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Mobilizing a Cross-Sector Collaborative for Systemic Change: Lessons from Project U-Turn, Philadelphia’s Campaign to Reduce the Dropout Rate

Cities across the country seeking a coordinated strategic approach to reducing dropout rates look to Philadelphia, where a sustained cross-sector partnership—Project U-Turn—has made significant advances in putting struggling students and out-of-school youth on the public radar and improving options for that population. Project U-Turn is a citywide collaborative campaign that focuses public attention on the dropout crisis and designs strategies and leverages investments to resolve it.

Philadelphia’s experience can help other cities understand how they can shape an agenda to improve youth outcomes, and develop a staffed cross-sector partnership that can move beyond institutional silos and sustain a commitment to improving youth outcomes.