Spaces for Black students to dream, achieve, and lead.

The African American Achievement and Leadership Initiative (AAALI) is an SFUSD/Spark initiative that provides support for Black/African American students and families to achieve academically and develop as leaders.

Building on the potential of each and every child, AAALI’s programs increase proficiency in literacy, achievement in STEM, and promote community leadership, all while dismantling systemic barriers to success.


In order to achieve success, students must feel safe and affirmed in school. As a minority population in San Francisco, Black students are more likely to face systemic barriers to realizing their dreams.


The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is committed to ensuring equitable educational opportunities and outcomes for all students. Despite progress, African-American students in SFUSD face persistent disparities in academic achievement and leadership opportunities.


AAALI is designed to address these disparities by implementing targeted strategies to support the academic success and leadership development of African-American students.

Black Star Rising (BSR) is a core AAALI program that Spark has funded for ten years.

Pairing rigorous STEM instruction — accelerated math, college-credit courses, and hands-on engineering — with identity-affirming support for rising 9th–12th graders, taught by educators who reflect the students they serve. Scholars earn transferable college credit through City College of San Francisco and build the academic footing to reach AP-level coursework.

"[Black Star Rising] shows me teachers that have gone through what I've gone through. They show me educators that look like me and have done amazing things, like going to Stanford, Brown, other great schools. They get on a level where they treat me as an equal, and they teach me as an equal. It allows me to learn better and take in what I learn more."

— Hunter, Lincoln High School '27

The African American Achievement & Leadership Initiative aims to:

1

Enhance Academic Performance

Improve academic outcomes for African-American students by providing tailored support and resources in Literacy and STEM.

2

Increase Leadership Opportunities

Develop and promote leadership programs to foster skills and confidence among African-American students.

3

Support Family and Community Engagement

Strengthen partnerships with families and the community to create a supportive environment for student success.

4

Address Systemic Barriers

Identify and mitigate systemic barriers that contribute to educational disparities.

Strategic Initiative

Investment Goal:
To augment SFUSD’s efforts to increase literacy and math proficiency, and college and career readiness by 2027.

Objectives
Why AAALI?
How It Works
  • Increase student achievement in literacy and STEM.


  • Dismantle systemic barriers to academic, career, and life success.


  • Elevate Black student and family voices while developing new community leaders.


  • Foster nurturing environments that celebrate. African American/Black culture and achievement.

Objectives
Why AAALI?
How It Works
  • Increase student achievement in literacy and STEM.


  • Dismantle systemic barriers to academic, career, and life success.


  • Elevate Black student and family voices while developing new community leaders.


  • Foster nurturing environments that celebrate. African American/Black culture and achievement.

“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.”

Dr. Mae Jemison

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