Each and every young person is entitled to a quality education. Each and every young person deserves to have champions by their side helping them to realize their potential.
Young people who come into contact with public systems – especially those who languish in the child welfare and justice systems – have been chronically let down by so many of the adults in their lives. The opportunity to learn has been interrupted by unnecessary home and school moves. They rarely receive credit for the coursework they have completed. They are consistently educated in substandard learning environments. They face – every day – countless adults who hold heartbreakingly limiting expectations for their future.
The data substantiating these lived experiences is stark, revealing a staggering achievement gap, chronic poor attendance, and alarming school mobility. This is a situation that can and must change.
We join in solidarity with a growing movement across the country to ensure equitable opportunities and young-people-outcomes for ALL young people. We are working to create a reality where all system-involved youth graduate from high school with the widest array of possibilities for their future.
We also envision a future where leaders from multiple public systems – child welfare, education, mental health, probation, and judicial agencies – band together with a sense of imperative and persistence to build the conditions at large scale under which:
-Children and youth are engaged in learning, empowered to create futures they are excited about, and have champions in their corner for the long run.
-Parents, family members, mentors, and other trusted adults are fully invested in their role as education champions and are consistently and meaningfully supported.
-System and community leaders deeply collaborate on a shared vision that systematically lifts up the voices of young people and helps realize equitable opportunities and outcomes for all students.
-Professionals working directly with young people</a> in support of their education are appreciated, supported, and connected with one another.
We are in the business of system change. We initiate and facilitate multiple state and regional collective impact campaigns, partnering with deeply invested teams of state and local leaders, students, and families to build will and measured progress toward a shared vision for improving the educational conditions and opportunities for this incredible group of young people. In each of the states in which we operate, we:
– Implement best-in-class demonstration sites.
– Design and execute a bold policy agenda.
– Unleash the power of data, technology, and research.
– Establish structures that promote dynamic communities of learning.
