The StriveTogether 2023 Cradle to Career Network Convening officially commenced as president and CEO Jennifer Blatz shared a bold new goal to put 4 million more young people on a path to economic mobility. The journey of this cradle-to-career movement has always had a North Star — to ensure every young person has every opportunity…
Stories create and sustain our unique and shared cultures. These stories become a set of data that informs our beliefs and values – and influence the systems that perpetuate the disparate and inequitable results kids and families of color and those experiencing poverty face across our country. Clint Smith kicked off the second day of…
Over a decade ago, communities stood up and said we want something better for kids and families. From Seattle, Washington, to Spartanburg, South Carolina, place-based partnerships emerged to eradicate inequitable outcomes and transform the systems that perpetuate them. Ten years later, we know that change is possible. The roots of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career…
When I was a child, I loved to hear stories. Frankly, I still do. And not just the stories of mythical creatures or fairy tales, but stories that help me understand who I am and where I come from. Storytelling isn’t just about entertainment, it’s also the primary means for building and cultivating culture, traditions…
When I moved into my new house a few months ago, I received a beautiful plant as a housewarming gift. I wanted this plant to thrive. But I didn’t pay enough attention to its proper care — what type of soil did it need, what type of pot accommodated its roots or how frequently should…
I showed up on StriveTogether’s doorstep as a social worker. I knew I wanted to support organizations to do better for kids and families, but I didn’t know how important a human services orientation would be in the work we do with our Cradle to Career Network every day. And now, which likely comes as…
What happens when you bring together people from across the country who want the best for every child in their communities? If you’re familiar with StriveTogether, you’re probably familiar with this question: What does StriveTogether really do? I get this question all the time, every week, and have for six years. It never gets…
Have you ever heard of the Woke Olympics? It’s a competition where players, most of whom are white, “stay woke” by calling out instances of racism, especially those committed by fellow white people. So simply by naming racism publicly, you’re now woke. Anyone else see flaws in that logic? In real life, those of us…
StriveTogether is proud to announce the designation of Graduate Tacoma in Tacoma, Washington, as our fifth proof point community. Reaching proof point recognizes that outcomes in the community are improving because of transformed systems and is a major milestone on the path to better and more equitable opportunities and results for every child, cradle to career. In…
As communities work to change systems, improve outcomes for kids and close disparity gaps, one of the most common questions is: How do we talk about this work? Systems change efforts take time and don’t result in immediate outcome improvement. But a multitude of wins and successes occur on the path to changing behaviors, practices…
“What is the best way to visualize data?” asks Lee Feinberg, president of DecisionViz. Lee is standing in front of 17 data managers from across the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network, all of whom are intent on identifying the correct answer. They offer several suggestions in response to his question — pie charts, bar graphs,…
It’s easy to think of a system as a series of cogs and wheels: mechanical components that work together to get something done. In reality, the systems we work within are more diverse, complex and robust than anything we could imagine. They’re comprised of people with different perspectives, motivations, and behaviors. This means that changing…