Impact Report 2024
features:
There's a surprising reason why many schools don't have a single Black teacher
“One method experiencing success: In California, which has invested in teacher residency programs, Peter Watts' Village Initiative program provides Black male teachers with housing, mentorship and resources so they can teach in Los Angeles neighborhoods they live in and connect with the kids in their classrooms without worrying about financial strife.”
Fox 11 News Feature
ABC 7 Eyewitness News Interview
CBS News - Amanda Starrantino Reports
FEATURED INTERVIEW ON
FUND RECIPIENT
KCRW Features
A groundbreaking program in Los Angeles seeks to eliminate the hurdles Black men face in becoming teachers.
KCRW FEATURES: Facing a shortage of Black teachers, LAUSD gets creative
Recipient of The
Durfee Foundations’s Springboard Fund
FEATURED ON L.A DAILY NEWS
Recipient of Salesforce’s Unrestricted Catalyst Grant to 10 Black-Led Nonprofits Empowering Youth
Today, in honor of Black History Month, we are announcing 10 new grantees of the Salesforce Catalyst Fund, which provides critical, unrestricted capital to nonprofits led by underrepresented leaders. The latest grantees include nonprofits led by Black leaders who are forging pathways to education and career success for young people of color in the United States.
It’s a stark reality: Black and Latinx nonprofit leaders today receive only about 4% of philanthropic funding in the U.S., though they make up approximately 10% of nonprofit leadership nationwide. And, we know that the gap is even greater when it comes to unrestricted funding....
Watts of Power and LAUSD Advocacy
Parents discussed their priorities for the $18 Billion budget LAUSD has this year, focusing on ensuring funds meant to provide resources like high-quality tutoring reach students hit hardest by the pandemic this year and don’t go unspent. The Watts of Power Foundation was part of this advocacy efforts to hold the school district accountable.
Featured in LAUSD South Validated Stories
“Black teachers are a critical piece to the future of our children and communities, and there are not enough of them. We want to help remove any barriers to change that narrative.”
Awardee of New School Venture Fund
Thanks to the support of New Schools Venture Fund, The Watts of Power Foundation can begin its work on its flagship project called The Teacher Village Initiative. NewSchools provides funding and management assistance to innovators leading early stage organizations that are diversifying the PreK-12 education workforce. The Watts of Power Foundation is one of the ventures that is receiving funding and support from NewSchools Venture Fund in 2022.
Interview with SHOUTOUT LA
Peter and Dr. Didi Watts sit with Dr. Johnson and tell their story about how the Watts of Power Foundation got started.
Hi Peter, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I was a former principal of Thurgood Marshall Middle School, I saw the need and the disparity in education around black children and foster care. They were disproportionately affected and I wanted to do something about it….Read more.
Interview with Voyage LA
Peter, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My 20+ years of experience in education in the inner city of Los Angeles (Watts, and South Central) has allowed me as a teacher, founding charter school principal and district administrator and former Regional Vice President for the West Region of Los Angeles Christian School enabled me to experience the broad landscape of education across the country. These experiences were great but it was always one element missing and that being moral and character development of students in an intentional way…. Read more