The Families Improving Education (FIE) Initiative of the James Irvine Foundation seeks to support organizations engaging families—particularly those in low-income, ethnic, and immigrant communities—in educational policymaking at the state and local levels. 

In October 2007, Families In Schools (FIS) received a $200,000 grant from the California Community Foundation to work in partnership with the Lennox School District.  The goal of the partnership is to raise the literacy achievement of low-income, minority, and English learner students in grades pre-K through 5 through a comprehensive parent engagement strategy. 

The United Way Success by 6® Wilmington Initiative (SB6-Wilmington) is an early learning collaborative consisting of 21 schools and organizations that strive to create a community-wide school readiness effort for Wilmington families.  SB6-Wilmington has been in operation since 2001 and has experienced success in building strengths-based collaborations to support early education efforts in the Wilmington community. 

Click here for the United Way - Success by 6® Book of Change

Since 2004, FIS has served on the steering committee of Communities for Educational Equity (CEE), a coalition of over twenty community-based organizations, civic leaders, and universities.  CEE seeks to mobilize the Los Angeles community toward ensuring that all students who graduate from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) successfully complete a rigorous and relevant curriculum that prepares them for success in college and the 21st century workforce.