Written and illustrated by Connor Johns, graphic design intern at StriveTogether. In the past 15-20 years, we have heard the words “innovation” and “design thinking” thrown around a lot in the corporate world. But what do these words really mean? How do they work in the nonprofit field? I’m a graphic designer and did not…
Guest post by Melissa McCoy for StriveTogether. The data is stark: Our schools are not preparing every student to succeed in life. Seeking change, educators try programs and initiatives to improve outcomes for kids. These reform efforts often treat students the same, using widespread, one-size-fits-all approaches. But each student is unique and a few solutions…
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…
Earlier this month, I moderated a panel discussion, “Promise Neighborhoods at 10 Years Old,” at the Yale School of Management’s 2019 Education Leadership Conference. Promise Neighborhoods communities share our belief that every child should have the opportunity to succeed in school and in life, regardless of race, zip code or circumstance. The purpose of Promise…
We have provided a roadmap for communities seeking to support the success of every child from cradle to career since 2013. The StriveTogether Theory of Action™ is our proven blueprint for getting better results for kids and families in nearly 70 communities across the country. Through this framework, we help our partners define and measure…
Making systems more equitable is hard. It presents endless challenges with no known solutions. In the face of these challenges, imagine having a step-by-step process and tools to give you insight, clarity and early wins to show that your strategies are working. Through improvement science, that vision can be reality. I’m not saying that using…
In Salt Lake City, Utah, school staff and community partners are using improvement science to get better outcomes for kids and families. This week, I’m joining Tyler Asman from United Way of Salt Lake to share the story of this work at the Carnegie Foundation Summit on Improvement in Education. The story started two years…
In Boston, 75% of students graduate from high school — a promising start to their postsecondary futures. But for those who go on to college, just 52% complete their degrees. How can data help predict which students will complete college and what support others need to reach that milestone? Cradle to Career Network member Boston…
Guest blog post by Tracy McDaniel, Early Childhood Accountability Partnership coordinator at Cradle to Career Network member Mission: Graduate. It all started with a question that we heard over and over from service providers across Albuquerque: How do we talk with families about technology? Parents are busy, distracted and often checking their devices. Phone alerts and…
Close your eyes and imagine a world where homelessness is no longer the pervasive issue we see in American cities. Keep in mind that on any given night, roughly 84,000 Americans have been homeless for at least a year. Now open your eyes and visit the Community Solutions website to learn about 10 American communities…
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…
Economic mobility is a term that’s starting to sweep the social sector. I hear it when I attend meetings across the country; I see it in newsletters, RFPs and research briefs. So many smart people are collecting and analyzing data and writing deeply about indicators and strategies for achieving greater upward mobility. I have learned…