Lift Every Voice Philly (LEV) is a Black-led, multi-racial home for parents committed to achieving education justice in the city. We believe that when parents come together and organize, they can drive systemic change that benefits not only their own children but entire communities. Our organizing model brings parents out of isolation, builds collective power, and ensures their voices are heard in the push for strong, joyful, and equitable schools.

Communities and schools are stronger when people are connected and working together. No one has more at stake in the success of schools than parents and families, yet for too long, especially Black parents, they have been excluded from meaningful decision-making in their children’s education. Systemic barriers, lack of access to information, and racist stereotypes have silenced their voices and diminished their influence in schools that should serve their children.

We focus our work on communities closest to the pain of education injustice—schools where gun violence rates are higher than the city average and where disinvestment has led to poor outcomes. By supporting these communities, we aim to create change for students, parents, schools, and neighborhoods.

LEV measures its impact by improving parent engagement, securing policy wins, and reducing disparities in schools. Our advocacy has already led to significant victories, including filling 85% of school nurse vacancies and passing city council resolutions calling for more joyful and equitable school environments. By empowering parents to lead, we are building stronger schools and communities for everybody. 

Here’s a link to a two minute video where you can see members in action