In the final episode of Building Equitable Pathways, Season One, host Kyle Hartung sits down with Amanda MacTaggart, the Director of Strategic National Partnerships, Network Engagement and Innovation for the Student Success Center at CSCU, Elizabeth Lindsey, CEO of Urban Alliance, and Dr. Kenyatta Lovett, the Managing Director of Higher Education, Educate Texas. They reflect on what experiences called them to this work, the commitments they hold about what needs to change, and how together we can collaborate differently to advance a vision for and of equity. Learn more about the resources referenced in this episode: CSCU Student Success CenterEducate TexasNpower Urban Alliance

In this episode, host Kyle Hartung is joined by two policy experts and members of the JFF community of practice to discuss how equitable and data-informed practices become codified in our system’s policies to drive economic advancement, close equity gaps, integrate systems, and catalyze innovation. He sits down with Erica Cuevas, Associate Director at Jobs for the Future, and Luke Rhine, Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) at the Delaware Department of Education, to hear about the work of developing equitable policies that are practical, aspirational, and imperative in this moment.  Learn more about the resources referenced in this episode:Three Ways Intermediaries Can Keep Equity at the Center of Their Policy Work by Erica CuevasIntermediaries’ Role in Policy to Develop and Scale Equitable Pathways from JFFToday’s Students CoalitionDelaware PathwaysDelaware Department of Education’s Higher Education Office Student Ambassador ProgramDelaware PoliciesSEED+ InspireElevate

In this episode, host Kyle Hartung sits down with guests Angela Freeman, Impact Analyst at the Rush Education and Career Hub (REACH), and Jenee Myers Twitchell, Chief Impact Officer at Washington STEM in partnership with Career Connect Washington, who are both focusing on innovations in data work and practice in Building Equitable Pathways. They discuss key metrics they focus on in their work, how they engage partners in the process of measuring, sharing, and acting on data, and how qualitative data in particular sheds light not only on what is happening in our pathways programs, but how they can be improved so that youth have a clearer path to educational and economic advancement.

When it comes to racial equity work, it’s important that we continue to unpack the narratives that have influenced our systems today so we can craft a better story for tomorrow. In this episode, host Kyle Hartung and his guests explore the theme of storytelling, how it informs the work of Building Equitable Pathways and how data contributes to these narratives overall. As thoughtful leaders who have spent their careers thinking critically about these issues, Kyle’s guests Derek Niño, Associate Director at JFF, and Cate Swinburn, Co-Founder and President of YouthForce NOLA, share several key insights about the relationship between data and storytelling, centering people in our data practices, and shaping better equity solutions.  Learn more about the resources referenced in this episode:YouthForce NOLAYouthForce NOLA’s Founding ValuesMHA Labs’s Working ImpactCentering People in Our Data Practices by Derek NiñoProject Evident’s Actionable Evidence Toward Equitable Outcomes

In this episode, host Kyle Hartung and his guests continue to explore the themes presented in episode one in a discussion about the imperative to enter the work of racial equity and systems building with both intentionality and patience. To make progress, our education and work systems need to reorient themselves to better engage in the collaborative design of strategies, and to also seek and listen to the voices of youth who live and work in our communities about what they need. The episode features Jon Furr, the Founder and Executive Director of Education Systems Center, and Michele Jacobs, the Senior Director of Youth Development at the United Way of Greater Atlanta who are both focusing on the racial equity work of Building Equitable Pathways.   Learn more about the resources referenced in this episode:United way of Greater Atlanta - College and Career ReadyUnited way of Greater Atlanta - Unite for Child Well-BeingEducation Systems CenterIllinois Education and Career Success Network 

In this episode, Kyle and his guests discuss the distinction between the fruit and roots of racial inequity in the U.S., and how they manifest in our education to career systems. They also explore what tackling these complex problems looks like in action and ideas for how to center racial equity in both process and outcome. Special guests in this episode include Clair Minson from Sandra Grace Consulting, and Josh Poyer from HERE to HERE in NYC, who are both members of the Building Equitable Pathways Community of Practice.  Learn more about the resources referenced in this episode:-Identifying the “Fruit and Root” of Systemic Racial Inequity from the Building Equitable Pathways Community of Practice-Racial Equity Prime from HERE to HERE-Language Guide from HERE to HERE -Key Distinguishers from HERE to HERE 

Centering racial equity in our education and career systems requires changing the way we do our work, the way we make decisions, the way we talk about those we serve and support, and the way we name and frame challenges faced by youth . In this podcast series, host Kyle Hartung from JFF speaks with leaders from across the country working at the intersection of education, training, and workforce development. Together, they discuss the work their organizations are doing to reimagine and transform our systems in a way that advances a vision and practice for racial equity. We hope you will join us in this work of Building Equitable Pathways. Tune in this April.