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Learnings and Insights About Racial Equity, Policy, and Data: The Building Equitable Pathways Blog Series

Learnings and Insights About Racial Equity, Policy, and Data: The Building Equitable Pathways Blog Series

November 19, 2021

Practices & Centers

Building Equitable Pathways is a coalition working to improve equity in postsecondary and career pathways so that all young people have equal opportunity for future success. Together, 14 innovative intermediary organizations, JFF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the Walton Family Foundation aim to ensure that, at every stage and key transition point in their lives, Black and Latinx youth and young people experiencing poverty can access the knowledge, skills development opportunities, support, and relationships necessary to thrive in education and the workforce.

Learnings and Insights About Racial Equity, Policy, and Data: The Building Equitable Pathways Blog Series shares provocations, insights, and lessons from the partners in the initiative. Both Building Equitable Pathways and this blog series explore three distinct and deeply connected areas through which intermediaries can create systems change:

  • Promoting racial equity in pathways
  • Advocating for policy solutions
  • Cultivating strong data and infrastructure practices

We are excited to share the challenges we face, the questions we are grappling with, and the solutions we create through Building Equitable Pathways over the next two years. We hope you will learn with us as we seek to increase our individual and collective capacity to change our education and workforce systems for the better.

Learn more about Building Equitable Pathways at www.jff.org/equitablepathways.

Read the Blogs
Post Using Systems Change Strategies to Address Structural Racism
The Work Ahead Disrupting structural racism requires intentional effort, strategic partnership, and an inherent belief that the people who are most affected by systems of exclusion and oppression know what they need and thus are…
August 28, 2023
Post Centering People in Our Data Practices
Why a ‘do with’ approach, instead of a ‘do for’ mentality, can lead to stronger evidence and better outcomes. JFF, along with the 14 organizations in the Building Equitable Pathways initiative, will integrate into practice…
November 19, 2021
Post Three Ways Intermediaries Can Keep Equity at the Center of Their Policy Work
The Building Equitable Pathways coalition offers guidance to intermediaries on policy and advocacy engagement. Meet People Where They Are In our view, meeting people where they are requires that advocates have a general understanding of…
January 21, 2022
Post Identifying the ‘Fruit and Root’ of Systemic Racial Inequity
Creating an equitable learning and work system means looking at the root causes of racial inequity, not just the impact. Such disruptions take individual and institutional courage. As a Black woman in a predominately white…
February 9, 2022
Post To Use Data as an Equity Lever, Translate, Then Advocate
Data can spur people to action, but context, interpretation, and narrative-building are critical components of the process. Never Stopping at the Data Ensuring that students have access to quality pathways requires revisiting labor market information…
May 20, 2022
Post Putting ‘Fruit and Root’ Analysis of Racism to Work
Building Equitable Pathways partner Say Yes Buffalo works with employers to explore personal bias and interpersonal racism to ensure that students in its apprenticeship program are placed in safe work environments. A Commitment to Walking…
June 22, 2022
Post Telling the Right Stories: How Narratives Can Change Community College
Two-year students deserve an asset-based framing of their lived experiences, credentials, and opportunities. Narratives in Practice Our work at Educate Texas relies heavily on narrative change to address the unfortunate inertia in outcomes for students…
July 26, 2022
Post Building A New Foundation for Equitable Policymaking
Let’s Discuss Achieving any of the eight design principles is no small feat, and achieving all in concert will require an entirely new outlook and structure for the policymaking process. JFF is committed to learning…
July 26, 2022
Post Mind the Gap: Investing in Data Capacity
Organizations can define strategy and boost systems impact with the right investments and tools. Investments in Data Data teams can think big. They want and need to have time to reflect with their project leads…
December 14, 2022
Post The Missing Ingredient in Policymaking and Advocacy: Young People
‘Power and Voice to Create Change’ As education and workforce nonprofit organizations prepare for a new year of federal and state policymaking, it’s a good time to ask this question: Are we effectively engaging young…
February 14, 2023
Post Intermediaries Must Disrupt Institutional Racism From the Inside Out
We can shift larger systems toward more equitable outcomes by stepping up to name, address, and eliminate institutional racism internally and externally. The Role We Collectively Play Intermediary organizations are well positioned to support educational…
April 20, 2023
Post Advocating for a Better Data Ecosystem
Creating a Culture, Not Just a Tool CityWorks DC and its partners jointly affirmed the value of having access to and visibility into the workforce outcomes of local youth so that the community can act…
April 26, 2023