Staff

Elizabeth Alvarez,
FMCI Director

Elizabeth Alvarez is in charge of the expansion of the community-schools model and family resource centers in the Santee and Seven Trees neighborhoods in San Jose, California. Her responsibilities include development and implementation of FMCI, oversight of asset building social service contracts from public and private entities, and setting the direction for community input and cultural inclusivity.

Elizabeth leads the Steering Committee in its development and execution of the FMCI strategic plan and annual goals through a community driven approach to systemic change by utilizing stakeholder engagement and organizing as pivotal tools for community development.

As a San Jose native and mother of five, she is deeply committed to ensuring that all children are afforded a quality education. She has dedicated much of her life to addressing inequities in education, the environment, and affordable housing through civic activism and her deep commitment to making positive change in the world.

Her journey began with People Acting in Community Together (PACT) through its small school movement in 2002. She went on to become a founding parent of two small schools, LUCHA and Renaissance, in the Alum Rock neighborhood. She holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning, with a concentration in community development, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from San Jose State University. Elizabeth understands how environmental, social and institutional inequities impact children’s quality of life, which has fueled her passion in narrowing the prevailing educational and opportunity gap in Silicon Valley.