized and developed in partnership with organizations and institutions
- Conducted by culturally diverse training teams with extensive field knowledge and experience
- Accessible and supportive
- Effective, leading to sustainable, equity-focused changes in areas such as: vision and commitment, staffing patterns, professional development, student and community outcomes, programming and curriculum, organizational practices, governance, outreach, evaluation and accountability.
Our experience suggests that deep and lasting organizational or institutional change takes time and involves collective effort and commitment. To support the needed personal reflection, dialogue, assessment and planning, we offer:
- One-time workshops and trainings
- Workshop/training series
- On-site organizational coaching and technical assistance
- Meeting and dialogue facilitation
- Facilitation of collaborations and coalitions
- Peer networks for organizational change
- Youth training and leadership development
Our Advocacy and Policy Work
California Tomorrow engages in advocacy aimed at furthering an equity agenda, fighting exclusion and discrimination, and promoting policies that build upon the strength of our society’s diversity. We see “policy” not solely as legislation, but also in terms of changes implemented within and across institutions and systems – schools, school districts, counties, local governments, statewide and national associations, and many other arenas. To this end, we:
- Provide briefings for policymakers, as well as for educators, practitioners and community members who may be impacted by pending policy actions
- Produce timely reports about the impacts of policies on equity and inclusion
- Advocate for culturally and linguistically appropriate public services
- Serve as specialists on regional, statewide and national committees
- Support social justice campaigns led by community organizers
- Help launch original, proactive policy interventions on issues pertaining to educational and social equity
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