Equity in Action

HERE to HERE was born from a question: In the Bronx, student after student, upon finishing high school and/or college struggles to find access to a career. What would it take to change that trajectory?

Since 2017 we have worked to answer that question, bringing together students, educators, employers, community members, parents, experts, and allies to establish new models that connect students to family sustaining careers. Through our initiatives and partnerships, students gain real-world experience through meaningful work, educators partner with employers and community-based organizations to connect classroom learning with work-based learning opportunities, and employers build a diverse, local talent pipeline that is prepared to contribute and succeed on day one.

In five short years, HERE to HERE—together with leaders like you—has echoed the voices of champions to fight for equity and create new avenues to career success.

Read on to see how you’ve contributed to Equity in Action.

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1. Understand what should be
Over the years, we have incubated innovative projects, collaborated with and supported partners, and advocated for change. But before doing any of that, we first listened to leaders in business, education, and our community, including students, to identify challenges and opportunities within New York’s talent systems. Their collective voices pointed to three strategies to tap the talent of our young people and to drive equity so New York City achieves its full potential.

1. Transform students’ interests into future success.
2. Collaborate with employers to create a 21st century workforce.
3. Improve the systems to match talent with opportunity.

 2. Develop a shared vision for youth talent development in the 21st

Our goal is that all NYC students launch into family-sustaining careers by the age of 25. We all share that responsibility—as employers, educators, policymakers, community members, families, and students. To get there, we need a talent development system that values learning wherever it happens—both inside and outside the classroom.

3. Organize stakeholders to demonstrate what’s possible

It takes persistent, dedicated focus and collective action to create equity and redefine the systems that unfairly burden Bronx and all Black and Brown students as they pursue their career ambitions. The good news is we see a growing number of programmatic models that show what is possible.

4. Remain nimble, broker relationships and fill critical gaps

NYC’s size works against us—great ideas, good work, and promising talent go unnoticed and hidden by a big system. One of the key roles HERE to HERE plays is to identify new approaches that have promise. We have fostered partnerships, and co-designed, incubated, and launched new organizations, programs, and strategies to drive change.

5. Mobilize champions to advocate for change

Power comes not only from those who call for and pioneer change, but also from those who listen and echo those calls. Over the past five years we’ve learned that those within organizations, especially employer and educational institutions, are agents of change. By identifying, galvanizing, and connecting these internal champions and amplifying their work, we can reinvent our youth talent development system.

LET’S GET TO WORK.

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