Community Summit

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

October 28, 2016

Videos

Destination Graduation: Wyoming Valley Grad Nation Community Summit

United Way of Wyoming Valley believes that education is the single most influential factor in determining a child's success. In partnership with America’s Promise Alliance and several local organizations, we are convening a GradNation Community Summit in Wyoming Valley to explore innovative approaches to support young people in and out-of-school. As a champion for students, we hope you are able to attend to share your perspective and gain insight on how Wyoming Valley can better support students through high school graduation and beyond.

The summit will feature a keynote address from Dr. Leonard Sax, a successful author of four books on child and adolescent development. Dr. Sax is a family physician, board-certified in family medicine, currently in practice in suburban Philadelphia and holds a PhD in psychology.

Sessions will be led by subject matter experts representing local and statewide organizations. Hundreds of dedicated individuals, educators, business leaders, and community organizations will come together to examine local data, identify best practices, and address challenges in Wyoming Valley’s efforts to improve high school graduation rates and better prepare young

Partners: United Way of Wyoming Valley, America’s Promise Alliance, and Luzerne Intermediate Unit

Local Sponsors & Co-Conveners: United Way of Wyoming Valley, Luzerne Intermediate Unit #18, Children’s Service Center, UGI Inc.

Keynote Speaker: Leonard Sax, MD, PhD http://www.leonardsax.com/

Featured Sessions:

Early Childhood Education
Family Engagement
Early Warning Systems
Career Readiness

ABOUT GRADNATION SUMMITS

Held nationwide throughout 2016, GradNation Community Summits support and fuel collaborative, community-based efforts to increase high school graduation rates and provide an array of holistic supports that young people need to succeed.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SUMMITS NEAR YOU

Please contact [email protected] for all press inquiries.

News from the Summits

September 26, 2017

Change Moves at the Speed of Trust: Community Leader Spotlight with Sara Carter

As Youth Thrive’s director of operations, Sara Carter works with a variety of community partners to reach more youth in North Carolina’s Wake County by increasing communication, identifying gaps, and aligning resources for youth programs and services.

January 18, 2017

Milwaukee summit charges students to be change-makers—and for adults not to stand in their way

Much of the day’s conversation stemmed from the idea that young people have all the intelligence, creativity, and drive they need to be successful—unfortunately, adults (and society at large) often limit this independence or otherwise fail to provide the support that young people need to develop their own potential.

January 18, 2017

In Ohio’s Lorain County, ‘There is no greater gift to give a community than a higher graduation rate’

Sometimes progress is not a straight line to the top, but instead marked with twists and turns. That’s the case for Lorain County, whose on-time high school graduation rates slid from 81.4 percent in 2009 to 67.8 percent in 2013.

January 18, 2017

Northfield’s Promise to Young People

The summit, which was convened by the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, continued in that spirit of thinking through responsibility, relationships, and action steps, as the Northfield community examines how to better align its various stakeholders and interests in the common goal of seeing improved outcomes for young people.