Generation Next

August is enrollment month at StriveTogether!

A high school diploma is a milestone — but what comes next determines students’ futures. Postsecondary enrollment, whether that's a two- or four-year college, a certificate program, a registered apprenticeship or the skilled trades, is where preparation turns into opportunity.

The unemployment rate tells the story: as of April 2026, unemployment sat at 2.8% for workers with a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 4.7% for high school graduates and 6.4% for those without a diploma, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Postsecondary enrollment outcomes are shaped well before senior year, through rigorous coursework, consistent advising, financial aid access and clear, well-matched pathway options. When communities align data and resources around these factors, more students enroll ready for what comes next.

As a member of the StriveTogether Network, Generation Next is committed to strengthening these systems here in the .

Read more here:

Why Postsecondary Enrollment Matters - StriveTogether Postsecondary enrollment refers to the path students take after high school that leads to further education, training or employment. It includes enrolling in a two-year or four-year college, taking part in a career and technical education program that leads to an industry-recognized certification,...

Our 2026 Leadership Retreat was held last week at the Capri Theater in Minneapolis! It was a powerful day of connection, alignment, and shared action.

Thank you to our partners from Minneapolis Public Schools, Saint Paul Public Schools SPPS, Think Small, Urban League Twin Cities, Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood, Northside Achievement Zone, Achieve Twin Cities, Youthprise, Greater Twin Cities United Way, and Amherst H. Wilder Foundation for sharing their updates, current efforts, and initiatives with members of the Generation Next Leadership Council and Data Committee!

Thank you to Mayor Kaohly Her for joining our table discussions and closing out our day with an inspiring message for the Generation Next coalition.

We are so grateful for the continued partnership of all of our leaders!

Thank you to Jeff Achen for capturing amazing photos of our leaders working together at our 2026 Annual Leadership Retreat! Stay tuned for more!

Our 2026 Annual Leadership Retreat is happening today at the Capri Theater, Minneapolis! Stay tuned for more insights & photos!

It's at StriveTogether, and we wanted to share a recent data board from our 2026 Annual Event! Our Pathways to Prosperity board illuminates the pathways of students from low-income households (eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch in K-12).

By bringing data across systems into one shared picture, we are making the invisible visible – identifying which students are not experiencing success, where inequities are most concentrated, and what conditions are holding young people back. Through our partnership with the Minnesota Statewide Longitudinal Education
Data System (SLEDS), we are able to see a clear and measurable picture of our collective impact and the work still ahead. Generation Next is in a unique position where we can see ALL students across all systems and sectors in Minneapolis and Saint Paul!

Check it out at the link below:https://gennextmsp.org/wp-content/uploads/GenerationNextPathwaystoProsperity.pdf

Congratulations to Sondra Samuels on this amazing achievement! Sondra has been an integral part of the Generation Next coalition since its very beginning, and we are extremely grateful for her leadership and partnership! Northside Achievement Zone

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/

It's at StriveTogether!

At the time of its founding, Spartanburg Academic Movement operated in a community where only 19% of residents held a four-year degree. Today, that community is rewriting its story — and showing what’s possible when systems move together.

Through Movement 2030, SAM and more than 30 partners are aligned around a countywide plan to ensure 70% of high school graduates enroll in postsecondary education and 1,000 additional degrees and credentials are completed each year by 2030.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

As members of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network, we’re proud to be part of a national movement building the systems that connect more people to postsecondary credentials and quality careers — because opportunity after high school should be the expectation, not the exception.

Read the full case study to see how aligned systems are helping more students and adults access economic opportunity in Spartanburg:

Empowering Economic Mobility Through Postsecondary Success - StriveTogether National Background Across the country, education beyond high school remains one of the strongest predictors of lifetime earnings and stability. Adults with a bachelor’s degree earn, on average, 67% more than those with only a high school diploma. Even some college without a credential yields limi...

June is month at StriveTogether!

A purposeful pathway is more than a plan — it's a connected, well-designed system that supports young people from high school graduation through credential completion and into employment with family-sustaining wages.

And right now, too many students are navigating that journey alone.

By 2031, 72% of all jobs will require some form of postsecondary education or credential. Yet nearly 40% of first-time undergraduates don't complete a degree within eight years. And nearly half of Gen Z students say they lack confidence in their postsecondary plans.

Students aren't failing the system. The system isn't connecting the dots for them.

When K–12, higher education, employers and community partners work together around shared data and shared goals, more students graduate knowing where they're going and how to get there.

As a member of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network, we're committed to building those systems in our community.

📘 Learn more about why purposeful pathways matter and what it takes to build them:

Why Purposeful Pathways Matter - StriveTogether Every student deserves a clear path forward. Too often, they are navigating their future without a trusted guide or the real-world experience to match. According to ECMC Group’s pulse survey, 78% of Gen Z students said they want to determine their career plans before graduating. Only 13% fee...