Thank you for visiting RIISE! I invite you to become a part of our growing community and here's why.

I am a mom, a woman of color, inspired by the spirit of God and my family. In particular my children, who are experiencing an exceptional education at a private independent school. My inspirations created RIISE - Resources In Independent School Education, a digital bridge connecting families of color and private independent schools.

We chose a private independent education for our children because of the privileges these institutions offered to expand growing minds. Educational rigor, arts, foreign language, physical education, passionate educators, stimulating environments, life-long networks, character development, critical thinking, and abundant resources are all very important to us. Yet, there seemed to be a catch to all of this. How do we reap the benefits of the environment and maintain and enrich our cultural capital?

Growing up I did not attend a private independent school. I went to a diverse catholic grade school, predominantly black public high school, and graduated from Howard University - a premier HBCU. It was not until I became a VP in media publishing that I associated the stressor of not being part of a dominant culture - the only one, one of a few - and it's social implications with the world of diversity and inclusion. I noticed a striking resemblence in many of our school communities.

Major corporations began to heavily invest in diversity & inclusion best practices in the work place, understanding how it positively affected the bottom line of business. Affinity and resource groups were popping up in support of attracting and retaining diverse top talent encouraging folks to bring their whole selves to the work. The result, increased work performance, vibrant communities, and better global marketing capabilities of products and services. Similarly, many independent schools are working diligently towards creating diverse and equitable learning environments. RIISE is proud to partner as an advocate for diverse recruitment and well-balanced retention.

We encourage you to consider a private independent school education and apply. Thank you for participating.

Gina Parker Collins
Founder
RIISE