EdRedesign’s 10-Year Anniversary: A Decade of Transformative Impact

This year, EdRedesign proudly celebrates a decade of transformative work to open equitable pathways to opportunity for all children, especially those affected by poverty, racism, and disinvestment. Since our founding at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2014, we have been committed to improving practices, policies, and systems so that children and youth have the supports and opportunities they need to thrive in school and in life. Over the last ten years, EdRedesign has collaborated with communities, leaders from government and civil society at the national, state, and local level, and national networks across the country to find and share innovative, cradle-to-career place-based solutions aimed at addressing the barriers that limit the potential of children and youth.?

In 2016, EdRedesign launched one of its flagship initiatives, the?By All Means community of practice, to learn from communities rethinking systems of education and child development. We closely partnered with select local communities across the country—communities where top leadership (including mayors and superintendents) embraced our vision and expressed a willingness to expend political and financial capital in an effort to get it done. We supported the creation of Children’s Cabinets, place-based partnerships, and community-based backbone organizations, as well as efforts to strengthen existing entities, helping local leaders establish integrated collaborative cross-sector systems of holistic youth development and education. In the years since, EdRedesign has produced more than 70 valuable learning resources, including books, toolkits, and webinars, all aimed at spreading effective practices and empowering local leaders to establish integrated collaborative cross-sector systems of holistic youth development and education, driving transformational change in their communities.

In 2021, we expanded our focus with the launch of the Institute for Success Planning (ISP). Success Planning, paired with a strong cross-sector place-based strategy, has particular power to support upward mobility for low-income children and children from often marginalized groups, including those with learning differences and those impacted by disinvestment. Success Planning helps communities develop personalized support systems for children, integrating services across health, education, community- and faith-based programs and resources, out-of-school time and other enrichment programs, and social supports. The ISP Community of Practice has provided a space for local leaders to share strategies and best practices, creating a nationwide network dedicated to advancing personalization across the entire ecosystem in which children learn and develop. Through the ISP, EdRedesign has made significant progress toward sustainable cross-sector systems that holistically meet children and families where they are and give them what they need.

In 2022, we partnered with William Julius Wilson Institute at Harlem Children’s Zone to co-host the inaugural Summer Institute for Neighborhood Leaders, an event that convenes community leaders dedicated to addressing systemic inequities and building cradle-to-career place-based systems of support to ensure young people reach their potential. This annual event has continued to serve as a critical space for collaboration, innovation, inspiration, and the sharing of best practices among leaders working on the frontlines of community transformation. Watch the video from the 2024 Summer Institute.?

In 2023, we launched our By All Means Senior Fellowship for exemplary senior leaders of place-based collaborative action. The Senior Fellows bring diverse expertise and experiences in cross-sector partnerships, politics, policymaking, school district leadership, community organizing, and public service for the challenges facing children, youth, and families today. Through the Senior Fellowship, we aim to amplify the impact of their work and the field of place-based collaborative action on the national stage.

In 2024, we joined with StriveTogether to launch the Policy Implementation Community of Practice, with Opportunity Insights to launch the Upward Mobility Fellowship, and with data and evaluation leads from national intermediaries and exemplary place-based partnerships to launch a Data and Evaluation Working Group for our field.

This year, we launched our new Fellowship for Cradle-to-Career Partnership Leaders, which you can read more about below.

As we reflect on the incredible growth of our organization during the past decade, we are so proud of the partnerships we’ve built and the impact we’ve had on the work of communities nationwide. With our work laser-focused on cross-sector collaboration and personalization, EdRedesign continues to be a critical catalyst propelling the cradle-to-career place-based partnership field forward.

Over the past decade, we have grown our team, our operating budget, the number of communities we support across the country, and our partnerships within Harvard and with leading national organizations in our field to support our growing body of work. Under our new leadership team appointed this summer (Rob Watson, inaugural Executive Director and Tauheedah Jackson, Deputy Director), we are filled with optimism and gratitude for the continued support of our partners, funders, communities, and allies. Together, we will continue working toward a future where every child has the opportunity to thrive.?

