ROC the Future Alliance

09/25/2026

RTFA partners are headed to Baltimore for StriveTogether National Convening…and it’s not too late for you to join us virtually. Check out StriveTogether link below and join us!

https://strivetogether.org/events/2026-cradle-to-career-network-convening/

09/15/2026

It’s not too late…PreK seats are still available!!!! RCSD PreK RCSD Office of Parent Engagement

09/15/2026

RTFA and PCC are working with place-based partnerships through NYS! Take a moment to learn about the work across NYS!

For too many families in New York, childcare means a long drive, a months-long waitlist or stepping away from a job altogether.

Two StriveTogether Network members are working to change that — together. The Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet and ROC the Future Alliance spent years building cross-sector partnerships in their own cities. Then their executive directors, Jill Gomez and Brian Lewis, met at a StriveTogether policy summit in 2024 and founded the New York State Place-Based Policy Coalition the following year.

The Coalition now includes South Bronx Rising Together, United for Brownsville, Say Yes Buffalo and the Wayne County Community Schools Partnership, with trusted local partners like The Children's Agenda, the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative (RMAPI) , Ampact and the Council for Children and Families alongside them.

In August, StriveTogether awarded the Coalition a $500,000 grant to expand its advocacy — starting with universal childcare for New York families and better pay for the educators who care for the state's youngest children.

What began as two leaders comparing notes is now a coordinated statewide push, driven by parents and grassroots leaders who were organizing long before the policy work began. That is what place-based collaboration looks like at scale.

Read the full story to learn more about this work. Link is in the comments.

09/15/2026

It’s not too late to register for upcoming midterm elections. Stop by RtFA and Children’s Institute today and register.

09/11/2026

AMPACT Early Learning Corps tutors have answered the call to work with our communities youngest scholars to increase kindergarten readiness across our community!!! Community Driven and Community Focused.
-readiness loading. RCSD PreK Rochester City School District AMPACT Early Learning Corps

09/03/2026

RCSD PreK has a limited number of seats available for the start of the school year.... and you still have time to register your 3- and 4-year-olds for school!!!
Call-to-Action: Who can your organization reach to help fill the remaining seats? Every conversation, social media post, flyer, and family referral can make a difference.

09/03/2026

📢 Join us for the next Urban League of Rochester's Interrupt Racism™ Speaker Series!

Our children deserve a future filled with opportunity, support, and success. Join Brian Lewis, Executive Director of ROC the Future Alliance, and Sara White Smith, Cradle to Career Director, as they discuss:

"Our Children Need You: Answering the Call for 11,000 Futures"

This important conversation will explore how community members, organizations, and leaders can work together to create brighter outcomes for every child in Rochester and Monroe County.

📅 September 11, 2026
🕛 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
💻 Virtual via Zoom

Together, we can ensure that every child has the support, resources, and opportunities needed to thrive from cradle to career.

Register today and be part of the movement to build a stronger future for our children and community.

09/03/2026

Congratulations and welcome to Dr. Charmaine Cohen, the new Executive Director of Family and Community Engagement! Dr. Cohen brings a wealth of experience, a deep commitment to children and families, and a passion for strengthening relationships between schools, families, and communities. Her leadership will help advance meaningful family engagement and collaborative partnerships that support positive outcomes for every child. We are excited to work alongside Dr. Cohen and look forward to the impact her vision and expertise will have across our community.
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Superintendent Dr. Eric Jay Rosser is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Charmaine Cohen as Executive Director of Family and Community Engagement. She begins her duties on September 1, 2026.

08/18/2026

Congratulations Eshaunna Smith!!

Economic mobility and the civic infrastructure that supports it are under strain right now. Public trust is fraying, resources are contracting, and the cross-sector partnerships that move families toward opportunity are being tested.

This moment calls for us to build on our strengths and make changes that support that our mission — and it's why we're so excited to welcome Eshauna Smith as our new president.

Eshauna brings a rare combination of deep field credibility and executive leadership experience, plus a long-standing relationship with StriveTogether's leadership and deep knowledge of this work. As a core member of the executive team, she'll focus on organizational alignment, strategy and innovation, as well as field coordination efforts that will advance the impact of place-based partnerships nationwide.

For more than 15 years, StriveTogether has proven that place-based partnerships are the most effective way to increase economic mobility. Eshauna's leadership sharpens our ability to deliver on that promise and reach our bold 2030 vision: four million more futures on a path to economic mobility.

Welcome to the team, Eshauna! We are so excited for you to start next week.

Read more about this moment: https://hubs.li/Q04tl3-10