What FIELD does

FIELD (Farmworkers Institute of Education & Leadership Development) is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Tehachapi that delivers free adult education, English language instruction, career technical training, and conservation-based workforce development to underserved farmworker and immigrant communities. Its core programs are EPIC High School, a WASC-accredited adult charter high school granting free diplomas across 17 learning centers; ESL/ELD classes offered on 6-week cycles and culminating in CDCP certificates; Career Technical Education in early childhood education, solar, business management, and agriculture; and the Cesar Chavez Environmental Corps, a state-certified conservation corps providing paid workforce training to young adults ages 18-26 in fire fuel reduction, recycling, and emergency response. Support services include nutrition programming with a commercial kitchen, recycling centers in Tehachapi and California City, early childhood classes, and a 16-unit transitional housing development in Bakersfield.

The organization is funded through a diversified mix of individual donations, foundation grants, federal and state grants, New Market Tax Credits, and event-based fundraising (the Annual Cesar Chavez Legacy Breakfast raised $90,000). Pricing is uniformly free at the point of service across all programs, with delivery conducted in person through 17 physical learning centers and supplemented by mobile facilities in outlying areas. Instructional capacity stands at 22 teachers statewide serving 720+ enrolled students, a 32% year-over-year enrollment increase, with over 1,500 cumulative graduates and 97% Hispanic student demographics.

Operationally, FIELD operates three named subsidiaries: EPIC High School, Kern Services and Conservation Corps (KSACC), and the Cesar Chavez Environmental Corps (CCEC). The organization is currently navigating a leadership transition following the April 2024 sabbatical and subsequent paid administrative leave of long-serving CEO David Villarino, with a formal CEO search underway in partnership with the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools. WASC accreditation, first flagged at risk in 2022 due to instructional schedule and teacher collaboration deficiencies, remains under remediation.

Name

FIELD

Legal name

Farmworkers Institute of Education & Leadership Development

Website

https://farmworkerinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

FIELD is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free adult high school diplomas, ESL classes, career technical training, and conservation corps workforce programs to underserved farmworker and immigrant communities across 17 learning centers statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Education and Workforce Development

NAICS

Educational Services (61), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Adult High School Diploma Completion Programs (EDAAABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD), Community & Adult Education (Municipal/Community Schools) (EDAAAEAB)

Keywords

• Adult education services
• Workforce development programs
• ESL language instruction
• Conservation corps training
• Career technical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Tehachapi

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: FIELD relies on donations from individuals, foundations, and community supporters. The organization conducts annual fundraising campaigns including holiday giving campaigns and the Cesar Chavez Legacy Breakfast which raised $90,000 in one cycle.
2. Government Grants and Tax Credit Programs: FIELD receives funding through various government programs including New Market Tax Credits (Federal Tax Credit program), Great American Outdoors Act funding, and grants from the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development for immigrant education programs.
3. Federal and State Grants: FIELD has received grants including $150,000 healthy meals nutritional grant, $100,000 test kitchen grant, and Local Immigrant Integration and Inclusion Grant for entrepreneur courses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FIELD provides free adult education, English language instruction, and workforce development programs to underserved farmworker and immigrant communities across California. Its core offerings are EPIC High School (a WASC-accredited adult charter high school diploma program), ESL/ELD classes, Career Technical Education pathways, and the Cesar Chavez Environmental Corps workforce development program for young adults ages 18-26. All programs are delivered at no cost to participants through 17 learning centers statewide, in both English and Spanish, with flexible schedules for working adults.

