Amount: $25,000 / Spring 2016
J.Brian Malone, Executive Director
Website: http://kocoonline.org/
This one-year renewal grant will enable Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) to organize youth and adults in low-income, predominantly Black residents in the southside neighborhoods of Chicago to improve the quality of neighborhood schools and increase high school graduation rates. KOCO parent and youth leaders have been organizing to demand the creation of an elected school board, stronger local school councils, and community driven school transformation processes. Over the next year, KOCO will work to strengthen the ability of youth, parents and community leaders to impact public policies and create systemic change within the Chicago Public School system at a local and district-wide level. KOCO will continue to advance the campaign for an elected representative school board and advocate for community-driven, sustainable schools locally and nationally. KOCO’s youth leaders will also continue their efforts to impact broader city-wide issues, including, but not limited to police accountability measures, affordable housing and job creation for youth.