On Thursday, August 1 and Friday, August 2, the U.S. Department of Education will host the Strengthening Whole Child Communities: Raising the Bar from Cradle to Career Summit in Detroit, Michigan. The summit aims to bring together policymakers, practitioners, advocates, philanthropy leaders, youth, and community-based organizations to emphasize public education's role in fostering opportunity and socioeconomic mobility for children and youth from low-income backgrounds.
The event will highlight collaborative efforts between schools and communities to support prenatal-to-career continuums for students and families. It is organized in partnership with the Ballmer Group, Kresge Foundation, Raikes Foundation, and Stuart Foundation.
White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten are scheduled to deliver keynote remarks. The opening sessions each day are open to the press, with media availability following these sessions.
Media representatives interested in attending should RSVP at pressRSVP@ed.gov.
Day 1 Opening Session
- WHO: White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden; U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary of the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development Roberto Rodriguez
- WHEN: Thursday, August 1, 2024; 9:15 - 10 a.m. ET
- WHERE: Marygrove Conservancy; 8425 West McNichols Road; Detroit, Michigan
Day 2 Opening Session
- WHO: U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten
- WHEN: Friday, August 2, 2024; 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. ET
- WHERE: Marygrove Conservancy; 8425 West McNichols Road; Detroit, Michigan
The summit will also spotlight funding opportunities through the Department’s Promise Neighborhoods grants program. This program supports academic and developmental outcomes for children in poverty-stricken communities by providing services from early childhood through K-12 education. The FY2024 grant competition emphasizes early implementation to build community capacity for lasting partnerships and cradle-to-career supports while encouraging youth engagement in planning.
This year’s competition includes three competitive preference priorities—new applicants; strengthening cross-agency coordination for system change addressing community violence prevention; promoting equity in student access—and one invitational priority focused on increasing regular student attendance through evidence-based strategies.
Federal Full-Service Community School (FSCS) grantees will share their experiences building supportive learning environments through sustainable partnerships offering essential services like nutrition and mental health support. FSCS Project Directors will discuss how other states can create impactful systems of learning by collaborating with local educational agencies and nonprofits.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration's guidance since its inception in 2020 with $25 million funding growing to $150 million annually over the past two years—the FSCS program has expanded significantly. It now reaches an additional 359 districts, 2,023 schools, and over one million students across thirty states.
New commitments supporting students from cradle to career will be announced at the summit:
The Kresge Foundation commits:
- A $28.5 million guarantee to Marygrove Conservancy for classroom and dormitory space development.
- $3 million over three years for a Cradle-to-Career Neighborhoods strategy in Detroit.
- Support to Policy Equity Group for launching a national network focused on place-based approaches serving whole child-family needs centered around education as an economic driver.
The Raikes Foundation commits:
- $10 million over two-and-a-half years improving outcomes for students at risk or experiencing homelessness by supporting efforts ensuring high school graduation among affected youth.
