Social Justice Learning Institute

What Social Justice Learning Institute does

Social Justice Learning Institute (SJLI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2008 and headquartered in Inglewood, California, that operates a portfolio of interconnected programs organized around three pillars: Empowering Through Education, Creating Thriving Communities, and Changing Systems. Its flagship Urban Scholars program — originally launched as the Black Male Youth Academy at Morningside High School — is delivered as a credit-bearing course embedded in 20+ schools across LAUSD and Compton Unified, with a Houston replication launched in 2018 across five HISD campuses. Complementary programs include the Higher Pathways alumni support track (2022), the national Youth Justice Fellowship (2020), Food For Thought produce distribution (4.5M+ pounds since 2020), the 100 Seeds of Change urban gardening initiative (122 gardens), HEAL nutrition classes, and the Uplift Inglewood and Brothers, Sons, Selves coalitions.

The organization generates no fee revenue from participants; all programs are free to beneficiaries. Funding is provided by foundation grants (Weingart Foundation, California Endowment, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation), corporate partnerships and sponsorships (JPMorgan Chase, Southern California Edison, SoCalGas, Whole Foods, House of Blues, SunLife), individual donations with corporate matching, and impact-partner programs such as Target Circle. SJLI's core methodology is community-based participatory action research, including a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) framework and a Healing Justice approach, with a documented track record of a 94% Urban Scholars graduation rate in Los Angeles and 95% in Houston, plus $100M+ in policy funds secured for Black student achievement and equity initiatives. Leadership is founder-promoted: Executive Director Derek Steele rose from volunteer to Health Equity Programs Director before assuming the top role, supported by a national development function and a board chaired by Omai Garner, Ph.D.

Name

Social Justice Learning Institute

Legal name

Social Justice Learning Institute, Inc.

Website

https://sjli.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Social Justice Learning Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers credit-bearing youth development, food justice, and policy advocacy programs to communities of color in Los Angeles and Houston. It is funded primarily by foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Partnerships for Equity, Inclusion & Gender (EDADALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Wellness & Prevention Programs (Substance Use, Sexual Health, Bullying) (EDAJAIAG), Higher Education Capacity Building & Scholarships (BPADAKAG)

Keywords

• Youth education programs
• Community organizing services
• Social justice advocacy
• Health equity programs
• Food justice initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Inglewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Primary funding through grants from foundations and corporate social responsibility programs including Weingart Foundation, California Endowment, JPMorgan Chase, and others.
2. Individual Donations: Charitable contributions from individuals, including one-time and recurring donations, matching gift programs through corporate partners.
3. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Sponsorships from corporations including Southern California Edison, House of Blues, SoCalGas, JPMorgan Chase, SunLife, and Whole Foods for program activities and events.
4. Impact Partner Programs: Funding through Target Circle and similar corporate giving programs where community members vote to direct funds to SJLI.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Social Justice Learning Institute (SJLI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers youth development, education, health equity, and food justice programs free of charge to participants. Its flagship Urban Scholars program operates as an evidence-based, credit-bearing course embedded in partner schools across Los Angeles and Houston, complemented by fellowships, alumni support, nutrition education, produce distribution, urban gardens, and coalition-based policy advocacy.

