“Trust comes from truth telling,” Hanh Cao Yu from the California Endowment said from the plenary stage at the Grantmakers for Effective Organizations Learning Conference last week in Seattle. Her words rang true from multiple perspectives. As I’ve learned in my work with communities across the country applying StriveTogether’s collaborative improvement approach, one of the most…
In the Spring 2019 Stanford Social Innovation Review, you’ll find two articles written by three thought leaders who see promise in StriveTogether and our Cradle to Career Network. Jim Shelton, the former head of Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s education division and former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, encourages investors to place “big bets”…
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” — Martin Luther King Jr. On the day in which we celebrate the life, achievements and influence of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., I find myself searching his writings for some hope and inspiration…
Happy New Year! I hope that the first few days of 2019 are treating you well. Perhaps you set a New Year’s resolution, and if you did, I wish you the best in keeping it! I am not the type to set New Year’s resolutions, but as a former English major, I often finding myself…
On a brisk October weekend, I joined more than 350 change makers from across America gathered in Bentonville, Arkansas, for an event held by the Walton Family Foundation. With “Meet in the Middle” as the theme for the inaugural Heartland Summit, we learned and networked over four days of speakers, yoga and bike rides, local…
While reading Linda Villarosa’s New York Times article “Why America’s Black Mothers and Babies Are in a Life-or-death Crisis,” I had some visceral reactions as a soon-to-be mother. There are glaring and alarming disparities in maternal and infant health for women of color, particularly for African-American women like myself. The article came to mind last…
Guest blog post by Christian Paige, educator, keynote speaker and spoken word poet. The StriveTogether national Cradle to Career Network Convening last week was nothing short of amazing. The event was a metaphor for me. I had the privilege of opening and closing the convening with spoken word performances honoring two leaders who have made significant…
“What do you look like in the eyes of the enemy?” asked educator and spoken word poet Christian Paige from the stage last Friday as the ninth national Cradle to Career Network Convening drew to a close. More than 500 leaders, equity champions and change agents sat on the edge of their seats, holding their…
“We are community artists. We get to weave big visions with data and information … Sometimes we pull, sometimes we push, and the weaving is as much art as it is science.” — Becky Hoffman The 2018 Cradle to Career Network Convening in Seattle last week was our biggest and best ever! I know we…
“Welcome to the bubble,” says Brittany Packnett, activist, educator and writer — a proud Black woman who believes that freedom is within our grasp, as long as we unleash love and build our power. “Inside the bubble, all you need is a white board and a dream. Inside the bubble, all you need is a…
Before joining the StriveTogether team, I taught ninth-grade algebra in a low-income school district. The students I taught are amazing, passionate, smart and driven. I still care deeply about them, and during my time as their teacher, I felt that I was making an impact on their academic and social-emotional well-being. But while in the…
“Early morning, April four Shot rings out in the Memphis sky Free at last, they took your life They could not take your pride” “Pride (In the Name of Love)” U2 This April 4, 2018, marks 50 years to the day the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Leaders across the country will…