Rochester, N.Y. — In recognition of its impact on the lives of youth across Rochester, ROC the Future Alliance has earned the Systems Change designation from StriveTogether. This advanced designation is reserved for members of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network that are shifting policies, practices, resources and power structures to advance equitable outcomes for youth and families of color and those experiencing poverty.
As a member of the Cradle to Career Network, ROC the Future Alliance is part of a national movement to help every child succeed in school and in life, regardless of race, ethnicity, zip code or circumstance. Their work with community partners is closing gaps and creating opportunities across education, health, housing and more, changing these systems to put more young people on a path to upward mobility.
“I’m thrilled to announce Rochester as the most recent community to prove it’s making a measurable difference for every child,” StriveTogether President and CEO Jennifer Blatz said. “ROC the Future Alliance puts parent and community voice at the forefront, dismantling structural inequities and fostering a shared vision across the Rochester community.”
ROC the Future Alliance is cited with these notable bright spots:
- Collaborative effort between the Rochester City School District (RCSD) and local healthcare systems to ensure that 100% of RCSD schools have telehealth and mental health services available at all school sites.
- The shared efforts of PedRoc4Kids, a powerful collaboration between Rochester’s health care systems, schools and community, and whose impact will continue to grow as the partnership expands to be more inclusive of charter schools and students in our area.
- Campaign to promote enrollment of 3- and 4-year-olds into high quality early education programs resulting in more than 2600 seats filled. Healthcare providers ensure vaccinations and share information related to the benefits of early childhood enrollment at well child visits.
ROC the Future Alliance started when Rochester came together with a shared mission: to support the success of every child, cradle to career. More than 100 cross-sector representatives serve as partners in this work, including school district superintendents, higher education administrators, early childhood educators, business and philanthropic leaders, community and corporate funders, and government officials.
ROC the Future Alliance has been a member of the Cradle to Career Network since 2012. To join the network, communities complete an assessment of their work and progress against a continuum of quality benchmarks called the StriveTogether Theory of Action™. This proven framework for change has five designations — Exploring, Emerging, Sustaining, Systems Change and Systems Transformation — that indicate progress putting more young people on a path to upward mobility.
ROC the Future Alliance will continue its commitment to put 11,000 more children on a path to upward mobility by improving critical Cradle to Career milestones by 2030.
“As we build on the success of this important milestone, we envision a community where systems work for all, especially our Black and Brown children and families. Together, we want to move the needle on kindergarten readiness, early grade literacy, math proficiency and high school graduation so that every child can thrive,” said ROC the Future Alliance Executive Director Brian Lewis.
Media Contact: Jessica Lewis, Communications Manager, jlewis@rocthefuture.org
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About ROC the Future Alliance
ROC the Future Alliance is a community-wide, childhood education alliance in the Rochester community. Our collective impact initiative brings together a coalition of partners and parents working towards a shared vision of academic success for every child.
About StriveTogether
StriveTogether is a national network of 70 communities across the country working to build a future where a child’s potential is not dictated by race, ethnicity, zip code or circumstance. StriveTogether provides coaching, resources and rigorous approaches to create opportunities and eliminate inequities in education, housing and more. Together, the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network reaches 14 million young people. Learn more at StriveTogether.org.