Fellowship for Cradle-to-Career Partnership Leaders Launch

This year, we launched our?Fellowship for Cradle-to-Career Partnership Leaders . From October 15th to 18th, we had the privilege of welcoming our inaugural Fellowship cohort to campus. This pioneering, competitive, tuition-free 18-month program is designed to empower place-based leaders from across the country by joining a network of inspiring change-makers, sharpening their cross-sector skills, and applying new tools, connections, and approaches to improve measurable outcomes for children and families in their communities.

The Fellowship launch brought together 22 Fellows, our national partners who collaborated with us to design and launch the Fellowship (Partners for Rural Impact, Purpose Built Communities, StriveTogether and William Julius Wilson Institute at Harlem Children’s Zone, and our generous funders supporting the Fellowship. Under the leadership of?Denisse Arias , the newly appointed Director of the Fellowship, the program will blend professional development, executive coaching, and collaborative learning by providing leaders with the tools, knowledge, and support necessary to drive systemic change. This Fellowship offers leaders a unique opportunity to collaborate across sectors, build cross-community networks, and share best practices.?

On day one, Harvard Graduate School of Education Interim Dean Nonie Lesaux?set an inspiring tone for the Fellowship’s future, emphasizing the importance of continuous innovation in the cradle-to-career place-based movement.?

Dr. Cornell Brooks, Hauser Professor of Nonprofit Organizations and Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, inspired Fellows with his call for movement leadership: “You are movement leaders called to do movement work. What you have been called to do is radical activity.” His words reminded us that achieving equity for all children and families is at the heart of this work.?

In a session on Building Your Narrative, Tauheedah Jackson, Ed.M., Gustavo Luna, and Christan Shelton from our team presented the Public Narrative framework as an approach to building and sharing one's story in ways that build trust and solidarity with others in the field and community stakeholders.

On day two, Prof. Kimberlyn Leary led an engaging session on cross-boundary collaboration, guiding Fellows on distinguishing between adaptive and technical challenges and leveraging leadership at all levels.?

Cecilia Gutierrez from Blue Meridian Partners and Eshauna Smith from Ballmer Group spoke to Fellows about the crucial role of public and philanthropic resources in sustaining cradle-to-career initiatives, stressing the power of aligning resources with the needs of children and families.?

Throughout the convening, participants had the opportunity to engage with national partners, Harvard faculty, and other leading practitioners in the field. The deeply collaborative environment provided Fellow the chance to learn from each other’s experiences, apply new strategies in their community context, and strengthen their leadership skills.?

“This Fellowship will empower and upskill leaders who are devoted to transforming education and life outcomes for all kids. I look forward to working with our Fellows to innovate, share best practices, and drive systemic change for children and families in communities.”?-Denisse Arias, Director of the Fellowship for Cradle-to-Career Partnership Leaders

Rob Watson, Executive Director of EdRedesign, added, “We are witnessing a remarkable convergence of community leaders leveraging the transformative power of place-based initiatives. Under the visionary leadership of Denisse Arias, we are poised to accelerate the impact of these partnerships and strengthen the executive leadership pipeline for our field.”?

As the Fellowship continues, we are excited to see the impact that these leaders will have on their communities and the broader place-based movement.?See this video for a sense of the power and magic of the Fellowship. The video was produced by Joe Posner and James Watson.

Cradle-to-Career Summer Fellowship for Harvard College Students

A joint initiative between The EdRedesign Lab (EdRedesign) at Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), the Harvard College Center for Public Service and Engaged Scholarship, and its Mindich Service Fellowship program, the newly launched Cradle-to-Career Summer Fellows Cohort will offer Harvard undergraduates the opportunity to work with organizations tackling issues of educational equity, intergenerational poverty, and economic mobility in communities across the country. Driven by the vision that race, place, and income should no longer be determinants of school and life success for children and young people, Summer Fellows will work on projects dedicated to changing practices, policies, and systems so that more young people can reach their full potential. Learn more here.

Welcome New Team Members!

Oliver Truog is EdRedesign's new Director of Finance and Operations, where he is responsible for stewarding the financial health of the organization, both now and for long-term sustainability. Oliver also develops, implements, and improves upon systems to manage all aspects of operations. Read his full bio.

Alexa Walker is EdRedesign's new Administrative Coordinator, supporting senior leadership to provide strategic and logistical support for organizational success. Read her full bio.

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, poverty, and disinvestment.? ? 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, the Schwartz Family Foundation, and Wallace Foundation.