EdRedesign Hosts 3rd Annual Summer Institute for Place-Based Community Leaders; Welcomes 2024 Cohort of the Institute for Success Planning

This July, we brought together national and local leaders, educators, community practitioners and advocates, researchers, policymakers, and funders for two major events at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, both laser-focused on improving life outcomes for children and communities for families.

On July 10-12, 2024, the "Summer Institute: Transforming Place through Neighborhood Leadership," hosted by EdRedesign and the William Julius Wilson Institute at Harlem Children's Zone, convened nearly 300 cradle-to-career neighborhood practitioners and organizers; city, state, and federal officials; school education leaders; Harvard faculty; researchers; and funders?from across the country to accelerate the impact of cradle-to-career place-based solutions that expand pathways to social and economic mobility for children and youth. This event was covered by the Harvard Graduate School of Education in a recent news piece.

?"Over the last several years, this convening has become one of the preeminent gatherings of leaders from across the nation working to eliminate intergenerational poverty in urban, suburban, and rural neighborhoods and transform our democracy."

– Rob Watson, Executive Director, EdRedesign

?The Institute for Success Planning Summer Workshop welcomed its 2024 Community of Practice — comprised of 16 community teams from across the country — to advance opportunities and supports for children and youth through a relationship-based, personalized approach. These events featured powerful insights from notable speakers, including Geoffrey Canada from Harlem Children's Zone, Gregory Jackson Jr. from the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Dr. Karen Mapp from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Dr. Shadae Harris of Groundwork Consulting, and Dr. Jorrit de Jong from the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University. The events fostered deep collaboration and learning. We are so grateful to all the speakers, community partners, funders, and staff who made our events a success!

?“As we are solving our adult issues, we have to come to the table with a shared vision, and we should always center the kids in this conversation. Sometimes in times of crisis, when the time is short and our backs are to the wall, we have to remember to circle back to our center.”?

– Tauheedah Jackson, Deputy Director and Director of the Institute for Success Planning, EdRedesign

Summer Institute: Transforming Place through Neighborhood Leadership?

The Summer Institute gathered nearly 300 participants this year. Co-hosted with the William Julius Wilson Institute at Harlem Children's Zone , the event focused on accelerating the impact of cradle-to-career place-based solutions for children and youth nationwide. ?

Rob Watson, EdRedesign's Executive Director, emphasized the power of cross-sector collaboration in harnessing community resources effectively to open pathways to opportunity for all children and youth, especially those affected by racism, poverty, and disinvestment. Kwame Owusu-Kesse, CEO of Harlem Children's Zone, gave us a heartfelt reminder that this work is anchored in our young people, using a personal story to center the audience on the importance of our collective mission.

Harvard Kennedy School Professor Jorrit de Jong led a compelling case study discussion on our co-authored case, "Change at the Speed of Trust," emphasizing how cross-sector collaboration can build trust and sustain place-based initiatives into the future. Written in partnership with the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative , this case applies a mayoral perspective to explore cross-sector collaboration, governance, and the changes in Louisville, KY that were made to help support children and families.

Ron Ferguson, Lecturer from the Harvard Kennedy School and Founder and President of The Basics Inc., co-led a session on early childhood and parent engagement, stressing the crucial role of families in early brain development and sharing strategies from his nonprofit.

Elson Nash,?Director of the School Choice and Improvement Program Division in the U.S. Department of Education,?and Anthony Smith, Executive Director of Louisville-based Cities United, discussed the urgent need to address community violence, particularly in the context of the alarming rise in youth gun violence. Nash highlighted the importance of engaging young people in designing solutions, while Smith urged the audience to get involved locally to drive change. Cities United has been a leader in advocating for holistic approaches to gun violence by working closely with stakeholders at every level.

Keynote speakers included Harlem Children's Zone Geoffrey Canada, who spoke on the transformative power and evidence-based approach of place-based initiatives, and Kwame Owusu-Kesse, who stressed the importance of centering children in our collaborative work and decision-making.?

