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Pathways to Prosperity

Pathways to Prosperity

We are boldly reimagining how U.S. education and workforce systems meet state and regional talent needs and prepare young people for careers.
Every young person has clear goals for college and career and the support to achieve them.
Every employer has a talent pipeline of young professionals with the skills needed to contribute to and lead the workforce.
Every regional and state economy is thriving and provides its citizens with opportunities for economic advancement.

The American system for preparing young people to lead productive and prosperous lives as adults is clearly badly broken. Failure to aggressively overcome this challenge will surely erode the fabric of our society.

Pathways to Prosperity Report, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2011

Pathways Help Youth Prepare for Success in Their Future Careers

Today, young people need both cross-cutting skills and specialized knowledge to thrive in our rapidly changing economy. Business and industry leaders require fresh talent to innovate and grow. Pathways is a strategy to connect education with careers to meet the needs of youth, educators, and employers and build a more thriving and equitable economy.

About Pathways to Prosperity

Jobs for the Future’s (JFF) Pathways to Prosperity (PtoP) initiative is leading a national movement to reimagine how we prepare youth for the future of work.

Together with its Network members and Coalition partners, Pathways to Prosperity develops, implements, and scales college and career pathways to expand economic opportunity for all young people and meet regional talent needs. This forward-looking approach depends on strong cross-sector partnerships. PtoP mobilizes K–12 and postsecondary education leaders, policymakers, and employers, bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders to build a future that works.

Launched in 2012, PtoP is a collaboration of JFF, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and innovative organizations with leaders, practitioners, and policymakers advancing pathways strategies and systems in their states and regions, including Network members.

What is the Pathways to Prosperity Network?

Pathways to Prosperity Framework

JFF’s Pathways to Prosperity Framework helps communities design college and career pathways that help young people seamlessly advance from high school, to postsecondary education, and into family-supporting careers. The framework outlines five key levers that are critical to realizing this vision.

The Pathways to Prosperity Network spans the entire United States and includes both regions and entire states. Network members come together around a shared vision for an education system that better prepares young people for their future careers.

Network members include local government officials, leaders in K-12 and higher education, employers, workforce development boards, and community leaders at the state, regional, and city levels. This work requires many organizations to come together to reimagine how our systems work to serve people.

As a member of the Pathways to Prosperity Network, your state or region will work with the JFF team to develop pathways strategies and models that are tailored to your goals, education and workforce systems, and labor market needs.

You will receive professional services and support tailored to your state or regional needs, including the services listed below.

Hear Why You Should Join From Network Leaders

Pathways to Prosperity Coalition Partners

Coalition partners collaborate with JFF on specific projects to advance evidence-based initiatives designed to test, validate, and scale innovative strategies, models, and systems.

Coalition partners engage in activities that support knowledge sharing, relationship building, and research-backed innovation. Engagement opportunities include:

  • “Book clubs” that explore ways to apply and learn from new research and data
  • Twice-annual institutes that convene Coalition partners for two days of shared learning, networking, and discussion
  • Ideation events that elicit practitioner and policymaker voices and perspectives to ensure our collective best thinking is harnessed for our most challenging problems
  • Learning webinars that unpack and explore different angles of the five Pathways to Prosperity levers

If you’re interested in working with us to transform our education systems as a member of the PtoP Coalition, please complete this form so that we can send you our newsletter that features opportunities to engage in Pathways to Prosperity and the national pathways movement.

Our team brings dedication and a wide breadth of relevant expertise, experience, and skills to our work.

