“Solutions exist within communities but we need to have processes to figure it out. How do we uniquely address what’s happening in our community and lean on partners when necessary?”
Dr. Michelle Walker-Davis, Executive Director, Generation Next
In our work with StriveTogether, we were able to dig deeper into areas of success as well as challenges among individual communities. One of the most valuable outcomes of the Network was that individual communities not only had access to meaningful data for their own work, but gained a new ability to compare data with others in the Network—and to engage with and learn from each other.
Here are examples from three StriveTogether communities:
Generation Next, Generation Next, located in Minnesota’s vibrant Twin Cities, is a coalition of civic, business and education leaders from across Minneapolis and Saint Paul dedicated to closing achievement and opportunity gaps. They use rigorous data analysis and community engagement to identify what works and replicate the most promising practices.
Read more about Generation Next’s impact:
Milwaukee Succeeds focuses on improving educational outcomes for every child, in every school in the city of Milwaukee. Milwaukee Succeeds was challenged to use data to drive decision making for the organization. The analysis of the data produced in the evaluation helped Milwaukee Succeeds prioritize its focus. It also highlighted the value of learning from others in the network and working with partners to develop systems to use data in more effective ways—a critical precondition for changing systems.
“The greatest value of the national network is our ability to quickly learn of bright spots from other communities and directly engage with peers that are getting results.”
Dave Celata, Deputy Director, Milwaukee Succeeds
Read more about Milwaukee Succeeds’ impact:
South Carolina-based Spartanburg Academic Movement (SAM) supports economic mobility for all anchored in academic achievement—county-wide from cradle to career. One of the challenges SAM faced was helping the broader community understand the dynamic of its data-driven, collaborative action support of schools and community. The evaluation not only validated SAM’s use of the Theory of Action, it also helped the organization communicate a shared vision with strategies solidly grounded in local data—a key element to building partnerships that get results.
“Collective impact requires bringing together diverse partners within a community with a shared vision for long-term results. StriveTogether’s Theory of Action® is the tool that guides each step of establishing the foundation from which collaborative action can have its greatest impact.”
John Stockwell, Executive Director, Spartanburg Academic Movement