Compact is a bold commitment by Los Angeles leaders from the education, business, government, labor & nonprofit sectors to transform education outcomes from cradle to career. Compact is a bold commitment by Los Angeles leaders from the education, business, government, labor and nonprofit sectors to transform education outcomes from cradle to career, ensuring that today’s youth have the skills nece
ssary to compete and succeed in a 21st century global workforce. Compact convenes cross-sector stakeholders, leverages resources and pursues collaborative strategies to improve the region's education system from cradle to career. Compact in 2008 stemmed from a shared belief that no single program or institution can singlehandedly solve the complex, large scale, education and workforce readiness challenges facing Los Angeles. Improving student outcomes at scale requires collective impact – the commitment to solve complex social problems by a group of actors from different sectors. Compact is a bold commitment by Los Angeles leaders from the education, business, government, labor and nonprofit sectors to transform education outcomes from cradle to career, ensuring that today’s youth have the skills necessary to compete and succeed in a 21st century global workforce, and contribute to and positively shape a global society. Compact promotes the continuous improvement of an education system that maximizes the potential of all Los Angeles children and young adults and thereby strengthening the region’s and society’s civic health. Compact signatories commit to regularly measuring their progress in pursuit of three systemic goals:
1) All students graduate from high school
2) All students have access to and are prepared for success in college
3) All students have access to pathways to sustainable jobs and careers
Achieving these ambitious goals requires innovative and sustained collaboration that cuts across typical bureaucratic silos. It requires starting in early childhood when 90 percent of a young child’s brain first develops. It requires sustaining this learning through elementary, middle and high school to ensure that all students graduate college-and-career ready. It requires supporting students while they pursue the job skills and postsecondary credentials necessary for the careers that drive our regional economic growth. Finally, effective cross-sector collaboration requires sustainable coordination. UNITE-LA, a nonprofit affiliate of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, serves as the convener of the L.A. Compact to help partner agencies leverage resources, align services, track data, improve policies and build bridges between siloed systems.
