Links to Organizations Doing Diversity and Multicultural Work

Philadelphia Area Organizations

Art Sanctuary
Located in North Philadelphia, the Sanctuary 
invites artists and performers to present lectures, 
performances and educational programs. It uses
the power of black art to transform individuals, 
unite  groups of people and enrich and
draw inspiration from the inner city.

Dream Flag Project
An excellent multicultural art project designed by 6th
grade teachers at The Agnes Irwin School.

Gas & Electric Arts Theater
This exciting new theater group utilizes activities rooted in the
work of Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed in Brazil.
They use interactive and process-based strategies for personal and community exploration.

Independent School Consortium
The Consortium is composed of area independent schools who  work collaboratively to recruit diverse teachers and administrators. 

Main Line Youth Alliance
Based in the western suburbs, the Alliance
provides gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, 
questioning and straight youth with social, 
educational and supportive activities in a 
confidential, respectful and safe environment.

Multicultural Resource Center
Our namesake "across the river" provides
diversity training, cultural programs, 
curriculum design, and the use of an extensive 
multicultural library for a range of clients. 

Playback for Change Theater
Playback's  vision is to create a multiracial, multicultural
and intergenerational company of performers
who are committed to doing the work necessary
to fully hear and respectfully honor all
stories, and to making the teller's chair truly
accessible to all tellers.

Russel Byers School
An innovative Philadelphia charter school founded
in memory of journalist Russell Byers. The school
emphasizes the creation of a "safe and peaceful
environment."

Steppingstone Scholars
The Steppingstone Scholars Program prepares 
motivated urban schoolchildren for acceptance 
and success at top independent and other 
college-preparatory schools in the greater 
Philadelphia region. 

Taller Puertorriqueno
Taller Puertorriqueño was established in 1974 
by Latino artists and activists in the North Kensington
 area of Philadelphia. Throughout its history, the 
Workshop has been a vital resource to the barrio 
and to the region. It is now nationally recognized 
as a model organization that uses the arts as a 
vehicle for social change.

Tova: Artistic Projects for Social Change
Tova creates art that speaks for social change,
through the creation of collaborative performance
pieces, video productions, workshops and
educational programs. They challenge stereotypes,
explore issues of diversity and confront social
injustice.

Training for Change
TFC's vision is to have activist trainers in 
every social movement who can deliver 
high-quality training to help activists become 
maximally powerful. To build towards that 
vision, we share training tools that have 
success across cultures and in different movements.

National/Regional Organizations

Center for Poverty, Work & Opportunity at UNC
The Center provides a non-partisan interdisciplinary forum
 for examining innovative and practical ideas 
to move more Americans out of poverty.

Class Action
Class Action is a national resource on class issues, providing organizations and institutions with the tools needed to work on eliminating classism. 

Civil Rights Project at UCLA
Founded in 1996 by law professor Christopher Edley Jr. 
and education professor Gary Orfield, the Project is a
multidisciplinary research and policy center based at
UCLA.

East Ed  
The Eastern Educational Resource Collaborative is  
a diversity consultancy service based in the
Washington DC area.

GroundSpark
A leader in LGBT educational films and programs, GroundSpark 
works closely with educators, activists, national and local organizations to inspire meaningful social change. Much of this work focuses on creating schools and communities that are safe for all children. 

Multicultural Development Center
Based in Bloomington, the Center was established as 
a resource for businesses, government and educational institutions to help foster understanding through consultation, support services and resources for organizations that are striving to implement their diversity initiatives.

NAIS Equity and Justice Program
A very useful diversity resource page from the
National Association of Independent Schools.
Click on the "Equity & Justice" tab

National Association for Multicultural Education
Broad-based group promoting diversity work
at all educational levels.

National Multicultural Institute
Based in Washington DC, the Institute is a training 
organization that includes corporations, schools 
and nonprofit institutions. Its work covers a wide range
of local, national and global issues.

Pluralism Project at Harvard University
This project engages students in studying the new religious diversity in the United States, exploring in particular the communities and religious traditions of Asia and the Middle East that have become woven into our religious fabric.

Sol y Cant0
A great Latin music band and performer at MCRC events,  
Sol y Canto features Rosi Amador's crystalline voice and 
Brian Amador's lush Spanish guitar accompanied by 
outstanding Latin musicians from Cuba, Uruguay, Mexico 
and Argentina.

Sphere Schools, Hartford
SPHERE is a consortium of ten independent schools from the greater Hartford area that came together in the early 70’s because of a common commitment to diversity, originally expressed through summer enrichment programs for students from the city of Hartford. 

Southern Poverty Law Center
One of the premier civil rights litigation,
research and education organizations.

Tolerance.org
A program of the Poverty Law Center,
this site promotes anti-bias education.

Words Without Borders
Based at Bard College, this program increases
international communication through translation
of the world's best writing.

Organizations Involved in LGBT Work

Besides the Mazzoni Center, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network GLSEN, the William Way Community Center and the Main Line Youth Alliance are excellent starting places for becoming active about LGBT issues in our schools and communities.
For excellent resources focused on school issues in particular, visit
the Safe Schools Coalition and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network,
which has a "How to Start a GSA" link.