Donate online now through our parent organization, the Wellesley Centers for Women

(Write “SEED Scholarship Fund” on the post-payment page in the “Name of Honoree” section.)

I still remember my first time at SEED New Leaders Week, in Palo Alto, California, in 1992. I had never heard of SEED and had no idea what to expect. I quickly figured out that I was going to hear stories that I'd never heard or even knew existed. In so many ways, SEED has changed my life forever.

"SEED has changed my life. SEED gave me the microphone that I needed to share my voice. I felt that I was engaged in the work before; however, SEED was the first training during which I felt that I was challenged.... The way that I returned to my district prepared and equipped to lead a year-long seminar was unmatched!

-- Grant-funded public school teacher

We are reaching out to ask you to partner with us on our first-ever National SEED Scholarship fundraising adventure. Our intent is to raise $35,000 to provide the transformative SEED journey to educators from under-resourced schools and communities.

In the last four years, with funding from the Kellogg Foundation, we trained 57 leaders from 34 schools that serve over 50% students of color and over 50% students who receive free and reduced lunch. Although the Kellogg grant has ended, our commitment to providing under-resourced schools with SEED leader training is as strong as ever.

Last fall, we also launched the Peggy McIntosh Fund for Educational Equity and Social Justice to raise money more broadly for SEED. Our new initiative, however, is focused specifically on providing funds to those schools most in need of financial assistance for their SEED work. We hope you will help us, since you know the impact SEED can have.

SEED New Leaders Week Session A, 2016

I want to express my gratitude for bringing this amazing program to our school. Christine found the training experience to be deeply impactful both personally and professionally and she has been doing an amazing job sharing what she has learned with our community. While Christine spearheaded the work this fall, the entire SEED group is gradually taking on more leadership on staff development and dialog facilitation. Colleagues have been swapping articles and video clips and teaching ideas to bring our scholars into the fold as well. We have a long way to go but SEED is helping us pave the way!

-- Grant-funded charter school superintendent

Join us in growing this strong scholarship fund for SEED leaders, because we can't do it without you. For instance:

• Fund one book for a new SEED leader: $10
• Feed a new SEED leader for a day: $50
• Fund starting collection of books for one new SEED leader: $100
• Fund New Leaders' Week materials for one teacher: $250
• Fund materials and food for one series of SEED seminars: $500
• Fund one day of New Leaders' Week: $750
• Fund ongoing year-round mentoring for one school: $1500
• Fund a full scholarship: $5000
• Fund co-leaders from one school: $10,000
• Fund SEED seminars at five schools: $25,000
• Any amount will build the foundation and ensure that SEED can grow

I was, honestly, just this close to leaving the classroom before joining SEED as a participant in 2014-15 -- and helping to lead the SEED seminar in 2015-16 has confirmed my decision to stay. There are two to three other teachers in this year's seminar who were also thinking about leaving, and SEED has been the shot in the arm we all needed. We find renewal, authenticity, and humanity in our SEED seminar -- a powerful contrast to the industrial testing and dehumanization that public school education sometimes asks us to go along with. Thank you.

-- Public high school teacher

Every item moves us closer to making the magic of SEED available to schools with little or no funding for professional development at all.

As you know, SEED can thrive in schools when and where there is a great desire to create a just, equitable, diverse school community.

Wouldn't it be great if any school that wanted to have a SEED seminar could? Imagine all the lives of students and teachers that could be impacted and empowered.

Please join us. You can send your donation securely online through our parent organization, the Wellesley Centers for Women (write "SEED Scholarship Fund" in the on the post-payment page in the “Name of Honoree” section) or mail it to:

The National SEED Project
Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College
106 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02481
(Attention: SEED Scholarship Fund)

Read more about how SEED teamwork changed an urban public school

With appreciation,
Emmy Howe and the rest of the National SEED Project Co-directors,
Gail Cruise-Roberson and Jondou Chen