2025 was a year of growth for the Watts of Power.
Thanks to the support of our generous donors, we have been able to expand our impact and further our mission to recruit, train and retain Black educators so that all students have access to high quality teachers who represent the communities from which they come.
In January 2025, our community was ravaged by wildfires and thanks to the California Community Foundation, we were able to aid families impacted by the fires. The Watts of Power Foundation provided over 20 families with emergency funds to help with basic necessities after being displaced from their homes. Many families who lost their homes in the Eaton fire lost more than their homes, they lost history and legacy. One of the success markers for our fellows is that they are on the pathway to home ownership when they complete the program. This year we brought on a policy fellow who is working to build our advocacy platform to support California educators becoming home owners.
Our flagship program, The Village Initiative expanded to include Black women in addition to Black males on the road to becoming educators. In July 2025, we launched cohort 4 which included 5 men and 3 women. The fellows are in various phases of the program with some starting the credential program while others began student teaching. Two fellows from cohort 3 successfully completed their student teaching and are now serving as the teacher of record.
The TVI Rise program successfully launched in June 2025 with 8 fellows. The goal of TVI Rise is to expose youth between the ages of 17-24 to the field of education. The fellows lived on campus at CSU, Dominguez Hills for a two week intensive program that culminated in read-ins with elementary students. The first TVI Rise cohort will continue their college coursework as they receive the support of the program manager to ensure that they feel connected and supported on their educational journey.
The Components of Care course was offered in partnership with CSU, Dominguez Hills and resulted in the training of 44 educators across multiple school sites from Los Angeles to the Inland Empire. Every opportunity to train educators and mentors is a chance to impact the care that students receive in the classroom.
Over the course of the year, we presented at 3 conferences from California to Philadelphia sharing about the growth of the Watts of Power Foundation and the importance of Black educators in the lives of children.
As the incoming chair of the board of directors of the Watts of Power, I am immensely grateful for the intentional work that has been done by each staff member to further the vision and mission of this organization. I invite you to join us as we continue to multiply the two percent and retain Black educators who make a difference in the lives of students.
Dr. Didi Watts
