COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS Report Back: Miami  

During Spring 2013, the Opportunity Nation team visited seven states, co-hosting events with local partners in an effort to learn more about on-the-ground efforts to expand opportunity. We shared the Opportunity Index, our bipart isan Shared Plan and our pol icy outreach in Washington D.C. as tools that can aid in this work. We are inspired by the commitment that exists in Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carol ina, Rhode Island and Washington, and by the momentum generated by al l of us to advance educational and economic mobil i ty, part icularly for our young people. We are especial ly grateful to the youth who attended the events, sharing their powerful stories of overcoming obstacles and pursuing their American Dream. A couple of key themes emerged from the community conversations:

• A desire to use the Index as a way to inform and inf luence local decisions about programs and pol icies that expand opportunity

• The need for more businesses to join in this work • The importance of col laborations within states among private sector,

phi lanthropies, educational inst itut ions, nonprofits and community groups

Florida’s Opportunity Score is 45.8 points out of 100, ranking it 41st out of 50 states and the Distr ict of Columbia. Our partners in Florida are already doing phenomenal work in educational, economic and civic realms that wi l l boost the its Opportunity Index Score. We hope that our campaign tools, resources and network wil l support exist ing and emerging leaders in this important state. After the Miami Community Conversation on May 14, co-hosted by Young Invincibles and United Way of Miami Dade, we were thri l led that our Higher Education Counci l member, Miami Dade College, has emerged as the host for a major Graduation Nation Summit this fal l sponsored by our Steering Committee Member, America’s Promise Al l iance. We are looking forward to part icipating and presenting the Opportunity Index at this event.

 

 

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS Report Back: Miami  

We also want to thank our 160 Opportunity Leaders and Scholars who are working to expand economic mobil i ty and famil iar ity with the Opportunity Index across the country, including six in Florida: Michael Long, New College Walker Moseley, City Year Rolanda Schand, Miami Dade College Travis Sessions, Florida State University Steeve Simbert, St. Thomas University Both Michael Long and Walker Moseley, as wel l as Dustin Summers of Young Invincibles, joined our f irst Hi l l Day on June 12, meeting with the staffs of Sen. Marco Rubio, Rep. Patr ick Murphy, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Rep. Frederica Wilson, to share our Shared Plan. They also advocated the bipart isan American Dream Accounts Act which wil l create col lege savings accounts for low-income students, paired with col lege planning support. In addit ion to our Opportunity Leaders and Scholars, we are grateful for the support and energy of our coal it ion partners in Florida. A ful l l ist is included below. I f you are inspired by Opportunity Nation’s national campaign to increase economic opportunity, here are f ive easy ways you can part icipate in our work:

1. Know your Opportunity score 2. Join our coal it ion 3. Become an Opportunity Leader or Scholar 4. Share our tools – the Opportunity Index, the Shared Plan, the Youth

and Business Toolkit 5. Sign up for our email mai l ing l ist

I f you are interested in learning more about our campaign or would l ike to explore a more formal partnership, please reach out to us directly. We partner with local and national organizations, businesses, foundations, and other leaders across the country and are eager to add your voice to the growing opportunity movement.

 

 

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS Report Back: Miami  

Coalition Partners in Florida

AfterSchool Al l Stars MENTOR Roosevelt Inst itute Campus Network Teach for America Year Up, Inc. Young People’s Project YouthBuild USA AARP AARP Foundation Afterschool Al l iance America’s Promise Al l iance American Associat ion of Community Col leges Boys Scouts of America Boys and Gir ls Club of America Community Action Partnership Feeding America Hi l lel Init iat ive for Competit ive Inner City National Academy Foundation National Youth Employment Coal it ion Points of Light Institute Reach Out and Read Repair the World Scholarship America Search Institute

Share our Strength Student Veterans of America The Corps Network The PhD Project United Way Voto Latino Youth Service America Blue Star Famil ies CFED Cit izen Schools Chi ldren’s Movement of Florida City Year Experience Works Florida Prosperity Partnership Gateway to Col lege National Network Generations United Habitat for Humanity Hispanic Heritage Foundation I Have a Dream Foundation Jobs for the Future Jumpstart for Young Chi ldren Paramore Kidz Zone Publ ic Al l ies Rebui lding Together Single Stop USA Str ive Network Suncoast Community Capital