Maud A. Abeel Director
Maud A. Abeel is a director in Solutions Design & Delivery at JFF. She builds systems, partnerships, and policies ensuring all young people can access high-quality career-connected learning and navigation supports. Her skills and areas of expertise…
Jordan Baah-Sackey Program Manager
Jordan Baah-Sackey is a program manager at JFF. A member of the Advancement Unit, she focuses on systems change within education and the workforce to support young people in their college and career pathways. Her…
Sarah Bennett Senior Program Manager, Partner Engagements and Special Projects
Sarah Bennett is a senior program manager for partner engagement and special projects at JFF. In that role, she supports state, regional, and local efforts to design, strengthen, and scale solutions that create equitable conditions…
Ellen Bohle Senior Program Manager
Ellen Bohle is a senior program manager at Jobs for the Future. A member of the Advancement Unit, she contributes to JFF’s work with local, regional, and state leaders across the country to offer technical…
Cydni Burton Program Manager
Cydni Burton is a program manager at Jobs for the Future. A member of the Advancement Unit, she collaborates with staff and external partners on projects that support state, regional, and local leaders in designing,…
Caroline D'Andrea Program Manager
Caroline D’Andrea is a program manager at JFF, supporting postsecondary initiatives and programs. She provides assistance to the Student Success Center Network, which supports state-level community college reform efforts that help students across the nation…
Julia di Bonaventura Director
Julia di Bonaventura is a director in Solutions Design & Delivery at JFF. She supports state and regional leaders in K-12, higher education, business and industry, and government in developing and implementing rigorous career pathways leading to…
Julia Delgado Coordinator, Policy
Julia Delgado is a coordinator for the Policy and Advocacy team at Jobs for the Future. In that role, she provides administrative and operations support to help the team advance JFF’s policy initiatives. Her skills…
Leah Eggers Senior Program Manager
Leah Eggers is a senior program manager at Jobs for the Future. In this role, she collaborates with JFF staff and external partners on projects that support state, regional, and local leaders in their efforts…
LaQuesha Foster Director, Education
LaQuesha Foster is the director of education at Jobs for the Future. In this role, she partners and collaborates with K-12 and community college stakeholders to create opportunities for high school students in and beyond…
Sarah Jenness Senior Program Manager​
Sarah Jenness is a senior program manager at Jobs for the Future. She helps leaders in K-12 school systems, higher education, business and industry, workforce development, and government develop rigorous career pathways that lead to…
Sandra Jadotte Executive Assistant
Sandra Jadotte provides administrative support to JFF’s High School Through College projects, which help youth transition to and succeed in college. Before joining JFF, Sandra was an executive legal assistant with Pederson & Freedman, LLP,…
Tony Landis Director
Tony Landis is a director at Jobs for the Future. His skills and areas of expertise include:
Jerre Maynor, Jr.   Senior Director   
Jerre Maynor, Jr., is a senior director in Solutions Design & Delivery at JFF. His experience spans K-12, higher education, and government, and he is passionate about driving systems-level change to increase equitable access to…
Lauren Miller Program Manager
Lauren Miller is a program manager at Jobs for the Future. A member of the Advancement Unit team, she works collaboratively with JFF colleagues and external partners on projects that strengthen education and workforce development…
Daniel Minty Grants Manager
Daniel Minty is the grants manager for the learning unit at JFF. Working with a small portfolio of granted initiatives and projects, he helps JFF tell the story of its work and accomplishments through grant…
Anna O'Connor Senior Director
Anna O’Connor is a senior director in Solutions Design & Delivery at JFF. Her experience spans K-12, higher education, and government, and she is passionate about creating innovative dual enrollment models as a core strategy…
Shana Payne Director, Education
Shana Payne is a director at Jobs for the Future. In that role, she is working on projects supporting the Pathways to Prosperity Network and strengthening systems to increase students’ access to and attainment of…
Shannon Sihoe Senior Program Manager
Shannon Sihoe is a senior program manager at Jobs for the Future. A member of the Advancement Unit, she manages projects and provides technical assistance to support state and regional leaders in efforts to design…
Ronesha Williams Program Manager
Ronesha Williams is a program manager in the Advancement Unit at JFF. In that role, she works collaboratively with and supports other JFF employees to improve programming and alignment between education and workforce development systems…
Watch From Report to Action: An Overview of Pathways to Prosperity
Pathways to Prosperity Blog
Post Facing Uncertainty and Lost Opportunities, College Students Respond with Resilience
JFF college intern Isabel Present shares the experiences of undergraduates like her who have found creative ways to persevere as COVID-19 changes the course of their educations and their lives JFF college intern Isabel Present…
July 27, 2020
In the News Boston Globe Op-Ed: Praise Those Who Found a Way Through This Chaotic Semester
Boston Globe Op-Ed: Praise Those Who Found a Way Through This Chaotic Semester “Yes, 20 percent of Boston public school students have not shown up for online classes during at least the past month of…
July 7, 2020
In the News HGSE 100 Stories of Impact: Preparing for Lifelong Success
As our partner, the Harvard Graduate School of Education celebrates their Centennial, they are spotlighting 100 stories of impact—including this one about our Pathways to Prosperity Network. “Nearly a decade ago, an Ed School report…
June 22, 2020
Post Let’s Seize This Moment to Reimagine K-12 Education for All
As parents and professional educators, we see systemic inequities in stark relief as we help our kids school-at-home during the COVID-19 crisis. We all must act now. The potential devastation to our education and workforce…
April 3, 2020
Post Who You Know Matters More than Ever in the COVID-19 Job Market
Low-income students were already at a disadvantage in getting good jobs because they lack the connections—the social capital. The COVID-19 outbreak has made that challenge even harder. Creative online solutions are needed. Many are filling…
May 1, 2020
News Tennessee Pathways Connects Students with Opportunities Across the State
Tennessee Pathways regional coordinators like Kenderek Harris and Cydnie Tate are helping to make Tennessee a place where all young people can thrive. Here are their stories, in their own words.
November 7, 2019
News At Last, Early College Makes the Grade in Massachusetts
It took nearly 20 years, but early college high schools have stepped into the limelight in the Bay State. It took nearly 20 years, but early college high schools have stepped into the limelight in…
June 27, 2019
News A High School Student’s Journey Toward a Health Care Career
At just 16 years old, Sonia is ready to graduate high school, has completed an internship, and accepted a part-time certified nursing assistant position, with support from JFF's partner HERE to HERE. At just 16…
November 7, 2019
Post 10 Equity Questions to Ask about Career and Technical Education
This first of a series of blogs explores equity in career and technical education, which has become the “next best thing” in high school reform. Lately, it’s been on the radar of governors, legislators, education…
February 13, 2018
Post On the Road: Learning from the Successful Swiss Apprenticeship System
During its Summer Institute, the Swiss Center on the Economics and Management of Education and Training Systems shed some light on what makes the Swiss apprenticeship system so effective. Participants from around the world presented…
May 29, 2018
Post Arizona Students Get a Jump on Career Education with ‘Possible Futures’
What do you want to be when you grow up? Some Arizona students are getting ready to answer that question and learning what it takes to get there thanks to a new JFF curriculum. Arizona…
March 5, 2019
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