From all angles of society, the appetite for systems change in public education is undeniably strong. Young people, parents, K–12 educators, business leaders, and community advocates crave a different path for education—one that aligns more directly with the interests, needs, and aspirations of our youth; one that empowers learners to contribute their gifts to their worlds; and one that integrates the vibrant wisdom and assets of our communities into the learning journeys of our young people.
To understand these dimensions more deeply, we invited Karen Pittman and Merita Irby of Knowledge to Power Catalysts (KP Catalysts) to unpack the evidence of this growing demand, and to amass existing, foundational Positive Youth Development research that undergirds the power and possibility of a community-based, learner-centered path forward.
Too Essential to Fail brings forth several dimensions of evidence, including:
- Data that illuminates the dynamics of existing demand from the perspectives of young people, parents, educators, community, and business leaders;
- Academic research and frameworks that showcase the positive impacts of community-based approaches; and
- A look at organizations and networks already working at the nexus of community and education.
As we forge ahead with our collective efforts to accelerate the R&D for public education systems transformation and pilot the development of learner-centered ecosystems, this paper has fortified our teams with deeper insight into the need for, and potential of, this work.
