By Yvonne Nolan, Vice President of Charter School Financing

Income, race and geography persistently define the educational landscape—year after year, in every state, across both urban and rural communities. "No matter where families might live—no matter their backgrounds or incomes—public education should offer kids the opportunity to reach their full potential,” writes LISC’s Yvonne Nolan, in a new blog commemorating 20 years of investments through LISC’s charter school financing program. “We refuse to stand by and let crumbling buildings undermine student learning and perpetuate inequality,” she says.

By Matt Josephs, LISC Senior Vice President for Policy

Strong public policies have always been critical to promoting affordable housing, economic development, health, and jobs. The urgency surrounding these issues remains ever-present. LISC SVP for Policy Matt Josephs zeroes in on the goals of LISC’s federal policy agenda in a blog highlighting proposals that tackle gaps in health, wealth and opportunity affecting millions of families and their communities.

The LISC Charter School Financing team hit the ground running during the summer back-to-school season with a $10 million loan to Texas Empowerment Academy. The loan will help support the ground-up construction of an 81,838-square-foot, two-story school facility in Austin, Texas.

Anna Smukowski, LISC Investor Relations and Capital Strategies & Yvonne Nolan, Vice President of Charter School Financing

This January marks UNESCO’s fourth International Day of Education and creates an opportunity to celebrate progress towards UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education. “Quality Education” enables upward economic mobility, reduces inequalities and is a key to fostering tolerance and more peaceful societies. Promoting educational opportunity is at the foundation of the work LISC does in neighborhoods across the country.

By Yvonne Nolan

As students across the country return to school this month, the LISC Charter School Financing team reflects on the challenges facing its portfolio schools as they work to create authentically safe, empowering and anti-racist learning communities. It’s a journey that parallels our own at LISC as we enact our commitment to racial equity and justice, inclusivity and transparency.

LISC has named Dawn Deck, a dedicated community investment leader with deep roots in Spartanburg, as executive director of LISC Upstate South Carolina—an office with ambitious plans to invest in affordable housing, economic development, health, education and jobs throughout the region.