I feel electrified by all of the education reform efforts happening in the city right now. Students, parents, educators and policymakers are mobilizing and getting involved in efforts to integrate our schools, push stricter gun laws, provide more comprehensive teacher training, and elevate students’ voices to affect policy. In spite of the shared values that connect the various agendas that make up NYC’s reform movement, these efforts are often siloed and disconnected.

This disconnect drove me to organize  Frontier 2018, which is uniting individuals who are involved in all sorts of education reform efforts to plant seeds for a collective impact movement in NYC schools. Collective impact requires the collaboration of individuals from different sectors to work together towards a common goal. By sharing our experiences, knowledge, networks and expertise, we can build a more comprehensive reform movement.

To take steps towards this goal, #NYCEDU has become an official co-host of Frontier 2018! #NYCEDU is a network of New Yorkers working together to equip all young people with the skills, resources, and community support they need to flourish as happy, engaged, and impactful citizens of the world. They provide information on collective impact, connect with people who do cross-sector and community-led work, and consult for partner organizations taking the collective impact approach.

Though the mission of Frontier 2018 often feels daunting, I’m eager to experiment with collective impact to learn from organizers involved in different reform efforts and build a collaborative community of education advocates working to improve our schools. Don’t miss out on this event -- sign up early today and share the event with friends and fellow organizers!