Overview
NorthStar Education Partners collaborated with Learn4Life (L4L) to refresh its strategic plan, updating the founders’ original vision with lessons learned from cross-sector partners over the past six years. This partnership aimed to enhance L4L’s approach to stakeholder engagement and the identification and amplification of bright spots.
Objectives
Learn4Life partnered with NorthStar to:
- Conduct a thorough analysis of the current strategic plan.
- Facilitate stakeholder engagement sessions to gather diverse perspectives.
- Codify L4L’s approach to identifying and amplifying bright spots.
- Establish a framework for stakeholder engagement, focusing on collaboration and inclusivity.
- Identify key measures to track progress toward L4L’s mission.
Partner
Learn4Life
Location: Metro Atlanta
Impact
Serving historically underserved students across the cradle-to-career continuum
Mission Statement
Learn4Life seeks to improve meaningful life outcomes across the cradle-to-career continuum for students historically underserved by the education system in Metro Atlanta. L4L engages partners, creates a shared understanding of data, and amplifies bright spots to close opportunity gaps for all Metro Atlanta Students.
Key Activities & Deliverables
Organizational Assessment
- Conducted a comprehensive review of L4L’s existing strategic plan, identifying strengths and areas for improvement.
- Facilitated focus group meetings with the L4L Core Team, executive committee members, bright spot leaders, and key funders.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Engaged stakeholders through individual and group interviews, ensuring diverse perspectives were included in the strategic planning process.
- Conducted virtual focus groups to gather insights and feedback from various stakeholder groups.
Codifying Approaches
- Developed a clear framework for identifying and amplifying bright spots, ensuring successful practices are shared and scaled.
- Created a stakeholder engagement plan that outlines how L4L will collaborate with partners and communities.
Measuring Progress
- Established long-term goals and identified key metrics to measure progress and success, ensuring L4L can track its impact effectively.
Implementation Support
- Provided tools and resources to support the ongoing execution of the refreshed strategic plan.
- Developed communication strategies to keep stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the implementation process.
Outcomes
The collaboration resulted in a refreshed strategic plan that aligns with L4L’s mission and vision. The plan includes clear strategies for stakeholder engagement and bright spot amplification, as well as metrics to track progress. This comprehensive approach has strengthened L4L’s core services and positioned the organization for increased impact in the Metro Atlanta region.
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