State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has announced a new, multifaceted “Education to End Hate” initiative designed to empower educators and students to confront the hate, bigotry, and racism rising in communities across the state and nation.

The California Department of Education will lead a series of strategies that leverage the power of education to create a more just society.

Educator training grants: The CDE will award up to $200,000 in mini-grants to Local Educational Agencies to support educator training in the areas of anti-racism and bias. The grants will be funded by contributions from an ongoing philanthropic partner, the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. Organizations with extensive experience in leading related educator trainings — including Equality California, the National Equity Project, and the Simon Weisenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance — have already agreed to partner and offer professional development and resources through this program.

Virtual Classroom Series: Throughout the month of October, the CDE hosted a series of virtual classroom sessions broadcast live throughout the state designed to engage students, educators, and families in a wide-ranging dialogue about the many forms of bias young people across California face — and ways schools can lead efforts to end discrimination.

Roundtable with leaders: Thurmond will convene a public roundtable discussion among leaders from prominent racial and social justice organizations, educators, and state lawmakers to brainstorm additional ideas for ways schools can influence the change necessary to ensure a physically and emotionally safe learning environment that is inclusive for all students.