The NC education system needs to be dismantled and equitably rebuilt by parents, educators and others who care about children. A new system can be created that provides:

• Access to rigorous education for all children
• Diverse teachers trained in race equity 
• Culturally responsive curriculum
• Equitable special needs programs
• Restorative practices and, simply, stop kicking Black children out of school

EPiC organizes and supports Black parents and their allies in its mission to dismantle systemic racial inequities and advocate for high quality educational opportunities. Beginning with focus groups and community learning, we facilitate family and community discussions to map the concerns, priorities and insights that then inform our local, system-change goals to improve educational practices and policies. Specific efforts include:

Circles of Hope: A psychoeducational parent support group designed to build parent capacity, reflect, share and encourage each other in their efforts to support their children. Our groups focus on resilience, radical self-care and social justice.

EPiC Families: We bridge home and school through creating a safe space to hear from parents/caregivers lived experiences and organize and empower parents/caregivers to collectively advocate for a common goal – high quality, culturally competent education for Black children so they can thrive.

Community Building: We bring parents, caregivers and community members together across the community to build on shared values, share educational concerns and resources, and learn to advocate for Black children at the school and district levels.