
StriveTogether
Model & Strategy
StriveTogether works with communities to improve education outcomes by helping them aggregate, analyze and utilize data more effectively and by helping community actors operate in a collaborative way. Education in the U.S. is program rich, but system poor – despite the massive amount of resources spent on disjointed education efforts, communities have yet to achieve desired student outcomes, nor have we witnessed systemic, sustainable change within the education system. StriveTogether’s proven expertise, effective resources and nationally recognized collective impact approach enables communities to create local education ecosystems to support children and youth from cradle to career.
Built on lessons in 53 communities, StriveTogether’s Theory of Action helps local partnerships build and sustain civic infrastructure by engaging the community, eliminating disparities, focusing on continuous improvement and aligning existing resources. StriveTogether helps communities unite stakeholders around shared goals, measures and results in education. StriveTogether supports these communities through network activities, tools and strategic assistance aligned with a nationally-recognized Theory of Action. Network outcomes include kindergarten readiness, early grade reading, middle grade math, high school graduation, postsecondary enrollment and attainment.



Until 2017, Jeff Edmondson led StriveTogether and was the founding executive director of the StrivePartnership. Jeff now serves as Executive Director of Community Mobilization at Ballmer Group. Prior to founding StriveTogether, Edmondson was the founding executive director of the StrivePartnership in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, a partnership of postsecondary, K-12, business, philanthropic, non-profit, and civic organizations aimed at increasing education outcomes for students throughout the region. StrivePartnership is one of the most notable collective impact initiatives and Edmondson has drawn on the work of the Partnership to develop StriveTogether and the national Cradle to Career Network.
Jennifer Blatz serves as president and CEO for StriveTogether, where she oversees the organization’s operations and strategy for accelerating the progress of cradle-to-career partnerships to change systems and improve educational outcomes. Prior to her work with StriveTogether, Jennifer worked closely with StriveTogether Founder Jeff Edmondson to launch StrivePartnership, a cross-sector, cradle-to-career partnership serving Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky and one of the most notable collective impact initiatives in the country.
IMPACT
StriveTogether’s “Cradle to Career” Network includes nearly 70 cross-sector partnerships working to create more equitable systems and attain better outcomes for every child. The Network impacts more than 13 million children, including more than 9 million children of color across 30 states.
Each network community is progressing through a continuum of gateways as they build and sustain civic infrastructure, known as StriveTogether’s Theory of Action. Today, 11 Network members are in the “Emerging” gateway, 42 are in the “Sustaining” gateway and 15 are in the “Proof Point” gateway.
StriveTogether is entering into year one of a new strategic plan in which network members are working toward an ambitious five-year goal to accelerate the progress of at least 24 communities to reach a new, elevated Systems Transformation gateway in which they demonstrate evidence of outcomes improving, disparities closing, and a deeper level of engagement with adjacent sectors such as housing, health, transportation, and human services to transform systems.
StriveTogether News
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The science of reading works. See why Jennifer Blatz, StriveTogether, and Thomas J. Lasley, @LtoED, are calling on… https://t.co/0rlq2HHr2U
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Last week, staff from nine #CradleToCareer Network members gathered in Cincinnati for the final session of their "A… https://t.co/r3zdD9SPBm
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Today, the StriveTogether policy team gathered with partners from @BMoresPromise and @NorwalkActs1 to discuss data-… https://t.co/fLla7hHV9E
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RT @FundOurKids: Policy is a powerful lever of change. Next week, our teammates Elizabeth Gaines and Courtney Moore will gather with #Cradl…
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.@E3Alliance helped 12 school districts adopt equitable math policies. Now, they’re advocating for the policy to ex… https://t.co/AJdz76i8wF
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RT @Children1st_SLP: Policy is a powerful tool for change. Next week, we’ll gather in Washington D.C. with #CradleToCareer Network members…
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RT @Commit2Dallas: The #CradleToCareer Network's progress is adding up. In Dallas County, third-grade reading scores have already returned…
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As we're preparing for this year's #CradleToCareer Network convening, we can't help but think about all that we lea… https://t.co/DXCbuIQw5y
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Efforts to secure more funding for @SD27J failed seven times. Then, @RMPartnership_ pulled together a group of comm… https://t.co/EcsbtPDrzC
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Despite estimates that it may take students 3 to 5 years to recover from the pandemic, communities with a strong… https://t.co/HjyLdUvjXm
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RT @UPpartnershipSA: Shoutout to our partners for attending our inaugural Future Ready Practitioner Conference! We're so grateful to be ab…
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During Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month, it's important to take time to both celebrate and educate. L… https://t.co/2dmxqBpWbG
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Check out @FundOurKids new database of federal funding streams, cataloging 280+ programs for #children and #youth,… https://t.co/bhWstMQ3m9
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With #CradleToCareer Network members in nearly 70 communities across the country, we reach 14 million young people.… https://t.co/n7a9zHQvHm
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It's not too late! Register for @FundOurKid's "Funding Our Kids: Understanding the Federal Government’s Investments… https://t.co/C45K3XzFo1
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Nominate a #CradleToCareer champion! Each year at the Cradle to Career Network Convening, we recognize network memb… https://t.co/aJ53WjGSlk
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RT @RMPartnership_: Efforts to secure more funding for @SD27J were unsuccessful. Then, we mobilized a community coalition to help pass a mi…
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RT @Commit2Dallas: Despite estimations that it may take students 3 to 5 years to recover from the pandemic, communities in Dallas County ar…
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The #CradleToCareer Network is building a future where every child has every chance to succeed. Our impact extends… https://t.co/zXHZweXS8Z