The ACYI Gabbler

July 2017

Story of Impact


Focused on a common vision, and implementing and practicing data-driven action, Partners across our community are hyper focused on real impact for kids. 

In this edition we are excited to share about the efforts a team comprised of members from Adams County Workforce and Metro State University are making in support our youth in attaining credentials needed to fuel a qualified workforce.  

Watch for ACYI #StoriesOfImpact like the one below in our monthly newsletter and across our social media channels.  

'Adams County Works' Team Refining Process to Help Close the Attainment Gap



Students in Adams County are enrolling in postsecondary opportunities at a rate less than their peers across the state. Particularly, students of color who are enrolling behind their white peers.

"For many students of color a major barrier is their lack of connectedness with university and colleges," 
said Dr. Will Mellion of Metro State University's Student Success Program.  "Additionally, they lack guided pathways, financial and basic resources, and access to university and community programs and services. These barriers fuel what we refer to as the postsecondary attainment gap."

"This is alarming because we know that by 2020, approximately 74 percent of Colorado jobs will require some level of postsecondary education, according to the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University," added Brett Schager from the Adams County Workforce. "If our students are not enrolling in postsecondary programs, then clearly they are not attaining the credentials they need to enter the workforce with skills needed to earn higher wages and meet our state's growing talent demand."  READ MORE

We're Stepping Up Our Support to Empower Data Driven Decision Making

We are stepping up our support to empower even more data driven decision making to take place across the ACYI Partnership.  To that end, we are delighted to introduce Daniel Archuleta, ACYI's new Data Director, who will help make this happen.
As the Data Director for the ACYI Partnership, Daniel is responsible for supporting Partners in accessing, managing, interpreting, integrating, and reporting data in order to practice continuous improvement. Through his role, Daniel provides data needed to support intentionality around serving children and youth in our community, with the explicit goal of improving their cradle to career success. Access to timely data gives community partners and school officials the opportunity to understand the needs of the children and youth they are serving, and to plan, implement and improve strategies in response to those needs. READ MORE


The Real Choice in Education: Will We Help Every Student Succeed?

Bridgespan: 
Jeff Edmondson, Michael McAfee, Anne Williams-Isom


Eight-year-old Jaquan was facing many of the same challenges as countless other kids in low-income urban, rural, and suburban communities across the country: subpar schools, inferior healthcare and nutrition, and scarce opportunities to lift his sights above the poverty all around him. Meanwhile, his mom was struggling to pay the rent on a part-time job with a below-poverty income. After Jaquan was placed in a highly restrictive special education program, he began acting out at school and was suspended. If you ask many of our elected leaders in Washington and around the country what's the best way to help kids like Jaquan, they'll tell you his family should have more "choice" when it comes to his schooling. Some will suggest we give his mother a voucher or some money so she can send Jaquan to a high-quality private school.  READ MORE

StriveTogether Executive Director Jeff Edmondson to lead philanthropy for organization led by Steve and Connie Ballmer
ACYI is a proud member of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network, a national network of 70 community partnerships in 32 states and Washington D.C. working to improve Cradle to Career success for every child.


Jeff Edmondson, founder and executive director of StriveTogether, announced that he will be leaving the organization to become managing director of The Ballmer Group, the organization created by Steve and Connie Ballmer to direct their philanthropic efforts. The Ballmer Group is focused on creating opportunity for low-income children and their families in the U.S.

In this new role, Edmondson will lead and implement a strategy that brings an increasingly national focus to the Ballmers' efforts to support and partner with organizations and networks deploying innovative, scalable and data-driven strategies for improving economic mobility.  READ MORE

Collaborative Action Network (CAN) Updates



Collaborative Action Networks or CANs are the "guts" of the Adams County Youth Initiative and function as a collective impact mechanism that brings practitioners and partner organizations together to provide cross-sector coordination of efforts in areas that impact progress towards a shared goal.  

READ MORE about what takes place within our CANs.
Our Focus



We are focused on improving academic achievement and the safety and well-being of all children and youth by moving the needle in the six Cradle to Career Outcome areas.

National and local research indicates that when our youth are hitting targets in these key areas, their potential for long-term success greatly increases.

The Cradle to Career Outcomes Areas are HOW we measure success for youth long-term.

We are in the process of launching a CAN for five of the six Cradle to Career Areas. Our Team is working on developing data dashboards for each area that will include data from the Colorado Department of Education release that will take place mid-August.

Furthermore, we are moving forward with development of the enhanced Adams County Student Survey that will be administered this fall. 

Click below for more information on each of our CANs...

Join Our Effort



Join us, along with over 300 anticipated guests from the business, public, education, faith and nonprofit sectors, and help support us as we work to improve academic achievement and the safety and well-being of ALL children and youth here in our community. LEARN MORE

Consider supporting our effort by stepping up to serve as a Table Captain. As a Table Captain, not only will you be highlighted as a champion for children and youth, you will invite colleagues, friends and family to support our effort, and collectively you will help drive measurable, intentional work with the greatest return on investment... our future workforce and community! LEARN MORE 

Register today... Please note that there is no cost to attend, however all guests will be given the opportunity to make a personal financial contribution. We hope you can make it so that you can learn more about the great work happening! RSVP

Interested in Getting Involved?
Contact Us at [email protected]

About ACYI

When Children and Youth Succeed, 

Our Community Succeeds.
The collective ACYI Partnership helps drive academic achievement, safety and well-being of children and youth from Cradle to Career by leveraging data, community expertise and collaboration using the 'Continuous Improvement' practice to...

MEASURE WHAT MATTERS
 
Our key indicators measure academic achievement, safety and well-being across our community. 
IDENTIFY BEST PRACTICES

Identify practices that create an environmen t of success.
SPREAD WHAT
WORKS

We work to help align community resource s to spread what works.

A National Movement to Improve Outcomes for Every Child, From Cradle to Career... ACYI is a proud member of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network, a national network of 70 community partnerships in 32 states and Washington D.C. working to improve Cradle to Career success for every child by bringing together cross-sector partners around a common vision. Together, the Network impacts over 8.2 million children and youth nationwide.  READ MORE


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