When it comes to racial equity work, it’s important that we continue to unpack the narratives that have influenced our systems today so we can craft a better story for tomorrow. In this episode, host Kyle Hartung and his guests explore the theme of storytelling, how it informs the work of Building Equitable Pathways and how data contributes to these narratives overall. As thoughtful leaders who have spent their careers thinking critically about these issues, Kyle’s guests Derek Niño, Associate Director at JFF, and Cate Swinburn, Co-Founder and President of YouthForce NOLA, share several key insights about the relationship between data and storytelling, centering people in our data practices, and shaping better equity solutions.  Learn more about the resources referenced in this episode:

• YouthForce NOLA
• YouthForce NOLA’s Founding Values
• MHA Labs’s Working Impact
• Centering People in Our Data Practices by Derek Niño
• Project Evident’s Actionable Evidence Toward Equitable Outcomes

In this episode, host Kyle Hartung and his guests continue to explore the themes presented in episode one in a discussion about the imperative to enter the work of racial equity and systems building with both intentionality and patience. To make progress, our education and work systems need to reorient themselves to better engage in the collaborative design of strategies, and to also seek and listen to the voices of youth who live and work in our communities about what they need. The episode features Jon Furr, the Founder and Executive Director of Education Systems Center, and Michele Jacobs, the Senior Director of Youth Development at the United Way of Greater Atlanta who are both focusing on the racial equity work of Building Equitable Pathways.   Learn more about the resources referenced in this episode:

• United way of Greater Atlanta - College and Career Ready
• United way of Greater Atlanta - Unite for Child Well-Being
• Education Systems Center
• Illinois Education and Career Success Network 

In this episode, Kyle and his guests discuss the distinction between the fruit and roots of racial inequity in the U.S., and how they manifest in our education to career systems. They also explore what tackling these complex problems looks like in action and ideas for how to center racial equity in both process and outcome. Special guests in this episode include Clair Minson from Sandra Grace Consulting, and Josh Poyer from HERE to HERE in NYC, who are both members of the Building Equitable Pathways Community of Practice.  Learn more about the resources referenced in this episode:

-Identifying the “Fruit and Root” of Systemic Racial Inequity from the Building Equitable Pathways Community of Practice-Racial Equity Prime from HERE to HERE

-Language Guide from HERE to HERE -Key Distinguishers from HERE to HERE 

Centering racial equity in our education and career systems requires changing the way we do our work, the way we make decisions, the way we talk about those we serve and support, and the way we name and frame challenges faced by youth . In this podcast series, host Kyle Hartung from JFF speaks with leaders from across the country working at the intersection of education, training, and workforce development. Together, they discuss the work their organizations are doing to reimagine and transform our systems in a way that advances a vision and practice for racial equity. We hope you will join us in this work of Building Equitable Pathways. Tune in this April.