Bill Crim, Cleveland Academy of Leadership and KConnect recognized at event in Salt Lake City, Utah
September 27, 2024
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — StriveTogether honored three exceptional community leaders in its 2024 Cradle to Career Network Convening, celebrating their dedication to driving better and more equitable outcomes for youth and families.
StriveTogether presented the Bill Henningsgaard Cradle to Career Champion Award to Bill Crim of Utah’s Promise, the Cheryl Broadnax Award for Innovation and Results to the Cleveland Academy of Leadership in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and the Nancy Zimpher Courage in Leadership Award to KConnect in Kent County, Michigan.
Bill Henningsgaard Cradle to Career Champion Award
Bill Crim, president and CEO of Utah’s Promise, received the Bill Henningsgaard Cradle to Career Champion Award for his visionary leadership and steadfast commitment to collective impact and equity. Bill is a champion of cross-sector collaboration and data-driven approaches to address challenges facing young people and families in Utah.
In 2013, Bill spearheaded the creation of Promise Partnership Utah. Under Bill’s leadership, Promise Partnership Utah has become a model of collective impact, facilitating partnerships across school districts, community organizations and government agencies.
Bill is recognized as a leader in the cradle-to-career field, exemplifying the values of the Cradle to Career Champion Award by centering equity, engaging communities and pursuing bold, innovative solutions to improve outcomes for youth.
Cheryl Broadnax Award for Innovation and Results
The Cleveland Academy of Leadership team was honored with the Cheryl Broadnax Award for Innovation and Results. Through the team’s collaborative leadership, Cleveland Academy has become one of South Carolina’s highest-performing schools. The team has achieved significant academic progress for students, particularly those historically furthest from opportunity.
Since 2018, Cleveland Academy has seen reading proficiency for third, fourth and fifth graders increase by as much as 40 percentage points, with math proficiency doubling and tripling. Their team focuses on innovative practices that strengthen academic outcomes and deepen community and family engagement.
The team’s success in transforming the school is a direct result of their use of continuous improvement methods to respond to students’ unique needs and amplify their potential. With the support of Spartanburg Academic Movement, the Cleveland Academy team continues to lead the way in applying continuous improvement principles, both within the school and across the broader Spartanburg County community.
Their collaborative leadership and unwavering belief in every student’s ability to succeed embody the spirit of this award.
Nancy Zimpher Courage in Leadership Award
KConnect was honored with the Nancy Zimpher Courage in Leadership Award for its innovative and inclusive approach to addressing systemic inequities in Kent County, Michigan. KConnect connects systems to dissolve long-standing barriers, ensuring that every child and family has access to opportunities that lead to success.
Celebrating a decade of impact, KConnect’s collaborative, data-informed work includes a recent consensus-building effort to develop a community-driven policy agenda that elevates diverse voices and perspectives. Their commitment to addressing the lack of Black and brown educators through the Diverse Educators 360-degree model is a testament to their trailblazing leadership and dedication to driving change.
KConnect’s efforts exemplify the spirit of this award by taking bold risks, recalibrating strategies when needed and holding systems accountable to achieve equitable outcomes for the communities they serve.
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About StriveTogether
StriveTogether is a national network of nearly 70 communities across 29 states and Washington, D.C. working to build a future where a child’s potential is not dictated by race, ethnicity, zip code or circumstance. The organization provides coaching, resources and rigorous approaches to create opportunities and eliminate inequities in education, housing and more. Together, the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network reaches 14 million youth — including 8 million children of color and one in five children experiencing poverty. For more information about StriveTogether, visit StriveTogether.org.