COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — A non-profit that has made its mission to "dismantle the cradle-to-prison pipeline" through education may be expanding beyond Colorado Springs.
Educating Children of Color (ECOC) aims to empower youth by addressing over-representation in the incarceration systems. They support education milestones by fostering aspirations and guiding parents and professionals to help break the cycle of poverty and systemic injustice.
News5 met with ECOC's executive director, Marissa Prince, on Wednesday as the organization helped facilitate a field trip for students from multiple D-2 schools to the Fine Arts Center.
"It started many ,many years ago, over a decade with Judge Regina Walter realizing that she had her own implicit bias and how could she correct that implicit bias," Prince told News5, describing the history of the organization.
As the founder of ECOC, a bio featuring Judge Walter shares she confronted unsettling data highlighting the disproportionate and harsh prosecution of children of color. Driven by self-reflection, she founded the Minority Overrepresentation Committee and Educating Children of Color, fostering community unity and awareness about prevailing biases and unjust judgments.
"I fully believe in our mission," Prince added. "We serve the Leadership Academy, one of our biggest programs. It's youth facing. We have doubled over the last two years. We are in every school district in Colorado Springs, Widefield, and Fountain."
Prince hinted they may be expanding to Pueblo County in the near future.
The organization works to empower youth by providing scholarships, mentoring, free SAT/ACT prep, and college information through a number of programs. The next ECOC Summit is scheduled for Feb. 21, where they will award more than $60,00 in scholarships and educational gifts as well as 20 laptops to high school and college students. To date, the ECOC has awarded more than $700,000 in scholarships and more than 300 computers to students.
They are currently running a Give Campaign, click here to donate.
-A donation of $20 covers the cost of food for one student in the Leadership Academy for 9 months.
-A donation of $30 covers the cost of supplies for a student for Leadership Academy for 9 months, like t-shirts, fidget toys, and art supplies.
-A donation of $500 will sponsor the cost of a laptop or educational gift for a youth at the Summit Conference.
-A donation of $100 Covers the cost for four (4) students in Leadership Academy to attend an enrichment activity like the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
-A donation of $1,000 will contribute to our scholarship prize fund, which we distribute during our Summit Conference every year.
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