StriveTogether

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What an unforgettable week in Atlanta at StriveTogether's 2025 Cradle to Career Network Convening. I’m leaving Atlanta full of gratitude and hope. We closed today with a message from Sally Kohn reminding us why this work matters, and why each of us has given so much of ourselves to it: Education and economic mobility give people a stake in our democracy and preserve the promise and potential of this country. To the Cradle to Career Network: I know this work is exhausting, and I know there are moments when our vision feels out of reach. But what you’re doing matters — for your community and for our country. You are transforming the future. Thank you to every participant who showed up fully this week — for your curiosity, honesty and commitment. Thank you to our session presenters who shared lessons and sparked new ideas, to our sponsors who made this convening possible and to the StriveTogether team for your incredible work. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more insights and reflections from Atlanta. And I’m excited to share that in 2026, we’ll gather in Baltimore, Maryland — a city and state where place-based partnerships are having an incredible impact. Until then, I can’t wait to see how the ideas shared this week turn into action across the Network. #ConveneC2C

✨ That’s a wrap on the 2025 Cradle to Career Network Convening! Over the past three days, we’ve shared powerful plenaries, hands-on workshops and countless hallway conversations that reminded us what’s possible when communities come together. Today, our final workshops tackled big issues like housing stability, early childhood alignment, data practices and policy change — giving attendees practical tools to take home. We also heard from Melissa Connelly, John Garcia III, Ed.L.D., Paul Herdman, Bill Tucker, and Sally Kohn, who inspired us to act boldly and urgently for every child and family. Across the convening, attendees were buzzing about pathways, economic stability, and engaging youth in civic decisions. The energy in every room showed the strength of this network. From the pre-sessions and welcome reception, to yesterday’s focus on workforce solutions, to today’s call to action — we’re leaving Atlanta more connected, energized and ready to accelerate change together. Thank you to every attendee, speaker and partner who made this convening unforgettable. The work continues — and so does the momentum! #ConveneC2C

A huge thank-you to today’s plenary speakers at the 2025 #CradleToCareer Network Convening! We began the morning with From Classroom to Career: Creating Pathways to Economic Mobility, featuring Melissa Connelly, John Garcia III, Ed.L.D., and Paul Herdman moderated by Bill Tucker. Our panelists explored how communities can create stronger pathways for students to transition from high school into postsecondary success and careers, ensuring every young person has the opportunity to thrive. 👉 “This is not just about preparing people for the next job. It’s about working with them as humans, to be more connected to the world.” - Paul Herdman In the afternoon, we closed with A Timely Call to Action on Economic Mobility, an inspiring keynote from Sally Kohn. Drawing on her experience in grassroots campaigns, strategy and leadership coaching, she challenged us to act boldly, with courage and conviction, to ensure every child and family has the opportunity to succeed. A moving youth performance reminded us why this work matters so deeply. 👉"The measure of a healthy democracy is healthy economic opportunity and less inequality." - Sally Kohn From pathways to careers to a collective call to action, today’s plenaries gave us both practical insight and inspiration to carry forward. #ConveneC2C

🌟 Welcome to the final day of the 2025 #CradleToCareer Network Convening! We’ve had two incredible days of learning, connecting and sharing strategies — and today we close strong with another full agenda of workshops, networking and two powerful plenaries. We're kicking off the morning with Classroom to Career: Creating Pathways to Economic Mobility. We’ll hear from Melissa Connelly, John Garcia III, and Paul Herdman, moderated by Bill Tucker, as they explore how communities can ensure students access the opportunities and support they need for postsecondary and career success. In between plenaries, attendees will dive into the final round of workshops — from housing stability and early childhood alignment to policy change, storytelling and data practices. We’ll end our time together with an inspiring keynote from Sally Kohn, a nationally recognized television commentator, writer and executive presence coach. Let’s make this final day one to remember! #ConveneC2C

✨ What a day at the 2025 #CradleToCareer Network Convening! Workshops were buzzing with energy — from FAFSA support and youth-led advocacy to housing stability, data strategies and storytelling. Everywhere you looked, attendees were swapping ideas, building connections and leaving with tools to take back home. Networking breaks and the Partner Village added even more opportunities to learn from one another. And today’s mainstage speakers — Jennifer Blatz, Susan Dawson, Darrick Hamilton, Michael Strain, Terri-Ann Brown, Stephen Goldsmith, Jacqueline Coleman and Jon Schnur — inspired us with big ideas and bold leadership. And this is just the beginning. Tomorrow, our final day, promises even more workshops, connections and plenaries that will send us home energized and ready to act. Let’s keep the momentum going! #ConveneC2C

⭐️ A big thank-you to all of today’s plenary speakers at day one of the 2025 #CradleToCareer Network Convening! We opened with reflections from Jennifer Blatz and Susan Dawson, setting the stage for a day rooted in courage, collaboration and vision. In our morning plenary, Economic Policies to Unlock Opportunity, Professor Darrick Hamilton and Michael Strain, moderated by Josh Davis, shared perspectives on how bold economic policies like baby bonds and cross-sector partnerships can shape thriving communities. 👉 "A good democracy is one where we link arms [...] to demand the structure changes for our economy that will actually center children and families and the environments in which we live." – Darrick Hamilton In the afternoon plenary, we had a surprise visit from Mayor Andre Dickens who left us feeling inspired before heading into Scalable Solutions for Workforce Outcomes. This panel brought insights from Terri-Ann Brown, Stephen Goldsmith, and Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman, moderated by Jon Schnur. The discussion highlighted the urgent need to align education, workforce and policy to ensure more families can achieve economic mobility. 👉 “It is not just workforce development – this is human development. People are not cogs of a wheel […] and if we ever lose sight of that we’re really going to fall short on what we could have accomplished working together.” – Lieutenant Governor Coleman From economic opportunity to workforce pathways, today’s plenaries gave us the big ideas and practical strategies we need to push forward together. What was your favorite part of today's plenaries? #ConveneC2C

🌟 Day one of the 2025 StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network Convening is here! We’re kicking things off at 8:30 a.m. with reflections from Jennifer Blatz and Susan Dawson, followed by a powerful plenary featuring Darrick Hamilton, Michael Strain, and Josh Davis on how bold economic policies can unlock opportunity. After a morning of workshops, we’ll hear from Terri-Ann Brown, Stephen Goldsmith, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, and Jon Schnur exploring how communities can align education, workforce and policy to create pathways to economic mobility. What are you looking forward to today? It’s going to be a day full of ideas, inspiration and action. Let’s get started! Follow along with #ConveneC2C

We made it to Atlanta for the 2025 #CradleToCareer Network Convening! 🎉 We can't wait to welcome YOU, the nation's changemakers, to the 2025 StriveTogether #CradleToCareer Network Convening. It's the only event of its kind for local and national leaders creating better outcomes and more economic opportunity for young people — today marks the beginning of three powerful days of connection, learning and action. Throughout the convening, we'll be sharing live updates across our platforms to stay connected and keep the energy high! Here's where you can find the energy: • LinkedIn for daily recaps and summary coverage of our plenaries • Instagram for live updates, polls and behind-the-scenes in our stories • Facebook for daily recaps and photo albums after the day wraps up • Threads and X for live-posts filled with pull-quotes and exciting moments Follow along here and join the conversation with #ConveneC2C! Registration opens at 12 p.m. ET — see you then!