Zero platform fees and matching funds increase your impact.
Every cause is reviewed before it can receive a dollar.
Join over 27,000 Sikhs to rise higher than we could alone.
APR 21, 2025
April 21, 2025 (Nationwide) — One year ago, the Sikh Coalition launched our landmark study, Where Are You Really From?: A National Sikh School Climate Report (WAYRF). This effort was built on our 2023 Sikh Student Survey, which captured the experiences of nearly 2,000 Sikh youth across the country with school bullying, curricula, policy inclusivity, and more.
In light of the many conclusions indicating that Sikh students continue to face bullying behavior at alarmingly high rates, Sikh Coalition staff sprung into action to rally support from the sangat in the leveraging of this report. Sikh Coalition staff shared the report across the country in multiple ways, including a National Day of Action where staff and board members tabled at gurdwaras across 11 states. We also held two virtual briefings for Sikh educators and a webinar for parents and sangat members to learn about how to testify at their local school board meetings.
Legal Team Helps With Increase in Bullying Cases
Over the past year, the Sikh Coalition fielded an increased number of bullying cases—likely in part due to community outreach around WAYRF. In one case, a young Singh in California faced increased bullying when he started 9th grade: physical assaults often left him with a bloody nose and cut mouth, plus the psychological impact of offensive comments about his Sikhi and ethnicity. While the boy’s school was not responsive to his parents’ outreach, they did agree to a meeting with the Sikh Coalition’s attorneys—and since then have agreed to a safety plan for the student and a series of training sessions for their staff last November.
This is just one example of the bullying casework that the Sikh Coalition fields on a regular basis. While we do not share the details of much of this work in order to protect the minors involved, we have since dealt with additional cases in New Jersey, Texas, and New York. Additionally, we continue to engage with schools and districts across the nation—from Massachusetts to New Jersey to California—regarding Sikh students’ rights to maintain their kirpans.
Legislation and Policy Support
Our team also worked hard in sharing WAYRF at all levels of government. We briefed the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (DOE) on the report’s findings, as well as city and state-level officials in New York, California, and Colorado. Additionally, we provided avenues for sangat members to take action.
At the federal level, the Sikh Coalition moved to support the passage of the Safe Schools Improvement Act, a key recommendation in WAYRF. Last November, Sikh Coalition staff met with multiple congressional offices of both parties about the bill, and sangat members used our free advocacy tool to send messages to their members of Congress requesting that they co-sponsor it. The bill has since been reintroduced in the 119th Congress, where we were proud to once again endorse it. Take action here.
In terms of state-level advocacy, 48 of our nation’s 50 states do not have an active statewide anti-bullying task force. These task forces can be a ‘shortcut’ to achieving many of WAYRF’s policy recommendations for state governments (including departments and boards of education, legislatures, and more local bodies). We created 50 unique advocacy tools so that sangat members in every state could contact their state legislators and encourage the creation or re-activation of a task force.
Our Ongoing Education Work
As the policy and political landscape changed in 2025, the Sikh Coalition has continued to adapt our education work to the needs of the moment: In late 2024, Alabama became the 20th state to include Sikhi in social studies standards. We continue to work on curricula and state standards-related bills in New York, Michigan, Washington, and Oklahoma. Learn more about this work here.
Our commitment to fighting against harmful narratives has led us to oppose “American Birthright,” a model state standards document that calls for students to learn about “Sikh terror.” You can take action against American Birthright today, and read our open letter signed by more than 50 Sikh organizations SSAs, gurdwarae, and Sikh academics.
We produced a new resource for Sikh teachers, parents, and others who want to defend inclusive education in our nation’s schools: A “Dear Colleague” letter and simple summary document to explain civil rights law and the legality of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) programs and projects within our education system. Learn more about this resource here.
As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.
Fundraising campaigns for Education
Zero platform fees and matching funds increase your impact.
Updates from Where Are You Really From? A National Sikh School Climate Report’s efforts, posted on a regular basis.
Every cause is reviewed before it can receive a dollar.
Join over 27,000 Sikhs to rise higher than we could alone.
Fundraising campaigns for Education
Bibi Bhani Sewing Kender 2.0– Empowering Women in villages of Panjab
SAF International
Help Preserve the Battle of Chamkaur for Future Generations
VR Sikh Projects
Help Build Our 6th VR Station
VR Sikh Projects
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Worldwide Gurdwara Directory Project
SikhNet
Punjab’s Hope is Stronger than the Floods
Sanjhi Sikhiya
Youth transforming schools in rural Punjab through Punjab Youth Leaders Program
Sanjhi Sikhiya
She Shows Up Every Day. Will You Show Up for Her? Support a Young Leader Today!
Sanjhi Sikhiya
.png&w=3840&q=75)
Quality Education For Every Child In Punjab
Sanjhi Sikhiya
Share your dasvandh
