Coalition for Engaged Education

Coalition for Engaged Education was founded in 1995 as New Visions Foundation and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Paul Cummins, the renowned academic visionary, established the organization with the intent of making high-quality educational opportunities accessible for diverse students from marginalized communities. Today, Coalition for Engaged Education specializes in serving youth impacted by the foster and juvenile justice systems through individualized case-management, academic, vocational, arts classes, community events, and leadership development. The organization specifically works with youth between the ages of 14 and 24; the C/HOPE program works with justice-involved youth within this range both during and after incarceration and the C/FORWARD programs guides youth during the transition from high school to college. Although these are the Coalition's two primary programs, the organization also offers an array of other services, including C/STRENGTH, which uses exercise and sports to build community and support mental and physical health.

Coalition for Engaged Education consistently produces significantly higher graduation and employment rates and lower recidivism rates than the national average for foster youth and justice involved youth. In fact, the organization has been recognized by the Rand Corporation as having the lowest recidivism rate of any program in Los Angeles County.