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Bolder Actions
At the end of the day, broader partnerships, bigger goals, and better data and decision making are only useful if they significantly increase the likelihood that timely, well-vetted, evidence-based strategies will be implemented and nurtured towards success.
We recommend you review the Bolder Actions toolkit, then explore the four standards within this Building Block for Effective Change:
- Improve systems and settings by increasing their quality, coordination and reach.
- Align policies and resources to be more consistent, effective and aligned to maximize return on investments.
- Increase demand for improving effectiveness, scale and sustainability, and for reducing gaps in services.
- Engage youth, families and community members in solutions – building their capacity in the full range of action strategies.
August 31, 2011
Bold: Mirriam-Webster defines it as “showing an ability to take risks; confident and courageous.” By following the Ready by 21 Building Blocks, you’ve seen the importance of being bigger, broader, better. That isn’t just for alliterative effect; it’s to challenge you to go one step further.
- by increasing their quality, coordination and reach
September 2, 2011
Healthy behavior, staying in school, problem-solving skills – these are among the outcomes we all want to see in our young people. It is always encouraging to be able to point to a new mentoring initiative, a great after-school program or a really innovative school, but to achieve community- and state-wide impact, you need to do something bigger. You need to make high-quality interactions between young people and adults routine.
- to be more consistent, effective and aligned to maximize return on investments
September 2, 2011
Do you ever feel like well-intentioned people around you are working hard but, to borrow a cliché, it looks like the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing? Sometimes, the left hand even holds the right hand down.
- for improving effectiveness, scale and sustainability, and for reducing gaps in services
August 31, 2011
In times of funding cuts or a crisis involving youth and youth services, you can count on this: Loud voices will demand better supports for young people. That’s laudable. But demanding higher quality supports for young people should not be relegated to crises. To achieve long-term, systemic change, that demand has to become part of the norm.
– building their capacity in the full range of action strategies
September 2, 2011
We’ve all heard youth and parents voice their opinions at public gatherings – a youth summit, a school board meeting, a protest. That’s admirable, but what changed because of their involvement?