America's Promise Alliance

Meet Aubri, a 16-year-old powerhouse and proud Boys & Girls Clubs of America teen who's using her voice to advocate for safer online spaces for all young people. In her recent article, she shares how stepping into leadership helped her find purpose—and how data from our State of Young People report helped fuel her advocacy. From navigating digital threats to standing up for youth mental health, Aubri is a reminder that young people don’t just need a seat at the table—they need the mic. 🎤 As she powerfully writes: “Three-quarters of young people believe the U.S. is more divided than ever. But we aren’t just waiting for things to get better – we’re trying to do something about it." Read her full piece via BGCA: https://lnkd.in/eebbz3nB Learn more about APA's State of Young People Research: https://lnkd.in/ekiE8Q_4 #StateOfYoungPeople #YouthVoice #YouthLeadership #AmericasPromise #BoysAndGirlsClub

Congratulations to our Communications Leadership Cohort, on completing their two-year leadership cohort experience! This cohort brought together top communications and marketing leaders in the #nonprofit sector on a monthly basis to give and receive real-time advice on the toughest challenges they’ve faced in their work and the most important things they’re trying to get done as leaders. While this formal programming has concluded, the deep relationships, radical support, and collaborative spirit among leaders will continue. Cheers to these extraordinary leaders and the impact they’re having within their orgs and across the sector! It’s a privilege to support your work. Hear more about this cohort’s experience from Tiffany Erickson: https://lnkd.in/g88_TXwf Tiffany Erickson Robin V. Harris, Ph.D. Jeremy K. Nicole McCloskey . Binta Vann Wendy Wong #NonprofitLeadership #ExecutiveLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment

“I think APA’s role is in forcing us to think more broadly, and bigger, and more ambitious than any single organization can at any moment. And so this gives me the ability and forces me really think, not just about our space from a Bottom Line centric point of view, but to think of it really from a student-centric point of view, and how all these different organizations can wrap around that student for that student’s success. This gives us an opportunity to create an environment and ecosystem around students that wouldn't exist if I wasn't able to do this in partnership with the other members of the Alliance.” -Steven Colón, CEO, Bottom Line

We’re excited to welcome Noemi Wierwille to the America’s Promise Alliance team as our new Chief Operating Officer! In her role as COO, Noemi will oversee our internal operations, organizational learning, and cross-team execution—ensuring we continue to scale our impact and deliver meaningful value to the youth-serving organizations and leaders we support. With more than two decades of experience driving innovation in education and nonprofit leadership—including most recently serving as EVP and Chief Learning Officer at Teach For America—Noemi brings deep expertise in strategic growth, systems change, and organizational learning. Her leadership has shaped national research portfolios, scaled evidence-based practices, strengthened outcomes for young people across the country, and earned national recognition. But what fuels her most is the brilliance of young people—something she’s witnessed firsthand as a teacher, school leader, and mentor. Noemi shares: “As a classroom teacher, school leader, a teacher coach, and throughout my career at Teach For America, I’ve had the opportunity to see first hand the strength, resilience, and brilliance of our nation’s young people. That’s why I’m so excited to join America’s Promise Alliance who is elevating the voices of young people and fostering learning and collective action with the most important organizations that serve them.” Please join us in welcoming Noemi to the team!

Meet Sam Battan, our new Denver Executive Director! In this new role, Sam will oversee the execution of APA’s Partner City strategy in Denver, working to create greater alignment among Denver youth serving nonprofits, launch new collective action efforts in the city, and support the design and evolution of a powerful local-national network. Sam joins the APA team with a decade of experience leading youth-centered, systems-level change in Colorado and beyond. His career began in New Orleans, where he was named Teacher of the Year. Since then, he’s been nationally recognized for his leadership in network-based change—receiving the 2023 Livingston Fellowship, the 2021 Colorado Succeeds Prize, and being named a national finalist for the Teach For America Social Innovation Award. Most recently, as the founder and Executive Director of Colorado Youth Congress, Sam built a powerful statewide network of young leaders working to transform their schools and communities. Sam shares: “I'm so excited to join America's Promise Alliance. It's exactly what we need in this moment. In this era of eroding trust in our institutions, we have to remember that the most resilient systems are strong networks. We can emerge stronger, but in order to do that, we need vibrant networks rooted in collaboration and shared purpose. That’s why I can’t wait to work alongside the incredible leaders in the Denver Alliance. Together we’re going to create something special. Let’s get to work!” We’re thrilled to have Sam’s visionary leadership at the helm in Denver as we continue to build a future where every young person can thrive. #NewHire #YouthLeadership #AmericasPromise #DenverAlliance #NetworkBasedChange #LeadershipForYouth

"I really appreciate the candor, listening and problem solving of the Alliance. Through our participation in the Engine 1/Engine 2 program track, we have definitely had the opportunity to reflect and recenter on how the work internally is going. It's also great to hear how others are managing their work and learn how they have navigated similar issues.” -Jessica Paulson, Vice President of Strategy, Equal Opportunity Schools

We’re thrilled to welcome Minds Matter National to the Alliance!   Minds Matter connects driven and determined students from low-income families to the people, preparation, and possibilities they need to succeed in college, create their future, and change the world. Their work ensures that talent and ambition—not circumstance—shape what’s possible for young people.   Minds Matter CEO, Erika Halstead, shares: “At Minds Matter, we are focused on expanding access to opportunity by investing in students who are often overlooked. Joining the America’s Promise Alliance gives us the chance to collaborate with organizations that share our urgency and our belief that systemic change begins by centering young people’s educational needs, aspirations, and limitless potential.”   Students in the Minds Matter program see an average 300‑point increase in their SAT scores. 100% of graduates are accepted to four-year colleges, and 90% complete their degrees within four years—compared to 59% of similarly situated peers.   Please join us in welcoming Erika and her team to our growing Alliance community!

"My development cohort has been a steady source of wisdom and support. Their insights on funder trends, practical advice on building a strong fundraising team, and reflections on leadership have shaped how we navigate a changing philanthropic landscape. My 7+ year tenure is unusual in this field, and having a network of friends who ‘get it’ is crucial to making this work sustainable. The sharing prompts that open our meetings have given me time and space to reflect on challenges that would have otherwise felt isolating and insurmountable." -Divya Mani, Managing Partner, Transcend

"The Alliance's cohort opportunity has been a significant contributor to leadership in our organization by providing insight and proven tools and resources to help move our work forward. It has also provided some reality checking to help us determine whether an issue is unique to our organization or extends to the sector/industry. Through my cohort, I have essentially been able to crowdsource ideas to address tactical issues and discuss responses to various scenarios. These discussions have made me more confident in tackling issues back in my organization." -Keely Yednock Quinn, President of Programming & Impact, DoSomething

In a new op-ed for The Hechinger Report, Alliance leader, Andrew Wilkes (Generation Citizen), and Rashid Duroseau (Democracy Prep Public Schools) reflect on findings from our 2024 State of Young People report, which show that Black youth are more likely than their peers to be civically engaged. “And they’re not just participating — they believe in their ability to make change. Forty-two percent of Black youth say they believe there are ways they ‘can have a say in what the government does,’ compared with only 29 percent of other young people.” They note that this high civic engagement among Black students often meets limited school-based civic learning, and highlight how program models from their respective organizations aim to close that gap. Read the full op-ed here: https://lnkd.in/eSBCKCFC