Product overview

FIELD (Farmworkers Institute of Education & Leadership Development) is a non-profit educational organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs focused on empowering underserved communities in California. The core offerings include EPIC High School, a WASC-accredited adult charter high school; ESL & ELD English language classes; Career Technical Education pathways; and the Cesar Chavez Environmental Corps workforce development program. These programs are designed to work together to provide education, job training, housing support, and career pathways for farmworkers and underserved adults. Support services include nutrition programs, early childhood education classes, and recycling center operations. The organization operates 17 learning centers statewide with partnerships with community colleges for dual enrollment and certification programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EPIC High School (Escuela Popular Instituto Campesino) Free adult high school diploma program offered at no cost to working adults, with instruction in English and Spanish by credentialed teachers across FIELD's 17 California learning centers. The program serves primarily Hispanic immigrants and farmworkers seeking a high school diploma as a pathway to college or employment.
• ESL & ELD Classes Free English as a Second Language and English Language Development classes designed for working adults, leading to Career Development & College Preparation (CDCP) certificates. Classes are taught by fully accredited instructors across FIELD's learning centers.
• Cesar Chavez Environmental Corps (CCEC) State-certified local conservation corps established in 2017 providing paid workforce training and environmental service opportunities for young adults ages 18-26. Corpsmembers are deployed across environmental conservation, recycling, fire fuel reduction, habitat restoration, and emergency services projects statewide.
• Career Technical Education (CTE) Career-ready job skills training covering fields including early childhood education, solar, business management, and agriculture. The program includes dual enrollment partnerships with community colleges for industry-recognized credentials.
• Nutrition Services Nutrition education and food assistance programs for FIELD students and families, with a developing commercial kitchen at the Union Avenue facility in Bakersfield.
• FIELD Recycling Centers Beverage container recycling and E-waste collection services operated by FIELD under Cal Recycle standards, with locations in Tehachapi and California City.
• Early Childhood Education Classes Childcare training and education programs for parents and community members, with facilities in Tehachapi, Yuba City, and Bakersfield, and plans to expand to additional outlying cities.
• Transitional Housing Facility Developing 16-unit housing facility in Bakersfield to support Environmental Corps participants on their path toward stability and self-sufficiency, supplemented by dorm rooms at the Union Avenue facility.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of EPIC students said the program effectively helped them reach their goals
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Park Service (NPS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2025Partnership for César E. Chávez National Monument rehabilitation project under Great American Outdoors Act. FIELD's César Chávez Environmental Corps participates in restoration work including repainting, irrigation replacement, landscape rehabilitation, and trail improvements at the monument located in Keene, California.
• California Conservation CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIELD's Environmental Corps receives state certification from California Conservation Corps, allowing the organization to operate conservation corps programs throughout California state.
• Nevada County Superintendent of SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for CEO recruitment search. The Nevada County Superintendent of Schools is assisting FIELD in the search for a new President and Chief Executive Officer.
• Bureau of Land ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIELD's Environmental Corps has conducted projects for the Bureau of Land Management including Big Morongo Off Highway Vehicle, Pacific Crest Trail, and Lake Isabella projects.
• The Corps NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership mentioned in connection with César E. Chávez National Monument rehabilitation project collaboration.
• Kern CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKern County partnered with FIELD and Bakersfield College Launchpad to receive funding from the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development for a Local Immigrant Integration and Inclusion Grant for an immigrant entrepreneurship course.
• Bakersfield College LaunchpadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Kern County and FIELD for immigrant entrepreneurship course development and delivery.
• Kern County Fire DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership agreement with Kern County Fire Department for emergency support services including flood cleanup and emergency response throughout the county. This partnership can put over 100 corpsmembers to work.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit serving young adults ages 18-26 from underserved communities. Comparable target demographic and outcome-based training model, though Year Up focuses primarily on technology and business careers rather than environmental services.
• SER National (Jobs for Progress): National Hispanic-focused workforce development nonprofit operating in similar communities as FIELD. Both provide free adult education, ESL, job training, and wraparound services for Spanish-speaking underserved populations across multiple states.
• Job Corps: Federal workforce development program for young adults ages 16-24 from low-income backgrounds. Comparable residential and non-residential training model with similar target demographic and career pathway focus including conservation and emergency services.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing free technical training to adults from underserved communities. Comparable free-to-student training model serving similar low-income adult learners, with strong employer partnership and outcome-tracking infrastructure.
• California Conservation Corps: State agency operating California's official conservation corps. Direct comparable to FIELD's Cesar Chavez Environmental Corps, which is state-certified through CCC; both offer paid workforce training for young adults on environmental and emergency response projects.
• Conservation Legacy: National network of conservation corps programs providing workforce training and environmental service opportunities. Comparable corps-based model for young adults, though operating primarily outside California.
• Telamon Corporation: National nonprofit providing workforce development, education, and housing services to underserved rural and migrant communities. Comparable mission serving farmworker and rural populations across multiple states with similar wraparound services model.
• United Farm Workers Foundation: Farmworker advocacy and education organization with deep California roots and overlapping community ties. Comparable mission serving California's farmworker families through education, immigration services, and economic empowerment programs.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: National network providing social services including adult education, ESL, immigration services, and workforce training to underserved communities. Comparable free service delivery model for similar populations, though as a much larger umbrella organization with broader mission scope.
• UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza): Largest Hispanic-focused civil rights and education advocacy organization in the US. Comparable community-based education and workforce development mission, but operates as a broader advocacy and grant-making umbrella rather than direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fieldinstitute
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCR_YsehA1Gfga87GNtPWMgA
• Facebookfacebook.com/FarmworkersInstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/field_institute
• TikToktiktok.com/@field_institute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/farmworkers-institute-of-education-leadership-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 FIELD