In Central Texas, Cradle to Career Network member E3 Alliance is transforming education systems through data and collaboration. Since 2006, E3 Alliance has worked with school districts, higher education institutions, businesses, nonprofits and policy leaders across the region. Now, their work has earned the Systems Transformation designation along the StriveTogether Theory of Action™. E3 Alliance…
In Fresno County, California, effective collaboration, community engagement and data use are leading to better outcomes for kids and families, with racial and ethnic equity at the center. Cradle to Career Fresno County has reached a new milestone in its work to build equitable systems and inclusive economic mobility. The Cradle to Career Network member…
Communities across the country are building civic infrastructure to get better, more equitable results for kids. Like physical infrastructure, civic infrastructure connects key elements of a community, including people, ideas and resources. It focuses on outcomes rather than programs and uses data to improve. At StriveTogether, we’ve learned a lot about building effective civic infrastructure…
In Marin County, California, more than 100 community, organizational, philanthropic and governmental leaders are changing systems to ensure every child in the county achieves their full potential. This work is facilitated by StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network member Marin Promise Partnership. In a recent assessment, Marin Promise Partnership earned the Systems Change designation along…
The StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network reaches nearly one in seven young people aged 0–24 in this country. To put those young people on a path to economic mobility, network member communities are building what’s called civic infrastructure. Like physical infrastructure — roads, bridges, electrical grids — civic infrastructure creates the connections a community needs…
At the 2022 Cradle to Career Network Convening last month, we gathered with changemakers, community leaders, youth, experts, government leaders and more to explore how we can unite around our shared vision and get to transformational change for kids across the country. The StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network already reaches one in seven young people…
When we transform systems, we open pathways for youth to thrive. Systems transform when changes are embedded in a community and its institutions, creating permanent shifts to policies, practices, resources and power structures. The way a community works together leads to better outcomes for kids, especially for Black, Indigenous, Latine and Asian youth and…
On paper, Dr. Robert George and Dr. Cornel West make an unlikely pair. “I’m an old-school, traditional conservative. Cornel is honorary chairman of the Democratic Socialists of America. That’s pretty far apart,” said Dr. George. But despite having opposing views on topics from politics to philosophy, the two share a long, close friendship that can…
When Liz Dozier arrived at Fenger High School, it felt like someone had dimmed the lights. At the time, it was known as one of most violent and underperforming schools in Chicago. During Dozier’s first year as principal, 300 arrests happened in the building. The school’s drop-out rate was 20%, and the graduation rate was…
In an ideal community, resources would flow to support kids. Public and private funders would invest in what’s working to get better and more equitable outcomes. Instead of competing for dollars, organizations could work together to make sure that each has what they need to fulfill their mission and contribute to the community’s shared vision.…
Just as building materials are the core of physical infrastructure, trusting relationships are at the heart of civic infrastructure. Like the roads and bridges of physical infrastructure, civic infrastructure holds a community together and allows it to grow and thrive. Unlike physical infrastructure, though, civic infrastructure is the connections and structures that we can’t see…
What’s possible when a community comes together around a shared vision, uses data to make decisions and invests in creating lasting change? In Milwaukee, more kids are getting the early care and education they need, students are getting funding for opportunities after high school, voices from across the community are reflected in decisions and more.…