Product overview

Social Justice Learning Institute is a nonprofit organization founded in 2008 that operates as a platform of interconnected programs organized around three pillars: Empowering Through Education, Creating Thriving Communities, and Changing Systems. The core flagship program is Urban Scholars (originally the Black Male Youth Academy), which has expanded into California and Houston variants and serves as an evidence-based, credit-bearing course. The portfolio includes the Youth Justice Fellowship for leadership development, Higher Pathways for alumni support, Healthy Eating & Active Living Education for nutrition, and multiple coalition programs (Uplift Inglewood, Brothers Sons Selves, Los Angeles Youth Uprising) focused on housing justice, criminal legal system reform, and food justice. Programs are designed to work synergistically—Youth Justice Fellowship alumni can access Higher Pathways, Urban Scholars students receive wraparound services and can continue through Higher Pathways after graduation, and community programs like Food For Thought and 100 Seeds of Change support the broader ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Urban Scholars California Evidence-based, credit-bearing course embedded into school schedules across Greater Los Angeles area schools, focusing on academic and career development, socio-emotional support, identity development, and social justice youth leadership for young men of color.
• Urban Scholars Houston College and career preparation program partnered with five schools within Houston Independent School District (HISD) to increase academic competencies, skills-building, and college/career readiness for students of color.
• Youth Justice Fellowship Year-long cohort of 10 Fellows (ages 18-25) nationwide who research, train, and organize as a learning community and think tank reimagining community safety and institutional systems impacting Black and Brown communities.
• Higher Pathways Alumni support program providing educational, career, and economic growth support through three tracks: College Pathway to Success, Career Readiness and Persistence, and Supportive Services.
• Healthy Eating & Active Living Education (HEAL)
• Food For Thought Produce Pickup Monthly produce distribution program serving Inglewood residents, senior citizen facilities, schools, churches, and food justice partners across South Los Angeles.
• 100 Seeds of Change Urban greening and food justice initiative that builds community gardens in South Los Angeles to expand access to resources that enable residents to be healthy and thrive.
• Uplift Inglewood Coalition Coalition of residents, businesses, community, and faith-based organizations working to advance housing and youth justice in Los Angeles County.
• Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition Coalition program with Liberty Hill Foundation working to improve outcomes for boys and young men of color by advocating for positive alternatives to suspension and reducing criminalization of communities of color.
• The Fellowship Initiative (TFI) Program in partnership with JPMorgan Chase providing academic support services to prepare young men of color for college readiness and success.
• Urban Health Fellowship Fellowship program focused on health equity and developing health advocates within communities of color.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% high school graduation rate among Urban Scholars participants
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JPMorgan ChasecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through The Fellowship Initiative providing academic support services to prepare young men of color for college. JPMorgan Chase provides funding and support for program operations.
• Houston Independent School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership bringing the Urban Scholars program to five HISD schools to positively impact the lives of boys and young men of color through college and career preparation.
• Sacramento City Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported development and expansion of Men's and Women's Leadership Academies to improve educational outcomes for students of color in Sacramento.
• Jordan Wings FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing scholarships for Urban Scholars graduates including gap scholarships and Jordan Wings awards for alumni pursuing higher education.
• Liberty Hill FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating partner in Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition working to improve outcomes for boys and young men of color. SJLI staff participate in Liberty Hill's policy advocacy training and coalition work.
• Southern California EdisonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing support for SJLI programs and community initiatives.
• SoCalGasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing support for SJLI programs and community initiatives.
• Whole Foods MarketminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting SJLI programs and community initiatives.
• City of Houston Health DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through My Brother's Keeper Initiative bringing Urban Scholars program to Houston ISD schools.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• InnerCity Struggle: East LA-based youth organizing nonprofit focused on education equity, civic engagement, and policy advocacy for communities of color. Directly comparable to SJLI in mission, geography (LA County), and emphasis on youth-led systemic change.
• Community Coalition (South LA): South Los Angeles grassroots organization working on criminal justice, education, and economic equity through community organizing. Highly comparable to SJLI given overlapping South LA geography, coalition-based model, and equity-focused advocacy outcomes.
• Aspira Association: National nonprofit focused on education and leadership development for Latino youth, with credit-bearing leadership programs in schools. Directly comparable to SJLI's Urban Scholars model in approach, target demographic, and school-embedded delivery.
• Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition: Coalition coordinated by Liberty Hill Foundation working to improve outcomes for boys and young men of color, which SJLI actively participates in. Directly comparable mission, target population, and LA-area focus.
• Communities In Schools of Los Angeles: Affiliate of the national Communities In Schools network, placing site coordinators inside LA schools to deliver dropout prevention and college readiness programs. Closely comparable to SJLI's school-embedded, credit-bearing delivery model with overlapping LAUSD footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development organization offering college prep, leadership, and community programs to underserved youth including through LA and Houston affiliates. Comparable youth-development mission but operates as a broad incumbent rather than a niche equity specialist.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles: LA-based youth mentoring nonprofit supporting education and career outcomes for youth facing adversity. Comparable in target population and LA focus, though its mentoring-centric model differs from SJLI's cohort-based credit-bearing course approach.
• National Urban League: Historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization with local affiliates delivering education, workforce, and health equity programs. Comparable mission around Black community advancement but at significantly broader geographic and programmatic scale than SJLI.
• UNCF (United Negro College Fund): National education nonprofit providing scholarships and college readiness support to Black students. Comparable in mission alignment with SJLI's Higher Pathways and scholarship partner work, though focused specifically on postsecondary access rather than K-12 systems change.

Regional players

• LA's Best (Better Educated Students for Tomorrow): LAUSD-affiliated after-school enrichment program serving elementary students across LAUSD. Comparable in delivering in-school programming for underserved LA youth but focused on after-school enrichment for younger students rather than high school credit-bearing courses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sjli_ca
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SJLIorg/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/mySJLI
• Instagraminstagram.com/sjli_ca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Social Justice Learning Institute