Good afternoon, 

It’s exciting to get things started again with the Cradle to Career Collaborative and recognize the alignment with the Obama Foundation/MBK Milestones. 

As mentioned in our last meeting, we would like to get back to our regular cadence of meetings for Cradle to Career held the third Thursday of the month, between 1:00 and 2:30 pm. 

Our next meeting will be Thursday, September 21, 2023 in the Auditorium at the Village Empowerment Center – 5190 Sprague Plaza.

We will be adding more partners and also host breakout sessions/tables to specifically address each area as we move forward.  Please let us know if there are others you would recommend as participants.

In addition to Cradle to Career Collaborative and Step-Up Omaha partners, we are also inviting some of our leaders in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Collectively, over the years we were able to make measurable progress through coordinating and aligning our organizations and efforts to support students, families, teachers and the OPS district as a whole. We look forward to working with everyone to accelerate progress once again.

Please confirm your participation by completing the RSVP below.

The are the collective strategies that we have worked on together:

Cradle to Career Collaborative Strategies

1. Equity & Funding:  Increase funding, resources and support; match the needs of the students and families; address cultural needs; asset-based and personalized approaches to learning
2. Empowered Parents, Families and Community – Develop strategies that fully engage parents and families: Increase parent outreach, create an inviting environment, open & consistent communication, shared decision-making, financial support
3. Early Childhood:  Invest in and expand high quality childhood development, so that every child is prepared for success in Kindergarten
4. Excellent Schools in every Neighborhood: Core elements in every school and classroom: Effective and culturally relevant teachers; collaborative, strong, instruction-focused principals; challenging, interactive curriculum; extended learning time (Day and Year)
5. Expanded, Coordinated Wrap-around Services – Implement and coordinate support services for students and families by following the cradle to career process: Teams, Needs Assessments, Services Delivery (including mentoring & tutoring), Data, Evaluation
6. Engaged Students - Attendance, Hope, Engagement, Leadership and Careers – Continue to improve attendance; build hope; increase # of students taking Algebra, AP, ACT; engage & develop leadership skills; link students w/scholarships, jobs, interns, entrepreneurship, etc.
7. Enhanced Technology – Close the digital divide. Expand technology in homes and schools. High speed access for homes , schools & business.

The Obama Foundation/MBK 6 Milestones align perfectly with Cradle to Career, Step-Up Omaha and Omaha 360. 

1.       Getting a Healthy Start and Entering School Ready to Learn

2.       Reading at level by Grade 3

3.       Graduating from High School Ready for College and Career

4.       Completing Post-Secondary Education or Training

5.       Successfully Entering Career (with emphasis on STEAM)

6.       Staying Safe from Violence