Public Education Reform

Through conversations with parents, teachers, children, and community members, we’ve heard that our education system falls short for many. True North is developing the leadership of parents and youth so they can be partners in our rural public schools. We continuously work together to transform the school system to meet the needs of every child and pave the way for brighter futures for all.

Building Leadership & Power in Schools

True North’s school-based organizing model is developing the leadership skills of youth, adults, and elders to build collective power for change in our communities. Through site-based leadership teams, we build relationships that foster trust, encourage shared decision-making, and drive meaningful change.

Our teams work toward power-building and systems change by identifying issues, conducting research, and advocating for solutions. We also support participatory budgeting projects — a Community Schools implementation — where school communities collaboratively decide how to allocate resources to best serve students.

This leadership development approach strengthens school communities, ensuring that families and educators are not just participants in the system but active agents of change.

This short film highlights how shared decision-making and family engagement are transforming Eureka High School through the Community Schools model. Watch how parents, students, educators, and organizers are building trust and shaping a school where everyone’s voice matters.

Community Impact

  • “Having our Tolowa community members showing up in unity to share their pain and experiences tonight despite the emotional burden of revisiting historical and ongoing harms is an important part of the story and why this moment matters,” Lopez told Redwood Voice Community News on Thursday. 

    Read the full write-up HERE.

  • “A lawsuit claims school districts in Shasta and Del Norte Counties have missed out on state funding.”

    Read the article HERE.

  • “I would love for state officials to come see where our students are going to school every day and the conditions for our staff, too,” Amy Campbell-Blair, an organizer for the True North Organizing Network and mother of two children in Del Norte Unified, told EdSource. “They’d see chipped tiles on the gym floor we haven’t been able to replace and when it rains, there’s mold. It’s not a great smell.”

    Read the full article HERE.

  • Read the full Times-Standard article here.

    True North’s Director of Organizing, Amy Campbell-Blair, stood alongside Public Advocates, Morrison Foerster, and plaintiffs from across California to demand equity in school facilities funding.

    The lawsuit challenges the state’s discriminatory funding system that leaves students in low-wealth and rural districts, like Del Norte Unified, learning in classrooms with broken tiles, mold, and leaking roofs, while wealthier districts build state-of-the-art facilities.

  • Read the article and listen to a quick 5 minute podcast HERE.

  • Watch the video and read the article HERE.

  • January 31, 2025

    A Growing Movement

    The Belong Circles initiative is gaining momentum as more educators, students, and families recognize it’s impact. These facilitated circles provide structured opportunities for students and staff to engage in meaningful conversations, develop social-emotional skills, and create inclusive school environments where everyone feels seen and heard.

    This year, in partnership with Eureka City Schools, Humboldt Office of Education (HCOE), and the Othering & Belonging Institute in Berkeley, True North helped develop a TK-12 Belong Circle curriculum. This framework includes 75 lessons, grouped into 15 lesson sets, designed to help educators foster belonging, leadership, and community-building across all grade levels.

    By embedding this curriculum into classrooms, schools are creating safe spaces for students toexpress themselves, build empathy, and strengthen relationships.

    On January 17, 2025, True North hosted a county-wide Professional Development training in collaboration with HCOE and The Othering & Belonging Institute. Participants from across Humboldt County gathered for a full day of learning, exploring practical ways to implement Belong Circles into the classrooms. The event featured:

    • Powerful testimonials from students, teachers, and leaders who have experienced the impact of Belong Circles.

    • Interactive activities introducing participants to the curriculum.

    • Discussions on fostering connection, belonging, and leadership among students, staff, and families.

    Click HERE to see some photos from the event.

    We are excited to see how this initiative will shape school communities across Humboldt County. We remain committed to supporting students, families, and educators in creating learning environments that prioritize relationships, safety, well-being, and collective power.

  • See how it’s being used —> here.

  • Read more

  • April 30, 2022—Read the article.

  • Oct 12, 2021—Read the article.

  • April 14, 2021—Read the article.

  • Dec 16, 2019—Read the article.

  • Dec 11, 2019—Read the article.

  • 2019—Read the article.