Chattanooga, TN — Chattanooga 2.0 has joined the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network and is now part of a national movement to help every child succeed in school and in life, regardless of race, ethnicity, zip code or circumstance.
Chattanooga-Hamilton County is now one of 70 communities across the country that StriveTogether partners with to close gaps and create opportunities across education, health, housing and more. Chattanooga 2.0 facilitates effective collaboration, supports the use of data to make decisions, and aligns resources and efforts toward effective solutions — all aimed at putting more young people on the path to economic mobility.
“We are thrilled to join the StriveTogether network on behalf of our community,” shared Keri Randolph, Executive Director of Chattanooga 2.0. “It is a recognition of our work, but more importantly, it is an opportunity to partner and learn from other communities across the nation as we work to build bridges to thriving futures for our kids and community.”
Chattanooga 2.0 started in 2016, when leaders in Chattanooga-Hamilton County came together with a shared mission: to support the success of every child, from cradle to career. Over 75 cross-sector partners collaborate in this work, including school district superintendents, higher education administrators, early childhood educators, business and philanthropic leaders, community and corporate funders, and government officials.
“We refuse to settle for a world where a child’s potential is dictated by the conditions into which they are born,” said StriveTogether CEO and President Jennifer Blatz. “Across the country, communities in the Cradle to Career Network are demonstrating that you can get better results for kids when you unite around a common vision and use data effectively. We are excited to welcome Chattanooga 2.0 into the Network.”
To join the Cradle to Career Network, communities complete an assessment of their civic infrastructure development. This process measures progress against a continuum of quality benchmarks, known as the StriveTogether Theory of Action™. This proven framework helps communities align resources to get better and more equitable outcomes for youth.
Chattanooga 2.0 is collaborating, partnering, and leading initiatives to remove systemic barriers and provide intentional supports to children, students, and their families from early childhood education to the attainment of a thriving wage career. The StriveTogether partnership will provide training, connections, resources, and inspiration which Chattanooga 2.0 will leverage to bridge educational divides faster and cultivate opportunities for all Chattanooga-Hamilton County kids and families.
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ABOUT CHATTANOOGA 2.0
Chattanooga 2.0 was established in 2016 and is a small nonprofit that works to change systems in order to impact generational changes in Chattanooga and Hamilton County, TN. The ultimate goal is to improve economic opportunity and quality of life — and Chattanooga 2.0 believes education attainment is the first step. From early childhood education to the attainment of a thriving wage career, the small team leads initiatives to remove systemic barriers and provide intentional supports to children, students, and their families. Chattanooga 2.0 convenes and leads community groups such as Early Matters, Great Teachers Great Leaders, the Out of School Time Alliance, and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Children’s Cabinet.
ABOUT STRIVETOGETHER
StriveTogether is a national movement with a clear purpose: help every child succeed in school and in life from cradle to career, regardless of race, ethnicity, zip code or circumstance. In partnership with 70 communities across the country, StriveTogether shares resources and best practices to put more young people on the path to economic mobility. Together, the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network reaches 14 million youth — including 8 million children of color and nearly one in five children living in poverty in the United States.
