“How do you support the emergence of a new generation of leadership in a movement for social justice? How do you pass the torch from one generation to the next?”
This question sits at the heart of the English Learner Leadership and Legacy Initiative (ELLLI)—and of the movement that gave rise to it.
This year, Californians Together proudly celebrates ten years of ELLLI, a hallmark initiative born from urgency and vision. It was created by a generation of seasoned advocates—lawyers, educators, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders—who had spent decades advancing educational equity for English learners and immigrant students. As they reflected on their work, they recognized a critical truth: the movement could only endure if its history, lessons, and relationships were intentionally passed on.
ELLLI emerged as that bridge.
The idea itself was seeded years earlier, when long-time advocates envisioned a way to cultivate new leadership grounded in the history of struggle and progress. What began as a concept—to support and mentor emerging advocates—grew into a structured, cross-generational initiative designed to “nourish new leadership” and connect it to the legacy that came before.
At its core, ELLLI is about movement-building. It brings together mentors, veterans of California’s bilingual education and civil rights efforts, with Fellows (now known as advocates)—mid-career leaders committed to advancing equity in schools and communities. Through this model, participants don’t just learn about advocacy; they experience it together, building relationships, sharpening strategies, and carrying forward a shared vision for change.
The movement that shaped ELLLI is one defined by persistence and resilience. For more than half a century, advocates in California have fought to establish the rights of English learners—challenging exclusionary systems, shaping policy, and building programs that honor students’ languages and cultures. They have weathered political backlash, including efforts to dismantle bilingual education, while continuing to push toward an asset-based vision of multilingualism.
ELLLI stands on that foundation.
What began with a small cohort of Fellows has since grown into a powerful statewide network of more than 450 advocates—educators, administrators, researchers, organizers, and policy leaders—each contributing to a collective effort to advance educational justice.
For those who have participated, ELLLI is more than a leadership program—it is a community.
“This was not just a project; this was the beginning of a new, larger family forming to build and sustain each other and the English Learner movement.”
“It was a cross between grad school and a spiritual retreat… I remember feeling excited and at home, even though we were just meeting each other.”
These reflections capture what makes ELLLI distinct: a space where learning, leadership, and belonging intersect.
As we celebrate ten years of ELLLI, we honor not only the program itself, but the generations of advocates who made it possible, and those who will carry it forward. The need for a strong, informed, and connected movement remains as urgent as ever. As one reflection from the movement reminds us, lasting change requires “an army of advocates… steeped in the history that brought us to this point.”
ELLLI exists to build that army—one leader, one relationship, and one story at a time.
This piece was based on research and narrative found in A Legacy of Courage and Activism by Laurie Olsen.