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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.

April 18, 2018

At a Glance

We are boldly reimagining how U.S. education and workforce systems meet state and regional talent needs and prepare young people for careers.

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.

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.

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.

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

Manager

Daniel Minty is a manager in Solutions Design & Delivery at JFF. He focuses on dual enrollment innovation and workforce training, helping to coordinate JFF’s dual enrollment work with the U.S. Department of Education’s Education…

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…

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

July 27, 2020
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.

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.

November 7, 2019

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