The Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet has been selected for a new Wallace Foundation initiative that will provide funding to help seven communities across the country reach their economic mobility goals by expanding enrichment and career-focused opportunities for young people. Poughkeepsie is expected to receive funding of approximately $5 million - $ 6 million to improve interest-driven career exploration opportunities for youth outside the school day.

The Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet brought together more than 40 leaders from across the youth development sector for the inaugural PK OST Summer Summit on August 19, 2025. Held at Shadows on the Hudson, the day-long event fostered collaboration, shared best practices, and strengthened connections among organizations working to enhance out-of-school time programs for Poughkeepsie's youth.

Poughkeepsie City School District voters have overwhelmingly approved a $1.86 million investment to expand Extended Learning Time (ELT) from three days to five days per week at all elementary schools. The expansion, included in the district's $147.7 million 2025-26 budget that passed with 329 votes in favor to just 93 against, represents the single largest addition to next year's spending plan and a transformative step toward providing students with comprehensive daily academ

The Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet has been featured in a comprehensive spotlight by Harvard Graduate School of Education's EdRedesign Lab, highlighting the Cabinet's innovative approach to building a cradle-to-career system in the City of Poughkeepsie. The spotlight examines how the Cabinet is leveraging cross-sector partnerships, resident leadership, and data-driven decision-making to create coordinated pathways from early childhood through postsecondary completion for ove

The Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet's innovative approach to funding children's services is gaining national recognition. The Children's Funding Project recently featured Poughkeepsie's strategic public financing work, highlighting how the community is transforming its investments in young people to create lasting pathways out of poverty.

The Poughkeepsie Board of Artistic Youth (PK B.A.Y.) has established itself as a groundbreaking model for youth civic engagement in the city, bringing together 21 teen leaders ages 14-18 from across five local youth-serving organizations to amplify young voices in community decision-making through public art. Facilitated by the Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet with support from the Wallace Foundation, this first-of-its-kind initiative in Poughkeepsie uses creative expression a

The Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet, in partnership with Poughkeepsie City School District, Dutchess Community College, and community organizations, successfully co-sponsored the inaugural PK Youth Leaders' Summit from July 30 through August 1, 2024.

The Poughkeepsie City School District has been awarded a $2.5 million Full-Service Community Schools grant from the U.S. Department of Education—one of the largest federal grants ever secured by the district. The five-year award will enable the district to scale its Community Schools Initiative across all five elementary schools, bringing comprehensive, wraparound services to students and families throughout the city.

The Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet has released its comprehensive Strategic Plan, developed in partnership with the William Julius Wilson Institute at Harlem Children's Zone, charting an ambitious roadmap to transform outcomes for every child in Poughkeepsie from cradle to career.

The Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet has released a comprehensive study examining a critical gap in the community: access to high-quality out-of-school time (OST) programs. The stakes are high— by sixth grade, middle-class children have spent an average of 6,000 more hours in enrichment activities than their low-income peers, a gap that profoundly shapes educational outcomes.