The aim of our Ground Building strategy is to expand education organizing power. We invest in growing Detroiters’ power to influence education policy and systems change.

To create an equitable and exceptional education system, we need a broad range of people working together, with critical voices centered. Detroit’s education system most impacts youth, parents, educators, and community members (ground builders), so they must have power in the education system. By power we mean having the resources, capacity, and infrastructure required to influence and enact change.

Ground builders are critical actors who take action to transform systemic inequities. They are the most impacted and are the front-line heroes.

The Skillman Foundation invests in nonprofits that support grassroots education organizing and fosters relationship-building and coordination among these groups and with education policy movers statewide.

Our Ground Building work has three focus areas:

Youth Power
Investing in young people as the catalysts of change. They have first-hand experiences and bold ideas needed to transform the education system.

Educator Power
Ensuring educators’ expertise informs education policy and its implementation.

Neighborhood Power
Accounting for whole-family, whole-community solutions in education system changes.

See the latest in Ground Building