U.S. Under Secretary for Education Martha J. Kanter, SUNY Chancellor Nany L. Zimpher Host Cradle-to-Career Forum in Rochester

Rochester - The U.S. Department of Education and State University of New York today hosted “Cradle-to-Career Networks: Pathway to Education Reform” at Monroe Community College. The forum highlighted promising practices in education reform including Strive, a national cradle-to-career framework founded by SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher.

SUNY is establishing a series of systemic and sustainable regional education networks across New York, with development already underway in Albany, Brooklyn, Buffalo, and Harlem. The SUNY model will also be embedded within a state and national network of partners and constructed upon principles of mutual adaptation.

Today’s event brought together national, state, and local leaders in government, education, business, labor, and philanthropy. It was Under Secretary Kanter’s first stop in a nationwide “Education and the Economy” bus tour.

“SUNY will work to ensure that every student can move through New York’s education system and into a successful career in the 21st century workforce,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “This forum will serve as a catalyst for us to work together, across sectors and along the educational continuum, to drive better results at every level of education, so that every child is prepared and supported in and out of school. We are deeply grateful to Under Secretary Kanter and the Department of Education for kicking off their nationwide tour with SUNY and the Rochester community.”

Kanter highlighted Strive, a national cradle-to-career education initiative and framework founded by Chancellor Zimpher, for its ability to deliver improved, evidence-based educational outcomes through collaborations focused on student achievement. 

Since 2006, Strive has generated real, large-scale improvement in the education pipeline in greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky at little to no cost. Its success has compelled many regions across the country to replicate or adapt the concept, including several communities in New York State where SUNY has taken on a leadership role. 

In February Chancellor Zimpher helped launch the country’s first National Cradle to Career Network. 

Strengthening the education pipeline is one of six areas where SUNY is focusing its efforts as it implements its strategic plan—The Power of SUNY—over the next five to 10 years. The goal of the plan is to create a stronger, more competitive system of public higher education and, in turn, a stronger more competitive New York State.

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating more than 467,000 students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses with nearly 3 million alumni around the globe. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu