EdRedesign

This summer, our EdRedesign Lab team is reading books that help us reimagine justice, community, leadership, and history. 📚

Here are a few highlights from our 2026 Staff Summer Reading List:

✨ A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
Recommended by Paul Reville, Founder and Faculty Director
A sweeping, heart‑wrenching yet hopeful portrait of India during the Emergency — reminding us that struggles over dignity and democracy are universal.

🏛 Our World in Ten Buildings – Michael P. Murphy
Recommended by Rob Watson, Executive Director
How the spaces we build can entrench inequity or unlock our boldest community dreams — and how each of us can be an “architect” of the places we call home.

🧭 This Vast Enterprise: A New History of Lewis & Clark – Craig Fehrman
Recommended by Julie Allen, Senior Director of Strategic Communications, Development, and Operations
Centers York, Sacagawea, and Indigenous nations, challenging the myths we learned in school as we approach America’s 250th birthday.

🌀 The Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves – Shawn A. Ginwright
Recommended by Michelle Sedaca, M.A., Senior Research Manager
Four powerful shifts — from hustle to flow, problem to possibility — to make social change work more sustainable and human.

🧠 The Battle for the Black Mind – Karida L. Brown, Ph.D.
Recommended by Christan Shelton, Director of Education Strategy & Cross-Sector Community Impact
A gripping chronicle of the relentless fight for Black educational freedom—and how reclaiming story, history, and self‑determination is essential to liberating Black minds, classrooms, and communities.

✊ Para Power: How Paraprofessional Labor Changed Education – Nick Juravich
Recommended by Andrea Ricotta, Director of Applied Data and Community Insights
The story of largely working‑class women of color who organized to transform “aide” jobs into leadership — and, in doing so, reshaped public education.

For the full list, visit https://edredesign.org/resources/what-were-reading-summer

We are thrilled to celebrate our EdRedesign By All Means Senior Fellow, Sondra Samuels, on being named one of TIME’s inaugural Visionaries.

This recognition is a powerful testament to what Sondra has devoted her life to proving: that when a community comes together around its children—with high expectations, deep love, and aligned systems—extraordinary things become possible. Through her leadership at the Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ), Sondra has helped build a movement in North Minneapolis that puts kids and families at the center, tackles systemic barriers head-on, and insists that no child’s future be limited by their zip code.

We are honored to call Sondra a partner in our work to redesign systems and create hashtag pathways of opportunity for all young people. Her visionary leadership, grounded in hope and action, inspires our team and communities across the country.

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Harvard Graduate School of Education
Harvard Alumni for Education

We're proud to share that Northside Achievement Zone President & CEO Sondra Samuels has been named one of TIME's inaugural Visionaries.

Selected as one of 14 honorees nationwide, Sondra joins a remarkable group of leaders recognized for driving bold, systemic change to help children reach their full potential. According to TIME, the inaugural list highlights individuals working across education, mental health, economic opportunity, housing, and other critical areas to ensure young people have the support and resources they need to thrive.

For more than 15 years, Sondra has championed a vision rooted in the strengths, aspirations, and potential of North Minneapolis families. Under her leadership, NAZ has grown into a collaborative of more than 40 partner organizations and schools working together to support children and families from cradle to career.

In its profile, highlighted NAZ's innovative Wealth Builds Minneapolis initiative, in partnership with Harlem Children's Zone, which helps families build assets and opportunity through financial education and college savings accounts, as well as the organization's long-term commitment to improving outcomes for North Minneapolis children.

While this recognition bears Sondra's name, it reflects the visionary and collective efforts of countless scholars, families, staff, partners, and community members who have worked together to build a brighter future for North Minneapolis.

As Sondra shared with TIME, "It's about hope. We're here to power purpose and potential on the Northside."

Congratulations, Sondra. We are grateful for your leadership and proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition.

See more here: https://time.com/collection/visionaries/2026/sondra-samuels/

Kicking off summer with a stack of powerful reads from the EdRedesign Lab team.

Our 2026 Summer Reading List features staff picks that explore justice, educational equity, leadership, healing, and the stories we tell (and often overlook) in our schools and communities. From children’s picture books about belonging to sweeping historical narratives and guides for daring leadership, these titles invite us to reflect, reimagine, and act.

If you want to delve deeply into topics such as transforming school systems through paraprofessional leadership, navigating today’s education politics, reexamining U.S. history and empire, healing and embodiment in social change work, and the enduring legacies of slavery and caste this summer, check out the full list on the EdRedesign website: https://edredesign.org/resources/what-were-reading-summer


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Harvard Graduate School of Education
Professional Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education

EdRedesign and Results for America are teaming up for a webinar, "Relationship-Based Personalized Supports as a Catalyst for Economic Mobility," that connects rigorous new research to real-world practice.

We'll be bringing together researchers and practitioners to unpack:

✅ The Evidence: Why "trusted adult relationships" are a quantifiable variable in student success.
✅ The Model: How relationship-based personalized support for young people works in practice across sectors.
✅ The Strategy: What local leaders can do to build these high-impact systems in their own jurisdictions.
✅ Your Questions: What do you want to know about the model?

Featured speakers:
🎙 Jamie Gracie, Postdoctoral Fellow, EdRedesign
🎙 Tauheedah Jackson, Ed.M., Deputy Director & Director of the Institute for Success Planning, EdRedesign
🎙 Rey Saldana, President & CEO, Communities In Schools National Office; EdRedesign By All Means Senior Fellow
🎙 Rob Watson, Executive Director, EdRedesign; Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Faculty Affiliate, Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University
🎙 Ellen Hur (moderator), SVP & Chief Products & Innovation Officer, Results for America

📅 Tuesday, June 9, 2026
🕒 3:00 - 4:00 PM ET
💻 Virtual | Zoom Webinar

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

🔗 Link to register: https://edredesign.org/events/evidence-relationship-based-personalized-supports-catalyst-economic-mobility

Huge thank you to everyone who joined us today for the virtual premiere of DREAM ON’s newest episode – spotlighting the transformation of Spartanburg, SC’s Northside neighborhood. 🎉

We’re especially grateful to our panelists for sharing their time, insights, and leadership during the live Q&A:

Jennifer Blatz, President & CEO, StriveTogether
Dr. Russell Booker, CEO, Spartanburg Academic Movement
Carol Naughton, CEO, Purpose Built Communities
David Summers, CEO, Spartanburg Northside Development Group
Moderated by Rob Watson, Executive Director, EdRedesign

👍 Like the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0oKsRcRTPQ&t=1s
💬 Comment with your reflections or key takeaways
🔁 Share with your network
▶️ Subscribe to the DREAM ON channel, to catch future stories of communities driving change

Thank you for being part of this work and helping us spread what’s possible when communities dream — and act — together. 💫

This Japanese Philosophy Saved an American Neighborhood Violent crime dropped 77% while 3rd-grade reading scores jumped 40 ...

One more day to go! 🎊

Join us tomorrow for the virtual premiere of DREAM ON’s newest episode – spotlighting the transformation of Spartanburg, SC’s Northside neighborhood.

This powerful story shows how a cross-sector coalition of residents, local government, school district leaders, a StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network member, and a Purpose Built Communities backbone organization helped:

🚓 Cut violent crime by 77%
📕 Raise 3rd-grade reading proficiency from 6% to 48%
🏘️ Build hundreds of units of new housing
🏫 Open a brand-new community center
🎒 Launch a state-of-the-art early learning center

📅 Tomorrow – Tuesday, June 2, 2026
🕛 10:00 – 11:00 AM ET
💻 Virtual | Zoom Webinar

You’ll be among the first to see the new episode and hear directly from leaders during a live Q&A moderated by Rob Watson (Executive Director, EdRedesign) with:

Jennifer Blatz, President & CEO, StriveTogether
Dr. Russell Booker, CEO, Spartanburg Academic Movement
Carol Naughton, CEO, Purpose Built Communities
David Summers, CEO, Spartanburg Northside Development Group

There’s still time to join — this event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

👉 Register now and log in at 10:00 AM ET: https://lnkd.in/dzEhBd57

youtube.com/shorts/D-eNc0w-pok?si=1_Pfp7c7dC15Sn0G

The dream on song of the week Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Join us and EdRedesign Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for the virtual premiere of DREAM ON’s newest episode spotlighting the transformation of Spartanburg, South Carolina’s Northside neighborhood.

This powerful story highlights how a cross-sector coalition of residents, local government, school district leaders, a StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network member, and a Purpose Built Communities® Community Quarterback Organization came together to help:

• Reduce violent crime by 77%
• Increase 3rd-grade reading proficiency from 6% to 48%
• Build hundreds of units of new housing
• Open a brand-new community center
• Launch a state-of-the-art early learning center

📅 Tuesday, June 2, 2026
🕙 10:00–11:00 AM ET
💻 Virtual | Zoom Webinar

You’ll be among the first to see the new episode and hear directly from leaders during a live Q&A moderated by Rob Watson, Executive Director of EdRedesign, featuring:

Jennifer Blatz, President and CEO, StriveTogether
Dr. Russell Booker, CEO, Spartanburg Academic Movement
Carol Naughton, President and CEO, Purpose Built Communities
David Summers, CEO, Spartanburg Northside Development Group

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

👉 Register now: https://edredesign.org/events/dream-spartanburg-sc

Honored to see our colleague Denisse Arias of EdRedesign join KConnect’s Accountability Partners Council (APC) 2026 as a panelist on Cradle-to-Career Success in Kent County.

On the “Centering Prenatal to Career” panel, Denisse lifted up what it really takes to ensure that every child—regardless of race, zip code, or circumstance—has a clear path to a thriving career, including:

📌 Building ecosystems that braid together education, health, housing, and economic opportunity
📌 Using data alongside community voice to design supports that reflect families’ real experiences
📌 Aligning local innovation with state and national learning, so promising models become sustainable, equitable systems at scale

The panel also discussed KConnect’s work in the context of broader economic mobility efforts like Billi by 35 (Billion by 2035)—an ambitious vision for a Kent County where entrepreneurship and wealth-building are accessible and navigable for all.

We’re inspired by how KConnect’s APC brings 200+ organizations together to learn, align, and refine shared priorities for 2026–2027, turning ideas into actionable plans with measurable outcomes for children and families.

Harvard Graduate School of Education
Harvard University

Photo credit: Two A’s and a Pod Productions

We’re excited to invite you to a powerful virtual event: the premiere of DREAM ON’s new episode on the transformation of Spartanburg, SC’s Northside neighborhood.

In this episode, you’ll see how a cross-sector coalition of residents, local government, school district leaders, and a backbone organization came together to:

• Cut violent crime by 77%
• Raise 3rd-grade reading proficiency from 6% to 48%
• Build hundreds of units of new housing
• Open a new community center
• Create a state-of-the-art early learning center

📅 Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2026
🕛 Time: 10:00–11:00 AM ET
💻 Location: Virtual | Zoom Webinar

At this special launch event, you’ll be among the first to watch the episode and hear directly from the leaders behind this work during a live Q&A moderated by Rob Watson (Executive Director, EdRedesign) with:

• Jennifer Blatz, President & CEO, StriveTogether
• Dr. Russell Booker, CEO, Spartanburg Academic Movement
• Carol Naughton, CEO, Purpose Built Communities
• David Summers, CEO, Spartanburg Northside Development Group

This event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required.

👉 Register here: https://edredesign.org/events/dream-spartanburg-sc

Please share this with your networks and join us to explore what’s possible when communities come together to rewrite a neighborhood story.

Thrilled to kick off Day 2 of the Place-Based Education Institute at Harvard University with a powerful reminder of why this work matters.

Opening keynote speaker Christian Rhodes, Chief National Impact Officer at Harlem Children's Zone and By All Means Senior Fellow at EdRedesign, challenged participants to rethink the purpose of public education. Drawing on his personal experience and upbringing, his parents’ and grandparents’ deep belief in education as a pathway to economic mobility, Christian named a hard truth: we often talk about education as “the great equalizer,” but for too many children that remains a myth. Instead, he framed education as our most important engine of economic mobility. “You as educators are civic engineers,” he reminded us. “You are building the future you want for your communities.”

That theme continued in the “How to Fund Cradle-to-Career” session with Cecilia Gutierrez (Blue Meridian Partners) and Dreama Gentry (Partners for Rural Impact; EdRedesign By All Means Senior Fellow). Cecilia underscored the mismatch between the scale of our ambitions and the size of most grants—around $30,000—when we are trying to tackle big, complex, intergenerational challenges. Her early place-based work began with something as simple and tangible as a playground so kids had a safe place to play, while always holding a larger vision: every child going to college.
Both Cecilia and Dreama highlighted what it really takes to move communities from poverty to mobility: intentional partnerships with superintendents and local leaders, deep relationships, sustained conversations, and building trust with communities before the money arrives.

As Cecilia noted, Blue Meridian Partners aims to “find, fund, and scale” solutions that put kids on a path to social mobility—and to change the way philanthropy works by encouraging multi-billion dollar, long-term investments and unlocking the trillions of dollars in philanthropic capital, including donor-advised funds and foundation endowments, to fuel work.

At EdRedesign, we are leaving this session inspired and challenged:
to embrace our role as civic architects alongside educators and local leaders, to support communities to start small while advancing bold, comprehensive visions, and to push for funding and partnerships at the true scale of the work children and families deserve.


Harvard Graduate School of Education