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Overview
Axis is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating pathways for underrepresented students, families, and teachers of color to access, navigate, and thrive in private education in the Los Angeles area. Recognizing the significant underrepresentation of students and educators of color in independent schools, Axis addresses this gap by offering comprehensive support throughout the admissions process and beyond. Founded in 2020, Axis operates with the belief that equitable access to independent schools is crucial for the success of students of color. By reflecting their identities in their peers and educators, these students can achieve better educational outcomes and prepare to become future leaders in a more inclusive society.
Axis’ cutting-edge model consists of three components (further elaborated on in this proposal):
1. Student Placement: Axis guides, supports, and represents students and families of color through the admissions process and for the duration of their independent school journey.
2. Educator Placement: Axis places qualified educators of color at independent schools through a supportive cohort model to ensure retention. Research shows that academic outcomes improve for students of color and all demographic groups when taught by teachers from diverse backgrounds (The Century Foundation).
3. DEIA Accreditation and Support: Axis offers a first-of-its-kind Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accountability (DEIA) Accreditation to assist its Partner Schools in establishing more equitable and inclusive policies and practices.
Founder and Executive Director Collette Bowers Zinn knew that Axis’ purpose would be incomplete if it started and ended with admissions. Axis must hold independent schools accountable for fostering inclusive learning environments in predominantly (and historically) white institutions such that students of color feel – and truly are – seen, heard, and valued. Other local and national organizations help families of color navigate private school admissions, but Axis stands out for offering personalized support for the duration of each student’s K-12 educational journey, and for extending equal DEIA support to about three dozen independent schools across Los Angeles, as well as to teachers of color, at no cost. Such a holistic and highly personalized approach is essential to counter de facto segregation that has persisted since the landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown vs. the Board of Education, to harness the social change catalyzed by George Floyd’s murder in 2020, to resist the 2023 Supreme Court ruling ending affirmative action in higher education, and to advance Black liberation.
Axis’ most tangible outcome is independent school diversification achieved by guiding, supporting, and championing students and families of color through the independent school admissions process. In its first year of operation (2021-2022), Axis guided 10 families through the independent school admissions process, providing comprehensive educational consulting services. Several events were held over the course of the year to explore challenges and opportunities for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accountability. In its second year, Axis guided 30 families in applying to 25 Partner Schools, achieving a 96% acceptance rate. Now in its third year, Axis supported 50 families achieving a 98% acceptance rate in its Partner Schools.
In addition to recruiting new students and families, Axis provides ongoing support to 86 students currently enrolled in 35 Partner Schools. This tangible outcome is measured by financial aid packages; student retention; grade point averages; elementary, middle school, and high school graduation; college matriculation; student, family, and Partner School satisfaction; alumni engagement with Axis and their alma maters; and, eventually, alumni successes in higher education and the workforce. Early results are encouraging: 100% of cohort families’ financial needs were met in our third cohort, and $838,000 has been awarded (and counting) for the academic year 2024-2025 ($36,429 per admitted student).
Diversification, itself, is a tangible outcome. Axis students and families are 83% Black, 10% Latino, 5% Asian, and 1% multi-racial; 25% are from low-income households and 50% from middle-income households; and they span the Los Angeles region from the South Bay (37%), San Fernando Valley (22%), and South LA (22%) to Central LA (14%), the Westside (4%), and East LA (1%). Moreover, there are single parents and non-traditional family structures, a multiplicity of ethnicities and religions, a range of genders and sexual orientations, and other varying demographics – the heterogeneity that makes Los Angeles what it is: a majority-minority city and creative capital of the world.
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