The Cady-Lee House | 7064 Eastern Avenue, NW | Washington, DC 20012 | Phone: 202.207.3333 | Fax: 202.207.3329 | www.readyby21.org

Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

Now Presenting Ready by 21 Reflections on how to communicate what we do

As project director for education and youth development at the American Association of School Administrators – a Ready by 21 Signature Partner – Bryan Joffe travels the country speaking about Ready by 21. After one typically compelling talk at a recent national conference, we asked Bryan to share some thoughts about what resonates with audiences.

By Bryan Joffe

Over the past three years, I’ve presented Ready by 21 to audiences large and small – through in-person workshops and online webinars, to youth-development professionals and to children and families. Along the way, I’ve learned a few things about what resonates with audiences who hear about Ready by 21 for the first time.

You know the challenge: Ready by 21 is not a portable program that can be quickly explained. It’s a big-picture approach that requires a change in thinking and in action. How do you get that across in a way that makes people feel that they “get it” and they know how it fits for them? Here are some ideas based on what has resonated with the audiences I’ve spoken with:

The basic idea you want your audience to walk away with is that Ready by 21 offers solutions for communities that have struggled to make their significant but isolated efforts add up to better outcomes for children and youth.

But we don’t want people to feel discouraged by the scale of the issues they face, so don’t spend a lot of time setting up the “problem” in terms of not achieving the outcomes they hope for. People know that youth aren’t thriving the way they should. Quickly set up the context and move toward the unique solution that Ready by 21 offers.

Be sure to acknowledge that in many communities there are genuine islands of excellence and programs doing yeoman’s work in getting more children and youth ready for college, work and life. Identify that the issue isn’t with the providers, the families or the schools per se; the problem lies in the fundamental structure (or the lack thereof) of our collective youth development efforts.

Stress that the solution isn’t about needing more money (though we do) or railing against a political system that pays lip service to children and education without adequately funding them (although it does). Steering the conversation toward financial resources and/or politics is a conversational cul-de-sac from which you will struggle to escape. Rather, Ready by 21 is about marshaling existing resources (financial and human) in the same direction, under a coordinated set of standards, toward a common set of goals.

To drive this home, also stress the idea of meeting leaders where they are – which means first and foremost that we work with you in your political and financial context. We can make a huge difference in the lives of children with the time, talent and treasure at our disposal if we:

• build broader partnerships that leverage the existing resources

• reach together for bigger community goals

• collect better data to track what’s working and

• implement bolder strategies that catalyze change.

BryanJoffe

The Cady-Lee House | 7064 Eastern Avenue, NW | Washington, DC 20012 | Phone: 202.207.3333 | Fax: 202.207.3329 | www.readyby21.org

Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

Be concrete. Share examples of how and where Ready by 21 is working; the changes in programs, policies and practice; and how communities plan to track improvements. I like to talk about the Ready by 21 Leadership Council in Atlanta, and the results stemming from a partnership between the school and public transit systems in Nashville. Readyby21.org has case studies and short stories to help.

Using Images

I typically have about an hour to introduce the concept, discuss the work in some detail and take questions. What I have found:

When it comes to PowerPoint, less is more. Allow yourself time to thoughtfully expand on the amazing Ready by 21 graphics for five minutes each. Don’t make the audience feel rushed.

I like to use the Insulated Education Pipeline, the Cube (page five in this brochure) and the Readiness Target, and really go deep into the meaning and ideas behind each of those graphics to provide some depth and breadth to the thinking behind the work. The graphics work seamlessly together without being redundant:

The Insulated Education Pipeline shows how communities must see children and youth in the big picture.

The Cube shows that focusing solely on the schools as the site of reform will only allow us to improve outcomes so much.

The Readiness Target conveys that we need to define readiness broadly. Academically prepared is not enough. Problem-free is not fully prepared. Kids need to be prepared, connected, safe and healthy.

What they all do, in concert, is show that it takes coordination and leadership to make a real difference in outcomes. While some people use the Three Gears graphic as a start, I often introduce it later to show the ‘how’ of Ready by 21: We can impact child and youth outcomes by changing leadership behaviors.

My wrap-up concept: Ready by 21 is a solution that is molded locally to fit the context of the community, but its overarching principles are constant and can inspire community leaders to make substantive changes that will significantly boost the odds for children and youth.

Bryan Joffe is project director for education and youth development at the American Association of School Administrators. bjoffe@aasa.org.