We are at a pivotal moment in our country and in our work. Thanks to funding available through the American Rescue Plan and more, we have access to resources and the will to not just meet the present moment, but to make significant progress toward addressing racial equity and economic mobility for children and families.…
Home is sacred. Home is safe. Yet as we heard from Matthew Desmond, author of “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” and Terri Ludwig, president of Ballmer Group Philanthropy at Tuesday’s keynote plenary at the Roots to Rise 2021 Cradle to Career Network Convening, home is, far too often, out of reach…
Blog post co-written by Ritika Sharma Kurup, senior director of learning and activation, and Josh Davis, vice president of policy and partnerships. Changing policies is a powerful way to transform systems to support youth and families of color and those experiencing poverty. To help communities navigate this complicated work, StriveTogether partnered with PolicyLink to gather…
In a year that no one could have predicted, it’s not surprising that we’re still sorting out results from the general election. This history-making election saw a record number of voters cast ballots across the country. It’s just as exciting to see such a great turnout and support for a number of ballot issues supported…
It’s great to see so many Americans voting early this election cycle. In the excitement of the presidential election, don’t overlook local and state candidates and issues that can directly impact the future of our children. While StriveTogether is nonpartisan, we have a clear view on the policies that support better and more equitable cradle-to-career…
Good ideas start in local communities. Good networks spread those ideas. We’ve seen both happen countless times in StriveTogether communities through our Cradle to Career Network. We call it the Network Effect. In 2014, one member of the Network, Promise Partnership of Salt Lake in Salt Lake City, Utah, successfully made a case to state…
Guest post by Cecilia Muñoz, vice president for public interest technology and local initiatives at New America One of the many lessons I learned working for President Obama comes from his insistence that cynicism is one of the biggest threats our democracy faces. We believe that the system is broken so we back away, taking…
Can qualities as simple as common sense and ingenuity be the keys to big policy wins? On stage at the 2019 Cradle to Career Network Convening sits a panel of leaders from network communities celebrating recent policy successes. Joining them is Cecilia Muñoz, vice president for public interest technology and local initiatives at New America…
Guest blog post by Sarah Clarke, director of government affairs at Hylden Advocacy & Law. Photo above: Rep. Rena Moran, holding microphone, speaks on a panel with Northside Achievement Zone and Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood parents. When communities work together at a state level, they can get powerful results for kids and families. Recent policy work…
With support from Mission: Graduate, a new state law passed that requires New Mexico schools to prevent students from missing too much class time. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 236 into law this spring, with unanimous approval from the House and the Senate. This policy win comes after five years spent…
StriveTogether tracks and uses educational indicators as predictors for pathways to economic mobility, so it might surprise people to see that we’re advocating for a specific federal housing policy. But for us, the connection is clear: To dramatically improve outcomes and reduce racial and socioeconomic disparities for children in communities across the country, we must…
Like many of you, I performed my civic duty and voted in Tuesday’s midterm election. For the rest of the day, I proudly sported my “I voted” sticker and then rushed home, ordered a pizza, hurried my kids to bed and camped out in front of my TV for the next several hours. I’ll admit…