Seven decades after Brown v. Board of Education, the promise of equal education for all remains elusive.

Far too many American children still attend schools apart from their peers of different social, economic, and racial backgrounds, despite overwhelming evidence that integrated schools are better for all students.

The Bridges Collaborative—a new, first-of-its-kind school integration initiative powered by The Century Foundation—is overcoming these barriers by reigniting a nationwide movement for integrated schools and diverse neighborhoods, serving as a hub for practitioners from across the country. Since its launch in 2020, the Bridges Collaborative has worked with dozens of leaders from school districts, charter schools, and housing organizations, providing them the space and opportunity to learn from one another, build grassroots political support, and develop successful strategies for integration.

About the Bridges Collaborative

Vision: An America where every child has the opportunity to attend a school that is diverse, integrated, rigorous and inclusive.

Mission: To dramatically increase the number of students attending diverse, integrated, rigorous and inclusive schools by: fostering authentic collaboration among school and housing partners pursuing integration, providing strategic support to practitioners using research and policy, and influencing the national dialogue on school integration.

Highlights from our Team

• “Why the Bridges Collaborative is So Important to Me” by Bridges Collaborative founding director, Stefan Lallinger
• “How My Family’s Immigration Story Connects to Integration” by Bridges Collaborative manager, Alejandra Vázquez Baur
•  “Strength in Collaboration: How the Bridges Collaborative Is Catalyzing School Integration Efforts” by Halley Potter, Stefan Lallinger, and Lara Adekeye

• “Urban Strategies, Inc. Housing and School Integration”
• “Howard County Public Schools’ Approach to Redistricting for Integration”
• “Yu Ming Charter School Leverages the Dual-Language Model for School Integration”
• “A New Model for Combating Housing Segregation Post-Pandemic” (featuring Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership)
• “How the Roaring Fork School District Empowers Immigrant Families”
• “Intentional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Practices at Boston Collegiate Charter School”
• “NestQuest Houston’s Housing Mobility Program Centers Educational Opportunity”
• “Approaches to Integration in North Carolina” (featuring Wake County Public Schools, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)
• “Exploring Intentional Progressive Pedagogical Practices at Compass Charter School”
• “Advancing Integration, Wherever You Are” (featuring NestQuest Houston, Citizens of the World Charter Schools, Hamden Public Schools, Enroll Indy, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership)

• Look up data on school segregation in your metro area.
• Explore school integration efforts across the country.
• Read about effective messaging strategies to build support for school integration.

Want to become a member? Bridges is accepting applications for new members on a rolling basis. Click here to apply.

Questions? To learn more contact our team at [email protected].

Want to sponsor our work? If you are interested in supporting this urgent mission to honor the promise of Brown v. Board by making America’s schools more integrated, please email [email protected] and mention the Bridges Collaborative in your message.