Gifts to the Level Playing Field Institute provide extraordinary opportunities for learning, research, and for leveling the playing field. Fairness does matter.  Your gift allows LPFI to continue our tradition of excellent STEM enrichment programing and research in order to close the opportunity gap. Your gift also allows us to support hundreds of SMASH scholars and to expand SMASH to meet the great need around the country - eventually directly impacting thousands of scholars nationwide.

"Our mission drives our efforts to ensure fairness from the classroom to the boardroom and the interest and support of our friends and investors is what makes our work possible." 
Robert Schwartz, Ed.D., Executive Director

Our Achievements

In 2011, with the generous support of our investors, Level Playing Field Institute served 160 high-achieving underrepresented students of color at the Summer Math and Science Honors Academy, SMASH - a 100% increase from 2010 - and continued to serve our growing alumni community of 60+ scholars to ensure college persistence. 

Our research department has published important reports about access and opportunity in education and the workforce, including about the STEM education opportunity gap in California, hidden bias in the IT workplaces and diversity in nonprofits.  Additionally, we co-sponsored the Smashing Bias Research Prize competition for action oriented research on hidden bias. 

The Future

We envision a future where working hard means getting ahead - for everyone, regardless of ethnicity, skin color, documentation or family education.  By investing together, SMASH will serve thousands of deserving students across the nation, creating a pipeline of well-prepared scholars of color to enter and graduate college with STEM degress, and enter and thrive in a STEM workplace.  We envisioin moving our country forward using all of our available talent. 

Invest in our scholars.

Invest in fairness.

Invest in success.