While a high school degree by itself was once a ticket to a middle-class lifestyle, it’s now a ticket to poverty. America hasn’t built the ladders needed for most students to reach their choices of higher learning, high-opportunity jobs, and life purpose. These ladders must include effective guidance, social networks, adequate and fair financing, and quality programs that enable the knowledge and skills, wrap-around supports, and a concrete plan of action directly aligned to a student’s goals.
We built an “Action Tank” to make direct impact and inform systemic change, enabling everyone the opportunity to succeed—with a focus on low-income learners and learners of color. We identify exceptionally promising leaders and innovations. We provide long-term incubation to build, grow, and eventually spin off initiatives that directly impact underserved learners. We use these experiences and other research to inform our advising and our recommendations for philanthropy, systems change, and public policy. We do this work across three focus areas.
We help youth and early career adults access the skills and support needed for high-opportunity jobs and careers.
We help low- and moderate-income students apply to, enroll in, and graduate from well-matched, strong colleges.
We help high school students prepare for success in college, careers, and life.
We bring in leaders with extremely strong track records—and give them an opportunity in-house to create and build programs and initiatives. We help develop the idea and strategy and use insights to inform our recommendations for philanthropy and policy. We provide funding and other support, such as help recruiting leadership teams, forming key partnerships, and developing evaluation plans.
PROMOTING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN A CHANGING WORLD BY INCUBATING AND SCALING PROMISING INNOVATIONS AND IDEAS.
Guide is First of a Series of “State Recovery Now” Playbooks – Including on How States and Communities Can Build a Good Jobs Economy
Grant from Economic Development Agency to Partnership of National League of Cites, America Achieves, Drexel University and the Federation of American Scientists will enhance economic plans for 60 Regional Challenge Finalists
America Achieves, New America, and more than 30 other workforce-related organizations today released a joint letter calling on Congressional leaders to include workforce development in upcoming economic recovery and infrastructure legislation.