Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet Featured in Harvard EdRedesign Spotlight

April 1, 2025 - 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 over 5,000 children, youth, and families.

A delegation from the Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet attends the Transforming Place through Neighborhood Leadership Summer Institute cohosted by EdRedesign and the William Julius Wilson Institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

The EdRedesign Lab spotlight provides an in-depth look at the Cabinet's strategic model, which brings together schools, government, community-based organizations, higher education institutions, and residents to address the interconnected challenges facing Poughkeepsie's young people. The profile highlights signature initiatives including the Community Ambassador training program for the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, youth leadership development through PK B.A.Y., expanded learning time partnerships with Poughkeepsie City School District, and the development of the comprehensive Data for Decision-Making report that informs strategic priorities. The spotlight also explores how the Cabinet's work is influenced by the Harlem Children's Zone model through its partnership with the William Julius Wilson Institute.

The recognition from EdRedesign Lab underscores the national significance of Poughkeepsie's approach to place-based community transformation. As a research and practice organization at Harvard focused on redesigning education systems to promote equity and opportunity, EdRedesign Lab's spotlight positions the Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet as a model for other communities seeking to break cycles of intergenerational poverty through coordinated, resident-driven strategies. The profile offers valuable insights into both the successes and ongoing challenges of building collective impact in a small city context.

Read the full EdRedesign Lab spotlight on the Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet here.