Work Smarter
Want to bring precision to your passion? We all want to ensure that every child is ready for college, work and life. The challenge is not a lack of energy or commitment. The challenge is fragmentation: too many disconnected plans, programs and policies that don’t add up to a comprehensive solution.
Our managing partner, the Forum for Youth Investment has an approach, a partnership and a plan to help leaders work smarter so that they can achieve their goals. Bringing you the ideas, inspiration and tools you need to work smarter is a part of that plan.
Ready to learn how? Check out our video on how to work smarter.
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Are You a Ready Leader?
Leaders are individuals at all levels who have the energy, motivation and capacity to act. No matter what your role, you can be a stronger leader and advocate for children and youth.
Local leaders are at the frontlines of implementing the kinds of "bolder strategies" that can improve the lives of children and youth. This new publication by National League of Cities highlights a range of promising strategies that city leaders are implementing in several key categories including coordinating services and utilizing data to drive decision-making.
Data-driven planning is central to the Ready by 21 Approach. When leaders use accurate and comprehensive data, they are in a better position to develop powerful programs and policies for children and youth.
If you are like the hundreds of leaders across the country, the challenge is that you are dealing with dozens of narrowly-defined problems (teen pregnancy, illiteracy, school dropouts, youth violence, premature births, etc.) that lead to fragmented responses that don’t add up to real change. The Ready by 21 National Partnership has tools and supports to help leaders work smarter.
This action kit for municipal leaders offers tips and advice for the development of a city-schools youth master plan.
This action kit highlights steps city officials can take to help young people who are not connected to school, work, or caring adults.
Imagine & Use Data
Imagine isn’t a word usually associated with data—but the best way to use data effectively is to take the time to ask, "What do we really need to know to manage our work better?" and then imagine the answer. What data? When? Presented how?
Are we as a nation spending less on programs to benefit children and youth than in the past? To answer that question, we first need to know how much federal spending goes to children and youth. On July 14, 2010, First Focus held a Children’s Budget Summit to inform and galvanize advocates, policymakers, the media and the public. Missed the event?
Kids' Share 2010: Report on Federal Expenditures on Children through 2009 is an annual report that looks comprehensively at long-time and recent trends in federal spending and tax expenditures on children. Findings suggest that historically children have not been a budget priority.
The Obama Administration’s blueprint for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) includes an emphasis on using data to improve students’ safety, health and well-being.
As part of the Administration’s Open Government Initiative, the Department launched a new web site, which will ultimately serve as a one-stop shop for education data and permit practitioners, researchers, and the public to access data that can inform their work in classrooms and communities across America. The age
Data-driven planning is central to the Ready by 21 Approach. When leaders use accurate and comprehensive data, they are in a better position to develop powerful programs and policies for children and youth.
Build Broader Partnerships
Set Bigger Goals
Use Better Data
Implement Broader Strategies
Improve Quality
Services and programs must do more than be there, they must be high-quality—providing appropriate content in appropriate contexts. Poor quality opportunities for kids can actually be worse than no services at all. Quality is key if you want positive outcomes, high participation, staff satisfaction and effectiveness.
State-Based Advocacy As a Tool for Expanding Children’s Coverage: Lessons from Site Visits to Six IAC Grantee States presents key findings from six states (AR, CO, IA, OH, TX, WA) that received grants from the Insuring America’s Children: States Leading the Way (IAC) program, which supports state advocates working to expand children’s health coverage in 16 states.
The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation within the Administration for Children and Families at HHS has published an updated edition of “The Program Manager’s Guide to Evaluation.” This edition explains what program evaluation is, why evaluation is important, how to conduct an evaluation and understand the results, how to report evaluation findings, and how t
The Community Media Workshop offers resources and tips for nonprofit organizations to improve their media policy.
The Community Media Workshop offers nonprofit organizations workshops in order to improve their media strategy.
For nonprofit organizations looking to find other resources and tips on media outreach, click here.
The Communications Network has many resources for nonprofit organizations to improve their media outreach strategies.
Ready by 21
Build Partnerships
When a crisis happens—an outbreak of gang violence, a rise in the dropout rate—the response is often to create a new program or task force, even when effective responses already exist. Consider how much more effective the work can be if it's based on long-term, inclusive partnerships that connect policymakers, leaders, community members and young people and link existing efforts in a true, sustainable collaboration.
As part of the Administration’s Open Government Initiative, the Department launched a new web site, which will ultimately serve as a one-stop shop for education data and permit practitioners, researchers, and the public to access data that can inform their work in classrooms and communities across America. The age
The Collaboration Prize, created by the Lodestar Foundation, is a national award program designed to identify and showcase models of collaboration among nonprofit organizations. Recognizing the impact that can be achieved from working together, the prize shines a spotlight on collaborations that cooperate to demonstrate innovative and effective responses to challenges or opportunities.
Partnerships across multiple sectors are key to building quality out-of-school time (OST) programs. This publication by the National League of Cities explores strategies for building partnerships with various sectors such as business, higher education, local United Ways, municipal government, school districts, community based organizations, and faith based organizations.
"Beyond the School Yard: Pre-K Collaborations with Community Based Programs" highlights the benefits and challenges Pre-K programs experience when they collaborate with community based organizations. It also provides strategies for developing successful partnerships and addressing challenges that might arise.
In their new publication, "Expanded Time, Enriching Experiences: Expanded Learning Time Schools and Community Organization Partnerships," the Center for American Progress reiterates the value of K-12 schools partnering with community organizations. It also features practical lessons learned and policy recommendations that can support future efforts.
Engage Youth & Families
Far too often, we create solutions without involving those who are supposed to benefit. Whether you’re creating a plan, assessing your program or trying to increase your outreach or your staffing, engaging youth and families is an effective way to be sure that your efforts pay off.
Read about the top ten reasons why Apathy is Boring thinks you should become politically involved.
A new publication produced by the YEF Institute with support from the Surdna Foundation provides a step-by-step guide for local leaders who want to create meaningful opportunities for youth participation in local government. This resource for municipal officials is enriched by examples from communities with robust youth civic engagement initiatives and complement
Engaging parents and families is an important part of any successful juvenile justice system reform effort. It’s not always easy to help families take the step from caring about their own family member to advocating for change on behalf of other people’s children. This guide can help.
Semester of Service Strategy Guide is a resource developed to help teachers and others working with youth to develop and implement a high-impact, strategic plan of action to engage young people in serving and learning in their communities over the course of a semester.
This week, the National Journal’s education blog asks, Can communities and parents help turn around schools? EEP Signatories Lisa Graham-Keegan and Bill Jackson have already offered their opinions.