Justice + Joy National Collaborative

10/12/2026

Young people deserve opportunities to grow, support to navigate challenges, and a voice in the decisions that shape their lives.

This , we join our partners at the Annie E. Casey Foundation in calling for investments in young people’s futures. For girls, young women, and gender-expansive young people of color, that means systems that recognize their strengths, respond to their needs, and support their leadership.

Through IMPACT—Invincible Mamas Pushing for Action and Change Together—with support from the Foundation, young mothers are naming what must change and helping shape the path forward.

Listen to young people. Invest in their communities. Build opportunities for justice and joy.

YJAM 2026: Building a Future Where Youth ThriveYouth Justice Action Month (YJAM) serves as an important reminder of the value and power of young people. Held every October, this month-long observance seeks to raise awareness about the unique challenges young people face within the justice system and...

09/30/2026

Young mothers’ goals, leadership, and futures matter. 🧡

We’re proud to celebrate Young Moms Together, part of the Crittenton family of agencies, for their work alongside young mothers as they pursue education, employment, health, and family goals.

Their approach recognizes that safe housing, strong relationships, and community connections all contribute to the stability and opportunities young mothers need to thrive.

Young Moms Together is not just here to provide safe housing. Our holistic approach means setting goals that are educational, economic, health-related, parental, and so much more.

In order to see moms thriving, not just surviving, we follow an integrative model with robust community partnerships, enveloping these young women with support from every side. 💪

09/25/2026

We’re still taking in the incredible depth, creativity, courage, joy, and strength you shared with us through more than 600 letters of interest and 433 proposals to HEAL. 💛

You brought us your ideas, your lived expertise, your work, and your belief that a more just future isn’t just possible - it’s something we can create together.

More than 600 people said: we will create something different.

HEAL is rooted in connection, collective power, learning, and the possibility of what we can create when we move together. As we look beyond this first funding cycle, we’re imagining what the HEAL Collective can become - a place to stay connected, share ideas and learning, build relationships, and keep moving toward the future we know is possible.

This is only the beginning.

More soon on how you can be part of it. 💛

09/24/2026

Making progress shouldn’t mean risking the stability you’ve worked so hard to build.

What would it take to design systems where young mothers can pursue greater economic security and family well-being without losing the supports that make stability possible?

Join IMPACT for Beyond Survival: Making Progress Possible Without Sacrificing Stability, a 45-minute webinar sharing findings from our research with young mothers on the intersections of health, caregiving, work, benefits, and economic security.

Young mothers described how deeply connected these systems are, and how moving forward in one area can sometimes create new challenges in another. Their experiences offer important insights for policymakers, funders, service providers, and other decision-makers working to strengthen pathways to economic mobility and maternal health.

📅 October 15, 2026
⏰ 11:00 a.m. PT | 2:00 p.m. ET
🔗 Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_65rTZ7m-TRKPxUY5bZxaSQ

Young mothers deserve systems that support progress without making stability the price of opportunity.

Join us to hear what young mothers are telling us and consider what their experiences mean for how we design policy, programs, and systems.

09/18/2026

What can the voices of girls, gender-expansive young people, and families tell us about how systems are impacting their lives and where change is needed?

Justice + Joy and Ramsey County, MN’s new qualitative report centers the firsthand experiences of girls, gender-expansive young people, and parents who have interacted with child welfare and community corrections systems.

Through individual and group conversations, the report explores experiences of safety, services, and support, highlighting what’s working, where gaps remain, and opportunities to build more responsive systems.

Join Justice + Joy, Ramsey County, MN, and national leaders on Thursday, October 1st at 2 p.m. EST for a webinar unpacking the findings, what they mean for girls and gender-expansive young people, and where we go from here.

Read the full report and register for the webinar with the links below!

READ THE RAMSEY COUNTY QUALITATIVE GIRLS REPORT:
https://shorturl.at/1sVpb

REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR:
https://shorturl.at/u3vBC

09/18/2026

What happens when girls ask whose stories are missing from our history—and help bring those stories to light? Hear from the participants in RYSE (Reclaiming Youth Stories for Everyone) about what they’ve learned and why they want you to join them at the RYSE Summit.

Over nine months, girls from across New Jersey have explored overlooked stories of the American Revolution and the formation of American democracy, asking whose experiences were excluded and what the promises of freedom and justice mean today.

Now, they’re bringing those conversations to the community through a youth-created and youth-led summit featuring two panels and interactive experiences that explore unsung heroes, new perspectives, and the unfinished questions of our democracy.

Justice + Joy National Collaborative is proud to partner with the Alice Paul Center for Gender Justice, the NJ Department of Children & Family Services, and RevolutionNJ to help bring the summit to life.

📅 Saturday, September 26
🕤 9:30 AM–5:00 PM
📍Alice Paul Center, Mt. Laurel, NJ

Join us to listen, learn, question, and imagine what democracy can become.

LINK TO REGISTER: https://shorturl.at/nzLZA

09/16/2026

What can four years of county data—and the voices of young people and families—tell us about how systems are impacting girls and where change is needed?

Justice + Joy and Ramsey County’s new Girls’ Report series brings together an analysis of social services and community corrections data with insights from girls, gender-expansive young people, and parents. Together, the reports explore how system involvement shapes their lives and identify opportunities for more responsive, coordinated support.

Join Justice + Joy, Ramsey County, and national leaders on Thursday, October 1st at 2 p.m. EST for a webinar unpacking the findings, what they mean for girls and gender-expansive young people, and where we go from here.

LINK TO READ THIS REPORT: https://shorturl.at/4uRQr

LINK TO REGISTER FOR THE 10/1 WEBINAR: https://shorturl.at/R5zXs

09/04/2026

We are immensely grateful to everyone who shared their work, leadership, and vision with us through a Letter of Interest. 💛

We see the time, care, and intention you put into sharing the work you’re building in your communities and the futures you’re working toward.

The LOI submission period is now closed, and applicants have been notified about next steps.

Thank you for showing up, sharing your vision, and continuing to build toward a more just and equitable future. We’re honored to be part of this growing community. ✨

08/31/2026

Justice and Joy National Collaborative is closed for a summer break from Monday August 31st through Monday September 7th, 2026 as we recharge and ramp up for the Fall season. If you have an urgent matter, please contact [email protected]. We look forward to continuing our very important work together when we return!

08/31/2026

Today’s the day! 💛 Have you been thinking about applying to the HEAL Collective? This is your sign to submit your Letter of Interest (LOI) today!

We want to learn about your leadership, your work, and the vision you’re building through your LOI.

From there, selected applicants may be invited to submit a full application, followed by finalist conversations.

✨ The process:
1️⃣ Letter of Interest
2️⃣ Full Application
3️⃣ Finalist Conversations

📅 LOI deadline: TODAY, August 31, 2026
⏰ 11:59 PM local time

We’re excited to learn more about the leaders and collectives working to build healthier, more equitable communities.

There’s still time to take the first step! Visit this link to learn more and submit your LOI: https://justiceandjoynatl.submittable.com/submit