Alianza Coachella Valley

Better schools:alianza and its partners, including parents and educators, work to bring restorative justice practices to local schools as a means of creating positive learning environments and improving educational outcomes. The campaign also advocates for transparent and responsible educational spending that best helps at-risk students. The community justice campaign for better schools met a total of 89 times during the year (july 1 to june 30, 2024) for strategy meetings, retreats, one on one meetings and other meetings with riverside county. The team engaged with over 622 parents, students, and caregivers in school budget trainings, trauma informed trainings, introduction to restorative justice sessions, virtual restorative justice circles via zoom, and engagement at school district meetings. Alianza staff and collaborative partners continued to build leadership capacity across the community, providing advocacy and education on topics such as the local control and accountability plan (lcap) and restorative practices.

Environmental justice: alianza and partners work to see that environmental justice is incorporated into long-term government planning practices and that resident input is incorporated into plans for the salton sea. In the past, this campaign has advocated for more public transportation in rural communities and community representation on local boards and commissions. The environmental justice campaign held 41 meetings and events, including 25 youth sessions (150 youth engaged), 8 adult-centered meetings (120 adults), and 8 community-wide events. Two activation events gathered stakeholder input to advance community resiliency efforts focused on economic, environmental, and public health outcomes. Alianza continues to engage youth and residents on topics around the salton sea and ab617 air quality.

Alianza's youth organizing council (yo-c!) provides high school-age young people a place to discuss problems they see in their community and acquire the skills they will need to become future community leaders. Participation is free, and activities throughout the year include planning community events, participating in an annual public speaking competition, educational opportunities, and self-esteem and community-building activities. From the month of july 1 to june 30, 2024 yo-c! Held 61 meetings, including one-on-one check-ins, and engaged 77 youth participants. Activities included the annual soapbox speech competition (7 youth presenters), the hue music & arts festival, and trainings in public speaking, digital design, photography, artivism, and environmental justice topics.