On Feb. 2, Dr. Kent McGuire, President of the Southern Education Foundation (SEF), and Mr. Milton Little Jr., newly elected Board Chair of SEF, welcomed guests to a reception for non-profit and philanthropic partners, which served as the kick-off celebration of the Southern Education Foundation’s 150th anniversary. SEF works to advance creative solutions to assure fairness and excellence in education for all children with a particular interest in those who are low-income and students of color in the South. Mrs.Taifa Smith Butler, Executive Director of Georgia Budget & Policy Institute, Dr. Warren Simmons, Senior Fellow and Former Executive Director of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University, and Mr. Kweku Forstall, Director of the Annie E. Casey Foundation-Atlanta Civic Site, were among the guests who were in attendance.
 Established in 1867 as the George Peabody Fund, the Southern Education Foundation utilizes collaboration, advocacy, research, and leadership development as important levers for change to improve access and outcomes across the education pipeline from pre-school to higher education. These efforts advance the removal of barriers and inequity in education for disenfranchised children in the South. “This event signified the first of many opportunities we will take this year  to commemorate the work of the past and to serve as a launching pad for some of our newer initiatives such as our Racial Equity Leadership Network, which is centered on equipping school district superintendents with the resources they need to address district equity challenges head on,” said McGuire.
 In celebration of the sesquicentennial of SEF, the organization will convene over 200 thought leaders in education for a two-day forum on November 14th & 15th in Atlanta, Georgia.  Participants will experience interactive workshops and presentations designed to inspire and direct action toward progressive systematic change for children in the South. Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, will serve as Honorary Chair of the forum.Â
 As the forum concludes on Nov.15, SEF will host a formal gala in celebration of the organization’s 150 years of service to the South and beyond.
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