Leading the Way
Leadership Communities are eligible to receive targeted technical assistance, capacity building, funding to support community-level approaches to career pathway system development and increasing postsecondary degree and credential attainment, and access to the Cradle to Career Dashboard.
Becoming a Leadership Community
Communities with systems in place to drive meaningful and equitable postsecondary attainment are eligible for recognition as Leadership Communities. They engage in peer-to-peer learning through the Network and must meet the following criteria:
Collaborative
Document a partnership involving employers, workforce boards, education, municipal leadership, and community-based organizations.
Data-Centric
Capture and use data for continuous improvement.
Strategic
Develop a plan to implement key strategies for increasing meaningful and equitable postsecondary attainment. This may include:
- Aligning student transitions through postsecondary education and into careers
- Implementing locally prioritized college and career pathway systems
- Supporting implementation of real life learning
- Proactively considering equity in the design and implementation of strategies
Focused
Define a geographic community of focus.
Accountable
Identify a trusted intermediary organization to help build a common agenda with a shared measurement system, harmonize mutually reinforcing activities, measure progress, and foster communication among partners.
Meet Our Leadership Communities
- Aurora Regional Pathways to Prosperity
- Black Hawk Region Pathways
- Boone County
- East Side Aligned
- Enlace Chicago
- Evanston
- Health Professions Education Consortium (HPEC) of Lake County
- Making Opportunities Real for Everyone (MORE) in the Mississippi and Rock River Region
- McLean County
- NCI/Starved Rock Region
- Northwest Educational Council for Student Success (NECSS)
- OAI/Rich Township District 227
- Peoria Pathways to Prosperity
- Rockford
- Sangamon County Continuum of Learning
- Thrive Chicago
- Vandalia ONE
- Vermilion County
