Let Students Lead
uCANRise believes that underrepresented students have the strongest and most valuable perspectives needed to address systemic educational inequities. When given the chance to meaningfully engage, students not only develop thoughtful solutions, but also expand their leadership and civic skills to thrive in the current climate and throughout their careers.
This is an exciting time for advancing educational equity. In response to persistent inequities in higher education, underserved students across California are fighting for their right to college access, participation and completion.
Empowering Students for Systems Change
The organizations in uCANRise inspire, prepare, and mobilize underrepresented students to play a central role in the development and implementation of transformational policies and practices that advance educational equity, and we support other organizations in growing their ability to do the same.
uCANRise Theory of Change
Our theory of change is grounded in empowerment theory. We encourage a collaborative relationship between college access and success direct-service providers and underrepresented students, rather than one where organizations are positioned as experts. Our role is to create environments, determine activities, and define outcomes that will advance student-led advocacy.
20 Promising Practices
Based on our discussions with students, we’ve developed a list of twenty initial practices to support student advocacy. As we begin to experiment with these practices, we will also be creating indicators, benchmarks, and tools that will help us determine to what extent these practices contribute to systems change for deep educational equity. We hope you’ll join us in putting these practices into play and sharing your results!
Our 2019 Report: Empower Students
uCANRise’s report, Empower Students: A Call for California’s College Access and Success Organizations to Support Student-Led Movements for Educational Equity is the result of the first 18 months of our community of practice. Download the report to learn more about our theory of change, how it is connected to current student-led advocacy in California, and our 20 Promising Practices.
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