We are an organization that is rooted in the belief that access to quality public education is a human right. We recognize that racism and racist systems are the cause for much of the inequity we see in education and therefore our mission is to build a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community through programs that educate, engage, and expose individuals to perspectives and lived experiences that are different than their own. We hope friends of STAY are inspired to be mindfully engaged and build community through transparency and honesty.

Our goal is to reflect who we have become while honoring our journey and the continual learning and growing that is involved in our movement.

Through our collaboration with the schools, we are fortunate to witness truly inspiring students, staff and programs on a daily basis. We celebrate these stories and highlight the exciting and engaging projects and learning opportunities RPS students and staff are undertaking.

Ms. Gwen Jallah works at John Marshall High School as the Coaches in the Classrooms Coordinator. Jallah as she is fondly called throughout the halls of John Marshall has the “it” factor when it comes to teaching and caring about youth. She goes above and beyond for families, for students, and for her co-workers every day. She greets everyone with a big smile and takes the time to listen to parents and students alike in her cozy, snack-filled office. Jallah walks kids out to their parents when she sees them after practice or at a game and brags to those parents about the good things their kids are doing! She makes connections, she is real, and she is someone you want to be around!

Keep coming back to check out our success spotlights. If someone in your area is working hard in their local school please reach out to us at info@stayrva.org so we can hear about more of these positive stories and share them here!