New England Independent School Family Listening Project
Private school should not mean private suffering.
POC Prep is a protected community for Black families and families of color navigating independent schools — through advocacy preparation, school-vetting tools, student voice, mental health support, and family-informed school climate intelligence.
Why this matters
Families of color often enter independent schools seeking opportunity, only to encounter isolation, wealth stigma, hyper-visibility, biased discipline, curriculum erasure, and institutional defensiveness. Too often, families are left to carry it alone — without documentation, without community, and without independent support.
The full ecosystem
What we are building
POC Prep is a movement, a resource hub, and the foundation of a future digital platform — not a complaint box. Here is what the full ecosystem provides.
Advocacy preparation
Documentation tools, meeting prep, and strategy so families walk into hard conversations organized and supported.
School-vetting tools
Honest questions and red-flag guidance to understand a school's real climate before you sign.
Parent circles
Private, vetted regional communities of families who understand what you are navigating.
Student voice
Moderated, safety-first spaces for students and alumni to be heard, connected, and affirmed.
Mental health referrals
Pathways to culturally responsive, Black-affirming clinicians and family support.
Legal education & referrals
Plain-language education about your rights and options, plus trusted referral pathways.
Climate intelligence
Family-informed, privacy-protective insight into how schools actually treat families of color.
Alumni mentorship
A network of alumni who can speak freely, guide students, and share what they wish they'd known.
School transition support
Clear-eyed help for families weighing whether to stay, transfer, or find a better-fit school.
Choose your path
Tell us who you are, and we'll meet you where you are.
Current Parent
Something happened, or your child feels alone. Get support, documentation tools, and community.
Support for parentsApplying Family
You're considering schools and want the honest climate — beyond the admissions brochure.
Get the vetting guideStudent or Alum
Your voice matters. Join a moderated, joy-centered space built around belonging.
For students & alumniAdvisor or Partner
You bring legal, clinical, product, fundraising, or community expertise to the pilot.
Help build the pilotOur safety promise
You choose what you share. POC Prep is independent from schools. School names are optional in early surveys, you may participate confidentially, we do not sell your data, and we never share identifiable stories without your explicit consent. Student spaces are moderated and safety-first.
Our first campaign
Start with the Listening Project
Our first public campaign gathers confidential parent, student, alumni, and community experiences across New England — to build advocacy tools, school-vetting resources, student voice programming, and a family-informed school climate framework.