The Summer Institute underscored the critical role of cradle-to-career place-based leadership in driving social and economic mobility, and also highlighted the importance of collaboration, trust-building, and community engagement in creating sustainable change. Participants left inspired to continue their efforts in transforming neighborhoods and uplifting children and families, work that cuts through partisan divides and unites community stakeholders in urban, suburban, and rural places.

Institute for Success Planning Summer Workshop

Cross-sector leadership teams from our 16 Success Planning communities in the 2024 Community of Practice shared strategies and insights for supporting all children and youth, took part in dynamic workshops, and heard from experts in the field of child development and education. The multisector community teams included leaders from school systems, health and human services agencies, out-of-school-time and other community- and faith-based organizations, backbone organizations, place-based partnerships, and local officials.

Tauheedah Jackson's call to "lead with compassion, not compliance" set the tone for the event, emphasizing that systemic change begins with compassionate leadership and asking families, "what do you need?" ?

Dr. Karen Mapp reminded us that "engagement is a strategy, not an end-goal," and that "this business is about love," urging participants to rethink their family and community engagement approach by building trust and partnerships. A national expert on family engagement,?Dr. Shadae Harris, who?leads Groundwork Consulting, shared her innovative strategies for reducing chronic absenteeism in Richmond, VA, highlighting the importance of honoring history and prioritizing relationships, which have been shown to significantly improve student and family outcomes.

Participants also heard powerful personal stories from high school graduates Jaiven Diaz and Dana Acosta, whose experiences with Success Planning Navigators in Chelsea, MA underscored the life-changing impact of meaningful connections. Michelle Sedaca, our Senior Research Manager, presenting on the Metro Nashville case study, emphasized the importance of celebrating small but steady victories in implementing Success Planning.?Chris Shelton, our?Cross-Sector Leadership Advisor, shared poignant stories from her previous experience working with kids that highlighted the urgency of the work and the power of storytelling to inspire action toward expanding opportunities and supports through relationship-based approaches. ?

The Success Planning Summer Workshop reinforced the need for compassionate, community-driven approaches to supporting youth. The event provided valuable insights into the power of engagement, storytelling, and relationship-building in creating impactful change at scale for all children and youth. Leadership teams left equipped with new strategies to implement in their communities and with a renewed commitment to supporting every child's journey to success.?

We're Hiring!

Director of Finance and Operations

Reporting to the Executive Director, this position is an integral part of the leadership team and responsible for stewarding the financial health of the organization, both now and for long-term sustainability. Providing strategic oversight of a complex mix of gifts, grants, contracts, and other revenue-generating activities, this position works collaboratively with internal and external colleagues to ensure full compliance with University policies and protocols. This role is also responsible for working with executive leadership to determine resource allocation, deployment, and controls, and advises on overall financial strategy.?Apply here.

?

Administrative Coordinator

The Administrative Coordinator at EdRedesign will support executive leadership with various administrative tasks such as scheduling, travel arrangements, event planning, payroll processing, and overseeing office maintenance. Strong organizational skills, proficiency in Microsoft Office, and excellent customer service are essential. Apply here. ?

Founded in 2014 by Paul Reville, Francis Keppel Professor of Practice of Educational Policy and Administration at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, EdRedesign provides catalytic support to the cradle-to-career place-based partnership field to drive systems-level change and open personalized pathways to well-being, educational attainment, civic engagement, and upward mobility. To support this growing field to effect transformational change that serves the needs and talents of individual children and youth, our work focuses on talent development, actionable research, our Institute for Success Planning, and our By All Means initiatives. Our mission is to ensure the social, emotional, physical, and academic development and well-being of all children and youth, especially those affected by racism and poverty.? ? EdRedesign greatly appreciates our generous supporters: The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Ballmer Group, Barr Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Oak Foundation, The Linda G. Hammett Ory & Andrew Ory Charitable Trust, Paul and Katie Buttenwieser, and the Schwartz Family Foundation.