Preparing students for success is a critical component of the Literacy Lab’s Leading Men Fellowship program. Young men of color receive rigorous ongoing training in research-based early literacy intervention strategies that prepare pre-K children to be successful in school and later in life. Ten fellows — ages 18 to 24 — make up the Leading…
By Michael McAfee, president and CEO of PolicyLink, and Jennifer Blatz, president and CEO of StriveTogether At PolicyLink and StriveTogether, we believe every child should have the opportunity to succeed in school and in life, regardless of race, zip code or circumstance. This is the most pressing issue of our generation. Yet increasingly the data…
StriveTogether is proud to share that President and CEO Jennifer Blatz has been selected to participate in the Ambassadors for Health Equity Fellowship — a joint venture led by PolicyLink and FSG, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Jennifer will join 23 other leaders in the public, private and social sector to participate…
Guest blog post by Ida Thompson, director of national network and program affairs at Spartanburg Academic Movement. 2012 in Spartanburg, S.C.: Too many children were entering kindergarten not ready to learn. Access to developmental screening for young children was non-existent. Only a few educators and advocates kept early childhood issues front and center. The Children’s…
Accomplishments across the Salt Lake City region show the power of communities coming together around common goals. Thanks to the efforts of Cradle to Career Network member Promise Partnership of Salt Lake, kids and families are getting more support to be successful. This partnership focuses on aligning the community around a shared vision, supporting organizations…
This post originally appeared on Ballmer Group’s website. A data-driven approach to community partnership that supports kids cradle to career After the first five years of the original StrivePartnership, nine percent more children were ready for kindergarten and college enrollment had jumped 10 percent. By Jeff Edmondson, Executive Director – Community Mobilization In 2006, more…
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”…
“You don’t need permission to be great.” “You don’t need permission to make space.” These powerful words by a young woman named Mary-Pat Hector set the stage for three days of community and creativity at frank 2019 in Gainesville, Fla. I’m still feeling inspired and invigorated by the gathering earlier this month, when I was…
Last week was one of the most pivotal in my time at StriveTogether. We launched a Racial Equity Planning Team in partnership with individuals representing 15 members of the Cradle to Career Network. This group of amazing people has committed to develop an action plan for the Network to improve outcomes for black and brown…
I’m thrilled to announce our two newest board members, both of whom bring extensive experience and expertise in championing social justice and advancing inclusive economic development. James Bell, founding president of the W. Haywood Burns Institute, and Tony Pipa, a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution, joined our…
Guest blog post by StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network member Cradle to Career Partnership In Pima County, Arizona, the number of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in high-quality early education rose from 16.4 percent to 21.5 percent over two years. But nearly 15,000 kids still don’t have access to these programs. We need community leaders to…
“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…