The Jolt Initiative (Norman grantee 2016–2019) was founded in 2016 by Cristina Tzintzun — the co-founder of Norman grantee Workers Defense Project — to build the civic power of the nearly 11 million Latinos who call Texas home. They engage Latino youth, women, and mothers in year-round grassroots organizing, leadership development, and cultural programs. Jolt Initiative quickly became known for its creative, culturally-rooted approach: recruiting a council of Latino artists and musicians to amplify organizing campaigns, launching student chapters on college campuses, and designing the Poder Quince program that invites young women celebrating their quinceañeras to integrate voter registration into their celebrations. When SB4, one of the most anti-immigrant bills in the country, moved toward passage in 2017, Jolt Initiative mobilized over 2,000 participants in public actions. Norman gave Jolt Initiative its very first grant when the organization’s entire budget was $350,000; by 2019, Jolt Initiative had grown its budget to $1.65 million budget, operated 17 student chapters across Texas, and earned more than 400 press hits in media outlets, including Time, Teen Vogue, and the New York Times.

Media: 

• Teen Vogue article: This Texas Teen’s Quinceañera Included a Voter Registration Booth